"Taking Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with nine of the Brethren 
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a Happy Birthday card for 
Dewey Houch, former Virginian Railway Surveyor. He began his career in 
Mullens in 1956 as a chain man and worked from Deepwater to Sewells Point, 
including measuring water depths for the coal piers. Dewey retired from 
Norfolk Southern in 1990 as Assistant Manager Materials with 34 years 
service. He turns 75 this Saturday.

We also signed a card for Jeff Sanders, President and long time member of 
the Roanoke Chapter NRHS. Jeff is one of the Honorary VGN Brethren who is 
celebrating a birthday and also retiring at the end of this month from NS 
with over 30 years service. Jeff served in yard and engine service and 
recently was part of the remote control operation of yard engines in 
Roanoke. Jeff is also an avid collector of railroad memorabilia, especially 
of the VGN variety. He actually owns one the "ROANOKE" boards that once was 
attached to our Virginian Passenger Station in Roanoke and is a true 
"Friend of the Virginian Railway".

I announced to the Brethren that we now have a contractor, Thor General 
Contractors and Engineers, for Phase I of the Station Renovation. We also 
got approval yesterday from the Economic Development Office for Brown 
Fields, for a grant for asbestos and lead paint removal for the project. 
Looks like we are finally "turning up the wick" on this operation.

Passed around was a poster showing that on the same day of our Excursion 
Train to Bluefield, November 7, The Historical Society of Western Virginia 
has chosen the VGN Station as one of the three sights for a "Paint for 
Preservation" special project. "Ten Artists, 1 Day, 3 Icons" will paint the 
Station "as is" and then auction off the paintings that night. For more 
information call 540 224 1206 or visit WWW.HISTORY-MUSEUM.ORG

The "Business Week" magazine of September 14, 2009 named Norfolk Southern 
as "One of the 50 Best Places to Launch a Career". Also on Oct 16 "Trains" 
News Wire was an article "VGN Rwy. Passenger Station to get $2.4 Million 
Renovation".

Passed around were a couple photos showing Niagara Falls actually frozen 
solid in 1911. This prompted me to ask the Brethren about the recent 
discussion on this site about snow removal on the VGN. None of the Brethren 
remembered a flat car with a snow plow being used to push snow. Landon 
Gregory recalled VGN operator Fletcher Issac "Fig" Gee being snowbound for 
three days once at Goodview. He was quite resourceful and had extra food 
and cooking utensils on hand for just an occasion. Ruf Wingfield, VGN 
Yardmaster, said he thinks the VGN did use Jordon Spreaders for snow 
removal and "a flat with a snow plow would probably be used on the New 
River Division up in West Virginia".

At the last N&W (and VGN) Historical Society work day, Harold and Chris 
Hunley showed me a photo they took at "Sleepy Hollow", NS ballast yard near 
the VGN main at Norwich and close to the Material Yard, of track sections 
using steel ties. I checked this out and passed around a couple photos of 
these track plates. While there, I met Steve Smith, who owns a nearby 
stored N&W caboose and works on the NS Track Research Car, told me that 
steel ties were already in use on the NS Norfolk Division near 8 1/2 Street 
at Roanoke Shops. I went there and took a photo of these ties and passed it 
around also.

Somehow the discussion turned to very large men who worked on the VGN. Ruf 
and Raymond remembered two engineers, Charlie Hammond and D. P. Clark. Both 
had to actually be removed from engineer service because they had trouble 
getting through the engine cab door. Raymond said that on their driver's 
license under the photo, it said: "Continued on back".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon


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