Takin' Twenty with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with eight of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway.  We signed a Happy Birthday Card for
Raymond East.  Raymond is one of the very few remaining ex-Virginian
Railway Engineers who actually hand-fired a VGN steam engine.  He enjoys
telling about the summer he fired the last remaining VGN steamer, the old
"SA" 0-8-0 Baldwin #4, in Suffolk, VA,  working the peanut plants there.
Raymond, who fought in combat in Korea and defended freedom for all of us,
is the perfect example of why we should not forget those who worked for our
beloved fallen flag.  He turned 89 on Tuesday.



I showed the Brethren Abe Burnett's May 1963 photo taken at 12th Street in
Roanoke, of someone sitting on the fireman's side of N&W GP-9 #898.  Most
agreed they did NOT think is was Raymond East in the cab seat.  When
Raymond arrived, he confirmed it was not him in the picture.  "That man has
gloves.  Only real hard working people used gloves.  I never wore 'um
because I didn't nee 'um as an engineer".  The Brethren could not identify
the fellow in the photo.



Dr. Gibson Davis recently injured his shoulder in a farming accident and
may have to have surgery.  Last night he told us he would have to leave our
session a little early to go to the Carilion Clinic to get an MRI.  The
Clinic is located on the corner of Jefferson Street and Reserve Ave (where
VGN crews slept and ate at George's) and "Gibby" said as he was leaving:
"I'll be getting the MRI just a few feet from where my Daddy gave me a ride
on the old Virginian Railway turntable".



For Show and Tell, I took the July-September "Turntable Times" newsletter
of the Roanoke Chapter NRHS and the October-December "The Arrow" magazine
of the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society.  Landon Gregory especially enjoyed
Rob Minton's "On the Durham Local in 1948 with Fred Reburn" which brought
back memories to him.



"Duck Dynasty" is now one of the most popular TV shows on cable.  One of
the lead characters, Si Robertson, has recently written a book called
"Si-cology 101".  I just finished reading it and could not resist sharing
the following from Si:  "I smoked cigarettes in Vietnam to occupy my time,
more than anything else.  One night, a sergeant ordered a buddy and me to
deliver supplies to a camp on the other side of a jungle, in a driving
rainstorm.  As we made our way down a dark road, I heard a tap on the
passenger-side window of our Jeep.  "Hey, there's somebody knocking on my
window!" I told my bubby.  "Well open it and see what he wants", he said.
I rolled down the window.   A Vietnamese man was staring at me.  I didn't
know if he was a civilian or Vietcong.  "Do you have a cigarette?, he
asked.  " Hey, he wants a cigarette," I said, " What do I do?"  "Give him
one and let's get out of here!", my buddy said.  I handed the man a
cigarette and rolled up the window.  "Step on it," I said.  I was a little
freaked out by the incident, so I lit up a cigarette of my own.  I figured
we were probably driving 60 MPH through the jungle.  Then I heard another
knock on my window.  "Good grief," I said.  "He's knocking on my window
again."  I rolled down the window, "Do you have a light?" The Vietnamese
man said ."Light his cigarette!" my buddy said and "make it quick".  I lit
the man's cigarette and my buddy put the Jeep's gas pedal to the floor.  We
were probably going 90 MPH now!  Then I heard a knock on my window again.
"What in the world?" I screamed.  "He's back! How is he doing it?"  I
rolled down the window again, expecting him to shoot me.  "What do you
want?" I asked.  "Would you like some help getting out of the mud?"



Time to pull the pin on this one!



Departing Now from V248,



Skip Salmon



CDXCII
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