Takin' Twenty with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

[NW Mailing List]

Tonight I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with eleven of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway.  We signed Happy Birthday cards for
Jeff Sanders and Dewey Houck.  Jeff is a true Friend of the Virginian
Railway, retired from Norfolk Southern, and President of the Roanoke
Chapter National Railway Historical Society.  Dewey started working for the
Virginian Railway as a surveyor and retired from Norfolk Southern in the
Materials Management Department.  Jeff is 67 today and Dewey turns 79
Thursday.



This Saturday several of the Brethren will travel to Victoria, VA for the
annual Virginian Railway Employees Reunion at the Uptown Cafe at noon.
Landon Gregory is heading this road trip for me because of a medical
procedure I will have tomorrow.



Thanks to Noah Tickle, retired NS machinist and Friend of the Virginian
Railway for his comment, following last week's report.  Noah recently met
with the Mayor of Roanoke who told him to "be there 1-15-15 when the first
Amtrak train officially rolls back into service in Roanoke".  We will be
watching and waiting...



Passed around for the Brethren to peruse was the October NRHS "News".  The
2014 NRHS Convention will be held in Arkansas.  This year's Convention is
in Alaska.  Pages 10 and 11 have a great article about the Prince, WV
Amtrak Station and how it will have an enhanced role in future Boy Scout
functions to the nearby high adventure camps in Fayette County.



The Jewel from the Past, as in a South Bend 21 jeweled "The Studebaker"
model 229, is from September 6, 2007:  "The conversation of the night
brought out the Virginian did not have a 'cab supply' job as did the N&W,
and the Conductors themselves were responsible for supplying their cabooses
before each trip. 'Cornbread' Victory said each Conductor would make sure
that his cab had enough ice, water, coal, torpedoes, fusees, flags, rummy
cards and other needed supplies on board".



Congratulations are in order for Landon Gregory, who is now a great
grandfather with the birth of Mason Gabriel Cook, to his grandson and wife,
who live in Richmond.



Russell McDaniel and Gordon Hamilton talked about the Squareheads and how
the engineers would be able to get above the 28 MPH set speed.  "They would
open a circuit breaker and coast to avoid the re-generative dynamic
braking".  Russell also told the Brethren about riding a caboose with
Conductor Major Wood.  He said Major told him not to pack a lunch, he would
provide it.  "I watched as he took waste and cleaned out an old greasy
frying pan and placed brains and eggs in it to cook", Russell said. " I ate
'um to get along with the Major".



Thanks again to Bob Cohen for sending a passel (about 15) obscure
engineering conversion factors.  The Brethren liked these:  Ratio of an
igloo's circumference to its diameter is one Eskimo Pi; One millionth of a
mouthwash is one microscope; Half a large intestine is one semicolon; two
thousand mockingbirds equals two kilomockingbirds.  My favorite is:  One
million aches equals one megahurt...



Time to pull the pin on this one!



Departing Now from V248,



Skip Salmon



CDXCIV
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