Vesuvius Re-visited.

nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Thu Jan 5 00:43:11 EST 2006


Good story, Bill. It's those kind of first-hand tales shared here that make
this list come alive. Keep 'em coming. And for the record, who wouldn't
admire a RR with 90-plus track speeds in spots for varnish...

Andre Jackson and/or Lisa Burrows
Life is short; update your anti-virus software
----- Original Message -----
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:12 PM
Subject: Vesuvius Re-visited.



> Sad to say, I have temporarily misplaced the photos, but around 1990 while

> driving up Interstate 81 in Virginia I decided to re-trace some of the

> foot

> steps of O. Winston Link. In his book "Steam Steel And Stars" you will

> rcall

> the interior view f the general store in Vesuvius, Va., and the old

> gentleman

> outside putting gas in a convertible automobile as a northbound passenger

> train passes in the background on the doubletrack N&W in front of the

> store. I turned off I-81 to go over to Vesuvius and on the state road

> near

> Vesuvius on the right, I spotted an ACY covered hopper, minus trucks

> mounted about 15 or 18 feet high on two concrete piers with room for

> Virginia Dept. Of Highways dump trucks to drive underneath to receive

> gravel to spread on roads during icy weather. The top of the coverd

> hopper

> is located up against a steep fill where other trucks can dump gravel

> into

> the hopper to be dumped into the smaller dump trucks. Obviously I took a

> photo of that. To my surprise, although long closed, that general store

> building was still intact! That gravity gasoline pump in the Winston

> Link

> photo was still right there in the front of the building. I stood in the

> exact same spot that Link must have been standing when that photo was made

> and got a daytime shot of that gas tank. If only I could have had a

> N&W Mountain class "J look-alike" passsing in the background with a

> northbound passenger train headed for Stuart's Draft and Waynesboro to

> complete the scene. You see, I do have a warm spot for the N&W. Too

> bad some of you don't feel the same way about the ACL instead of making

> fun of it. If I do say so, A couple of ACL P-5-a or P-5-b Pacifics

> doubleheading a passenger or freight train was a sight to gladden the

> heart.

> In my case something to be a part of in that I would be the fireman on

> either the lead or second locomotive. If you really want a dirty job,

> try

> firing the second locomotive on a doubleheaded passenger train. You get

> to eat the smoke and cinders of both locomotives up to around 70 MPH.

> You don't need your coal pusher then, as the vibration at high speeds

> will shake down the coal pile until coal is ankle-deep n the deck of the

> locomotive. Been there, done that. Bill Sellers.

>

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