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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with eleven of the
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a Happy
Birthday card for Wis Sowder, "Mayor" of Poages Mill and "Gentleman
Farmer". Wister started with the Virginian in March, 1951 as a Call Boy
in Roanoke. He served various clerical positions as Weighmaster and Yard
Clerk in many locations including Sewells Point, Altavista and Roanoke,
and served as a Gang Leader for the "W". He retired from NS in June,
1987 as Clerk, Revenue Department, General Office Roanoke, with 36 years
service. Wis turns 86 on Tuesday.

At the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society last week, Rail Historian Lewis
Newton told us that in 1962, the N&W Freight Station in Salem, VA was
moved over to the old VGN Freight Station there, because it was a much
better building. He said the VGN RWY Agents could stay in their original
VGN locations, as long as they existed, for life. Also during our
session, I was able to videotape an interview with our own Landon
Gregory for use at he Restored Virginian Station in Roanoke. Landon told
the now famous story about his stopping the 90 MPH Atlantic Coast Line
"Champion" passenger train for a Virginian coal train, when he was VGN
Operator at Jarratt, VA. We were able to also film part of the interview
inside the NS Virginia Division Headquarters, where Landon retired as
Chief Dispatcher. In the interview, Landon spoke to current Dispatcher
Robert Hamlin, who worked with Landon. I asked Robert if there was
"anyone in this complex who could send Morse Code like Landon did when
he started?". He responded, above the laughter from the other
Dispatchers present, "We don't have to do that anymore". At the
Archives, Gordon Hamilton shared with Landon and I, a color DVD he
discovered recently showing VGN action in 1955. It includes #4 coming
coming into Roanoke, scenes inside the VGN Roundhouse, and at Altavista,
VA and other VGN locations. We hope to make this DVD available for
showing at the Station when Restoration is finished. The Archives is in
the process of scanning Virginian Railway Annual Reports, and needs a
copy of the 1912 Annual Report. Anyone out there have one we can borrow
and scan?

The ebay report this time includes the following VGN items sold: Slide
of EL-2b at Mullens in 1959 for $30.99; Virginian Schedule for Train Men
and Yard Men for $31.00; 1955 Public Timetable for $12.95; VGN #100
photo from a magazine for $8.99 and a badge marked "Virginian Railway"
"Watchman" for $330.00.

I showed Monday's "Roanoke Times" "100 Years Ago Today" item, the
following: "Mr. John B. Thayer's wife and son, who were aboard the White
Star Liner, Titanic, when she sank Monday morning on the Newfoundland
coast, are safe, according to news which reached Roanoke yesterday
afternoon" (Thayer was a director of the Norfok & Western Railway. He
did not survive.)

The search for the origin of the name given the passing siding at V260,
KUMIS, is still a mystery. I have consulted two more sources with no
results: Retired N&W/VGN Supervisors at their monthly Breakfast, and NS
Virginia Division HDQ on Friday.

For Show and Tell, I took my most recent purchase: a VGN RWY Requisition
on General Storekeeper file with copies of major purchased from 1950 to
1959. Items purchased include Westinghouse Traction Motors, Armatures,
Tools, Motors, Welders, Water Coolers, Insulators, etc. One unusual item
is a Martindale Heavy Duty Etcher, sent to Cleveland for repairs on
October 4, 1956. January 31, 1951 there was an order placed for 10
gallons of GE Glyptal #7696 blue paint for painting equipment in the
power plant in Princeton. More from this later.

The Jewel from the Past is from December 29, 2005: "'Slick' Inge told
about when his grandfather, John Inge, got two unexplained black eyes
within two weeks. The second time that 'Slicks.' father, VGN Conductor,
George W. Inge, took him to see Dr. Pretty at Kellysville, the doctor
told George W. to 'tell Mr. Inge (John) to take his spoon out of his
coffee after stirring it next time'".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CDXVI

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