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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with nine of the 
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. Most were glad to get 
back into our regular routine after last week's "weather report" 
distraction, where only two of us showed up. I had some "makin' up " to 
do and a lot of stuff for the Brethren to peruse. One item, a photo of a 
young co-op civil engineering student from Georgia Tech in 1970, stumped 
them. It showed NS CEO Wick Moreman in full beard working on a track 
switch, using a pinch bar. Most thought it was yours truly...Georgia 
Tech?...how about Virginia Tech!

The ebay report this week is very interesting. VGN items sold included: 
VGN Adams and Westlake "V.ry" lantern with globe missing did not make 
the reserve at $660.00; 1910 VGN passenger timetable $58.75; Slide of 
VGN H16-44 #14 at Roanoke in 1957 for $43.78; January 2007 "The Arrow" 
with articles about VGN G4 gons $9.99; VGN date nail set with 2 years 
missing $19.99; 1918 VGN Operating Rule Book $38.69, and the deal of the 
week a 1927 VGN pass of brakeman J. L. Selvey sold for only $3.25.

The Jewel from the Past is from January 20,2005: "Tom 'Cornbread' 
Victory spoke of all of the activity now in progress at the sight of the 
old VGN Roundhouse in Roanoke, where Carilion is preparing for a Bio-Med 
Center. He remembered that a track ran between the Roundhouse and 
Jefferson Street to a tipple where the VGN unloaded gravel, coal and 
other laden. Landon Gregory spoke of the extension of South Yard after 
the merger, when a road was made from the north end of Wasena Bridge 
down to the tracks for trucks to bring gravel. Raymond East said that 
when the yard was extended, a spring was discovered on the bank beside 
the tracks and pumps had to be installed to remove the water".

I passed around several current publications including current issues of 
the Roanoke Chapter NRHS "Turntable Times" for the Brethren to take 
home. This issue highlights the C&O #614's journey from Port Clinton, PA 
to Roanoke, to join the N&W 611 and 1218 and VGN's #4 at the Virginia 
Transportation Museum. This issue also included a report about the 
recent "Candy Cane" Shifter and an unusual article "Railroad Greasy 
Spoons". This article gave examples of greasy spoon lingo such as a 
steak well done is called "a hot box and have it smoking". Also passed 
was the current "NS Biz" with the new "ex-couch potato" symbol of a 
fitness program highlighted for NS employees in this issue. The Brethren 
were amused at all the "hoopla" given for physical fitness today. They 
recall "in their day" potatoes were only for eating...

The current March 2011 "Trains" magazine was also passed around which 
contained mostly "Civil War rails" items. Recently I was given a post 
card showing VGN #4 being removed from Wasena Park for her journey to 
the current VMT location. I showed it to the Brethren and Raymond East 
is especially fond of this one, the last remaining artifact of steam 
left of the VGN, since he once shoveled coal into her fire box...

I shared with the Brethren the upcoming bus/train Spring excursion that 
the Roanoke Chapter NRHS is sponsoring April 20 from Roanoke to 
Washington. The trip includes a bus ride to Lynchburg; fare on Amtrak 
#176 to Washington; 5 hour layover for touring DC; return on Amtrak #171 
to Lynchburg and bus back to Roanoke. Go to the Chapter web site for 
ticket information.

One of the Brethren commented on a recent Christmas raffle that was held 
at the Moose Lodge. Several of his friends had won items such as boxes 
of candy, WalMart gift cards and booze. One fellow who won a toilet 
brush fell off his social graces when he was asked: "How'd ya like the 
toilet brush?" He answered "I reckon I'll go back to paper..."

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

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