Fwd: [VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts] "TakingTwenty with the Virginian Brethren"

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--
Skip Salmon

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To: VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts at yahoogroups.com
From: "Charles E. Salmon, Jr." <gkholine at cox.net>
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:51:36 -0000
Subject: [VirginianRailwayEnthusiasts] "TakingTwenty with the Virginian Brethren"

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with 10 of the
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a Happy
Birthday Card for James Ecomony, brakeman-conductor and much decorated
Korean War Veteran. James' decorated uniform is on prominent display
at the large Veteran's Hospital in Salem.

Landon and I gave a report of the last committee meeting and
passed around the newest drawings of proposals for the Roanoke Station
Project for their comments and suggestions. Also passed was the latest
copy (Summer 2007) of the National Railway Historical
Society "Bulletin".

The latest ebay sales results included: Reference Book on N&W and
VGN Steam Locos $177.50; 1943 VGN Operating Rulebook $46.25; "The
Virginian Railway" by H. Reid hardback $37.72 and a photo of a set of
EL-2bs in Roanoke for $40.98.

I passed on a Paul Harvey "The Rest of the Story" to see if the
Brethren, and especially Landon Gregory, knew the described railroad
operator. "Orvon" started out as a laborer for the St. Louis & San
Francisco R. R. in Oklahoma and worked his way up to telegrapher at a
local whistle stop. He was working the hoot owl shift when Will Rogers
came to send a telegram back east. He heard Orvon singing and playing
his guitar to dispell the boring dead hours during the night. Rogers
convinced Orvon to try out at a local radio station and the rest is
history. Of course he was Orvon Gene Autry and now you know the "rest
of the story". Most guessed Jimmy Rogers, the Singing Brakeman, but
Landon knew the story and guessed the "Singing Cowboy".

Billy Daniels brought in a bright red Star electric battery
powered lantern with "VGN" and #236 markings and a red globe for "show
and tell". He said that it belonged to his and our friend and train
lover Doug Andre. Most agreed that the red globe was for
signaling "Emergency Stops" versus regular stops with a white light.
Also Cornbread said that sometimes they were used on the rear of "coal
transfers over to the 'W' when a caboose wasn't handy". I took a photo
of the lantern with Cornbread "framing" it and posted it on this site
under "Skip's Photos". Raymond East said "that lantern would stop a
doubleheader train with 2 pushers"

Jeff Sanders and I discussed a recent railpictures photo of an NS
caboose 555200 in Jersey City, NJ. It was freshly painted bright red
with current white Norfolk Southern markings and looks real "spiffy".
We surmised that this is most likely a local thing and we probably
should not expect any time soon seeing the local NS "platforms"
looking so good.

I told the Brethren about my nephew Brad recently going to
Australia through Los Angeles LAX. He said that at the international
check in, a man in front of him placed in the tray a full sized "Swiss
Army Knife" and was given it back to him with his keys and passed
through to the bording area. In another line close by, a lady set off
all of the alarms with a small steak knife and was escorted off. This
promped another story...

Cornbread is thinking about going to Nashville to see some of his
relatives and had his son Ronnie call the airlines to inquire about
flights. Ronnie told them that fortunately there was a "non-stop"
flight from Roanoke. Cornbresd replied "they will stop the plane in
Nashville won't they?"

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now,

Skip Salmon




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