"Takin'Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

[NW Mailing List]

   Skip I look forward to your "TakinTwenty"'s, read them all, learn and 
enjoy. Cal Reynolds.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:44 AM
Subject: "Takin'Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon



> Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with nine of the Brethren 

> and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a card for VGN Yardmaster 

> Rufus Wingfield who is recovering in Rehab after a recent fall.

>

> We talked a lot about today being the 100 year anniversary of the opening 

> of the VGN Passenger Station in Roanoke. At the meeting of the Roanoke 

> Chapter NRHS tonight, a celebration will be part of the monthly gathering 

> including a cake and the honoring of several of the Brethren who plan to 

> attend. Also there will be some VGN displays for Chapter Members at the 

> regular meeting site, O. Winston Link auditorium at 7:30 PM.

>

> This week's ebay report includes: H. Reid hard-cover book $20.00; Lima 

> photo of AG #800 $16.26; Fairbanks-Morse Operator's Manual for H24-66 for 

> $144.50; 1949 VGN ticket receipt $19.53; Original slide of VGN #432 with a 

> cab and box car for $15.39; and a VGN red short globe lantern with 

> "VGN-RY", serial #K-456 for $494.00.

>

> Last week's Report prompted more feedback that most. The Keith Sowder 

> account of VGN #72 "pulling away" from a passenger train caused the most 

> discussion. After talking to the Brethren, we have concluded that Keith 

> may have seen the N&W Cavalier somewhere between Suffolk and Norfolk. The 

> Cavalier arrived in Norfolk at 7:30 AM on the advertised. #72 needed to be 

> at the Ford Plant by 6 AM. As with these Reports, I just quote what I hear 

> and feel that these Brethren probably embellish some of the accounts of 

> incidents past, especially when there was a competition with the "W"! The 

> Report last week also induced a lot of emails concerning the meaning of 

> letters in diesel locomotive classes. Again I only quoted "Trains" 

> magazine. Kevin EuDaly, publisher of the N&WHS "The Arrow" talked to two 

> EMD "diesel experts" about this. They responded that the "F" is definitely 

> for "Freight" in an F7. Also they agreed that the "E" is for 1800 

> horsepower in the E8 but added that "SW" was for 600 horsepower with a 

> Welded frame; "SC" was for 600 hp with a Cast frame; and NW is 900 

> horsepower with a welded frame etc. After all, this report of the meeting 

> with the Brethren is suppose to encourage discussion; besides feedback 

> lets me know if someone is reading this stuff...

>

> For "Show and Tell" I passed around several photos from the N&W Archives. 

> The first is an EL-2B at the high bridge at Covel with a VGN auto box on 

> the front probably for #72 and the Ford Plant and a flat car with a yellow 

> gasoline tanker trailer minus its wheels and tires. Someone said that the 

> yellow tank trailer was destined for the Naval Base at Norfolk. The second 

> shot was of VGN B-37 derrick when she was brand new. The third was a shot 

> in the cab looking toward the firebox of BA #505, brand new in Lima in 

> 1946. Next was the 113 on a local with a VGN ballast car, auxiliary tender 

> and VGN caboose and the last is an EL-2B set pulling a coal train east 

> over the high bridge at Glyn Lyn with two auto boxes on the lead.

>

> The Jewel from the Past this time is like one in Mahlon Clasbey's Hamilton 

> given to him by his father, Jerome Clasbey, N&W carpenter is from July 15, 

> 2004: "Cornbread" Victory talked about the strike of 1923 when the N&W and 

> VGN just 'swapped' workers in Roanoke. He also mentioned a strike just 

> after the end of WWII when labor agreements ran out. President Harry 

> Truman called railroad workers 'a bunch of Russians' and put everybody 

> back to work".

>

> And finally several emails this time included tidbits shared with the 

> Brethren. One was from a fellow quoting a sign he saw in a mining camp 

> canteen somewhere in West Virginia: "We don't serve women in this 

> establishment; you must bring your own". There also was a list of things 

> about transplanted Northern folks who relocate in the South: "Just because 

> you move South doesn't mean you can be called 'Southerner'. If your cat 

> had kittens in your oven, you wouldn't call them 'biscuits'"!

>

> Time to pull the pin on this one!

>

> Departing Now from V248,

>

> Skip Salmon

>

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