"Taking Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren

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Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with 12 of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. I was able to input my digital video
camera directly into Country Cookin's TV and played several scenes for the
Brethren. I showed snow on many trains and units at South Yard, the VGN
Station, and an eastbound merchandise train. The highlight was my taping of
the Barnum and Bailey Circus train that went through Roanoke on Tuesday.
The 60 car train was traveling from Cincinnati to Newark, NJ and came
through Roanoke and headed up the Shenandoah Division. Jeff Sanders called
me from the NS West Yard shortly before noon and said that the circus
people had boarded and the train was making an air test. I proceeded to O.
Winston Link parking area and set up, and got the B&B "Greatest Show on
Earth, Red Train" as it went by.

After watching the circus train video, Scotty said "I know a few people
here that should be on it". Rufus Wingfield remembered Benny Russeau, a
Virginian brakeman who came to Roanoke with a circus train about 1954 as a
roustabout. The circus, at that time, parked the train near the VGN Yard
and set up the big tents at Maher Field beside Victory Stadium in Roanoke.
Benny met a girl at the circus, fell in love, stayed, and got a job with
the VGN.

Landon Gregory told the Brethren about visiting John Ringling's mansion in
Sarasota, FL. He said that it had one whole room that was a safe for some
of Ringling's precious items. It also had golden fixtures in the bathrooms
and a collection of rail passes from every line in the US.

Passed around was a photo of some the Milner Matz Hotel lying in Princeton
Ave. in Bluefield, WV. The old art deco landmark just collapsed last
Friday. Many of the Brethren remembered this Bluefield icon and Ronnie
Victory said that he, as a young clerk, stayed there on several occasions.
This hotel was home for many N&W train crews on their Roanoke to Bluefield
trips. Several commented about the loss of a good home for the roaches...

At our work day last Saturday at the Roanoke Chapter NRHS siding at 9th
Street, Landon and I discovered a Virginian Railway marked "Suggestion
Box". On the back was written "Motor Barn, Mullens 1947". I asked the
Brethren if they remembered such suggestion boxes, and Rufus and Raymond
said that there was one at the Freight Station in Roanoke. Of course there
were many suggestions recalled like: Raymond remembered that several
suggested there be a "longer 20" for meal breaks; Wes asked for a raise in
pay; Cornbread asked for longer vacation but most were the kind that can
not be mentioned in "mixed company".

The April 2009 "Trains" magazine was passed around. It is mostly about
grain trains but has a grand article about NS double stack corridor tunnel
work. Also passed was the newest N&W HS "The Arrow" with our Greg Elam's
outstanding article about the Victoria Station/Depot and her history. Greg
we salute you. The Brethren really liked your presentation.

Also shown was the March 2009 newsletter "The Rail" from NRHS Winston-Salem
Chapter that George Weber, editor sent out. This publication has a monthly
feature called "Where am I" with a photo for readers to identify the
location. This issue used my photo of a westbound freight at V261 Kumis on
the VGN side of NS west of Salem. You can see this photo on this site in
the "Skip's Photos" section.

Rufus Wingfield told a story about an investigation held at South Yard when
some paint came up missing from the Freight Station. Later it was
discovered that while this investigation was being held, some paint brushes
also "walked off".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

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