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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night, the last Wednesday of Spring of 2013, I had the pleasure of
"Takin' Twenty " with eight of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian
Railway. We signed a Get-Well card for Felix Price, who worked as a power
director at the Narrows Power Plant.

I told the Brethren about the good times had at last week's Norfolk &
Western (and VGN) Historical Society Convention held near Mullens. Thanks
to Tom Marshall, Gerry Albers and Frank Bongiovanni:their hard work shinned
during daytime tours and night time clinics. If you are ever in Beckley I
recommend you take a tour of the Beckley Exhibition Mine. You will be
amazed and never forget it. Touring where our Fallen Flag line now goes in
the area, and was onetime king on the Winding Gulf and Guyandott River was
a sight to behold. Also the Thursday night video from the WV Public TV
station about Tams and coal camps was worth the entire registration fee.

Thanks to Tom Marshall for getting me the February 7, 1968 Mullens
Assignment Circular No. 2 of Trains listing Conductors, Cabs and Brakemen.
Until he gave me this I had not been able to establish which caboose
Russell "Slick" Inge had as his last ride. It was 530315 and his two
brakemen were Boyd Graham (head end) and C. L. Mullins on the rear. I will
enter this into the N&WHS VGN data base at the next Archives session.

On my way back home from Mullens I was able to visit George and Betty
Harman in Princeton. Betty is Russell "Slick" Inge's niece and they have
stored several VGN artifacts that belonged to Slick. They are now donating
them to the Station Project in Roanoke and I was able to bring them home
with me. Included are several VGN lanterns, train order hoop (oldest
version), caboose marker light, tool box and many more items. One item that
I am researching seems to be a control lever used on one of the VGN
electrics.

Gordon Hamilton told the Brethren about riding by himself on #4 from near
Deepwater all the way to Princeton as a young lad. He also admitted that he
has the number plate from the three aces (EL-3A) number 111. You may get to
see it in the future in a display at the Roanoke Passenger Station.

I have posted three new photos on this site under "Skip's Photos". The
first is a Jeff Sanders' snapshot of A. C. "Knot" Thomas (mentioned last
week) who was VGN Roundhouse Foreman in Roanoke. He is standing In front of
a VGN AG. Look at that bow tie...recon that's how he got the handle "Knot"?
The other two are P. Buckley Moss prints that are now being sold as a fund
raiser for the Virginian Station Project. The one marked "The Virginian" is
Ms. Moss' version of the Station in Roanoke. That one sells for $100 for
small print and $200 for the larger one. The Station Project gets 50% of
sales of this. Also the "Pride of the Line" print ($100)which shows the J
pulling a passenger train, is a fund raiser if bought through our Roanoke
Chapter NRHS. Shipping is $10 for any combination of prints purchased.
Contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of these P. Buckley Moss
prints.

Passed around was a photo of the VGN Heritage 1069 pulling a coal train
around the famous Horseshoe Curve. It's from railpictures.com.

The Jewel from the Past, like those in Bill Johnson's, (engineer on the Big
South Fork Scenic Railway) Hamilton 992e, is from April 26, 2007: "Passed
around was a letter from Mrs. Edward A. Thompson, widow of 'Popeye'
Thompson. She tells of his starting with the Virginian in august 1946. 'He
went out on the last Virginian Train that was run before the merger
November 30, 1959. He went east and came back in working for the Norfolk
and Western'. All of the older Brethren remember working with 'Popeye'".

Last Thursday as I traveled toward Mullens, I traveled out Princeton on 19
and turned on the infamous WV SR 10. As I crossed the crest of Flat Top
Mountain I noticed two things. The first was a sign reading "Clark's Gap
Road". The other was a highway sign reading "Speed Limit 55". Please take
this warning: If you ever get to that location, DO NOT drive 55 MPH down
that mountain to Elmore...you will die if you do!

Time to pull the pin on this one.

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CDLXXVI

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