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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with ten of the 
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We discussed the recent 
shooting of Officer Crouse at Virginia Tech and how our community has 
rallied around his family.

We talked about next week's session being our annual Christmas 
Celebration complete with a miniature Christmas tree with a little 
Virginian Railway passenger train running around it.

Passed around were the Nov-Dec "Biz NS", Oct-Dec Roanoke Chapter 
"Turntable Times" and December "NRHS News" for the Brethren to peruse. 
The "Biz NS" features the Juniata Shops assembly of Gen-Set locomotives 
for R. J. Coleman Railpower, and Roanoke Shops refab work on the cabs of 
the NS fleet of GP38-2s. The "NRHS News" features projects of Chapters 
from around the nation and the recent Rail Camp. If you know of a 
teenager who is very much interested in railroading, especially steam, 
they may qualify for a trip to this camp. Most of the cost is provided 
by grants from local NRHS Chapters, including Roanoke. Let me know if 
you have someone in mind. The "Turntable Times" highlights recent 
activities of the Roanoke group, including our recent fall excursion trips.

Last weekend over 1300 fans safely rode the Roanoke Chapter's "Candy 
Cane Shifter" from the Virginia Museum of Transportation to Tenth Street 
and back. On Sunday, a local TV station featured the train, including an 
interview with yours truly. We allowed a reporter to ride on the 
fireman's side on one trip and she was filmed pulling the bell cord to 
blow the horns on the Alco T-6 #41. One lucky rider won the door prize 
of an NS HO train set and will attend the Chapter's Annual Christmas 
Dinner tonight, to receive the Jim Molinary RailYard donated set. To see 
photos of the "Candy Cane Shifter" go the Chapter's web site at 
roanokenrhs.org and click on "links" and "Mechanical Department Page on 
Facebook".

The ebay report this time includes the following VGN items sold: "VGN 
RWY Pictorial" by Aubrey Wiley for $34.95; Lima VGN "Allegheny" (Blue 
Ridge) paperweight for $65.00; VGN RWY Painting/Lettering diagram for 
freight cars and diesels for $31.00; 1958 VGN RWY letter and large 
envelope for $5.99; Color slide of 4-6-2 # 213 for $28.60; VGN slide of 
#903 in 1957 for $16.50; VGN FM at the wash rack slide for $17.59; VGN 
RWY letterhead note written by our own Grover Austin dealing with a VGN 
lantern used by the Roanoke Life Saving Crew (The very first Life Saving 
Crew in the nation) given to founder Julian Stanley Wise for $6.99. More 
on this letter next week after I get the letter.

The Jewel from the Past is from August 25, 2005: "Landon Gregory and 
Harry Bundy were discussing operations on the old Virginian. Landon 
remembered at Leesville, VA, after the merger, an operator kept getting 
a track indication on the brand new signal system when trains were 
nowhere in sight. After an investigation, and many trips by the signal 
maintainer, it was discovered that a cow, with a chain around her neck, 
had been crossing the VGN to graze on both sides of the track!"

The Brethren mentioned to each other about the new Discovery Channel 
Show "Moon Shining" about local illegal liquor manufactures, being on at 
10 PM on Wednesday nights, and for all to watch. It is filmed in central 
and southwest Virginia near the old VGN RWY right-of-way and has already 
mention several localities one could find on a VGN RWY timetable.....

Then there's this: Following the tragic death of the Human Cannonball at 
the Kent Circus, a spokesman said 'We'll struggle to get another man of 
the same caliber!'"

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CCCXCVIII

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