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 discussed not meeting for two
weeks because of Christmas and New Year and the recent "cold snap".  All
had a good Christmas visiting or getting visits from their relatives.  The
last few days have been extra cold here with Landon Gregory, who lives
beside the Blue Ridge Parkway not far from Niagra on the old VGN, reported
a low of about zero.  Raymond East saw minus numbers on his outside
thermometer but Wis Sowder had the lowest at minus 4.  Wis lives at the
very end of the Shenandoah Valley in a "holler" on the low side of Bent
Mountain in Roanoke County.  Wis lives alone now with several farm animals
and one big cat.  He said that the cat actually "likes the cold and stayed
out in it most of Tuesday".



I told the Brethren about the VGN Roanoke Yard Office clock that they set
their pocket watches by, being displayed now at the Virginia Museum of
Transportation in the Virginian Room.  I will put a photo of the display on
this site when we get the "Virginian Railway Standard Time" sign placed
under it in the display.



For Show and Tell I took the December "NRHS News" which highlights their
recent National Convention in Alaska.  Also passed around was the February
2014 "Trains" magazine. Most of this issue is about New Zealand's colorful
railroads .  Page 10 has a photo that the Brethren didn't especially like.
It shows a "Paradox":  Transco released NS cab no. 555013 from its
Logansport, IN shop with a Southern Railway logo in late November.  It is
red with NS logos and the Southern logo but NO N&W logo....mercy!



I told the Brethren, (a lot of them were Clerks on the VGN), about the
recent death of Mikhail Kalashnikov, inv enter of the famous AK-47 assault
rifle.  The story in the Roanoke paper states "Kalashnikov, born into a
peasant family in Sibera, began his working life as a railroad clerk".



The Jewel from the Past is from October 4, 2007:  "Rufus Wingfield showed
us an old belt buckle he was given many years ago.  It was leather with the
VGN herold in the middle and 'The Sure Way to be Sure, Route Virginian'
around the herold. When I gave Raymond East his birthday card signed by the
Brethren; I enclosed a large replica of a $500 bill.  He showed it to the
fellows and immediately there was a discussion of which president was on
the bill.  It is William McKinley.  Someone said maybe it's 'Cornbread'
Victory.  I asked 'Cornbread' if he had ever been president of the US.  He
replied, 'No, but I was president of the latrine once in boot camp'".



Then there's this:  On a bitterly cold winter morning, a husband and wife
in Warsaw were listening to the radio during breakfast.  They heard the
announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today.  You
must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the snow
plows can get through."  So the wife went out and moved her car.  A week
later while they were eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said ,
"We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today.  You must park your car on
the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snow plows can get through".
The good wife went out and moved her car again.  The next week they are
again having breakfast, when the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 12
to 14 inches  of snow today, you must park..." Then the electric power went
out.  The good wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her face,
she said, "I don't know what to do.  Which side of the street do I need to
park on, so the snow plows can get through?"  Then with the love and
understanding in his voice that all men who are married to blonds exhibit,
the husband replied, "Why don't you just leave the car in the garage this
time."



Time to pull the pin on this one!



Departing Now from V248,



Skip Salmon



DIII
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