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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night, on the last Wednesday of winter this year, I had the pleasure
of "Takin' Twenty" with seven of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian
Railway.  Raymond East remembered working with his Dad, Luther Lafayette
East, at the Altavista train stations hauling freight.  He got 5 cents per
hundred pound of freight for transfers from the Southern and Virginian
Railways for moving less-that-a-car-load from station to station.  He got
seven and one half cents per hundred pounds for moving freight from station
to businesses in the area. One particular move got the attention of
supersticious locals when caskets were transferred from the VGN or SOU to
local funeral homes.


As a follow up on the photo I posted of the sign on the Roanoke Passenger
Station, Ken Miller showed me the VGN drawings of the sign for the
Passenger and Freight Station.  They cost $100 and were part of the adding
of concrete walkways around the Stations.  The drawings were dated 1928 and
the AFE specified work at both facilities were in that time frame.  This
means that both signs could have been used for a very long time.  The
reason for the sign was for "advertising the location of the stations".


Another great item was located during the work session at the N&W(and VGN)
Historical Society Archives last week.  While transferring early
(Deepwater) files into the current Hollinger system, I found an interesting
sheet on the CH3 coaches (10/4/1909) paint scheme:  "Outside Lowe Brothers
Big #4 Standard Orange (shade to match pre-order) with Maroon letter board
and trimming with name number and stripping in gold leaf with black
edging.  Top canvas brown finish with two coats Murphy's Perfect Outside
pale Railway body varnish".  The club cars CL-1 class were body color:
cadmium yellow glaze with wine color letter (VIRGINIAN) with roof Princess
brown with trucks, platforms, steps in color C&O brownish olive.  Also the
Ginger Ale Stands were stamped on the bottom "The Virginian Railway" but
the forks , knives, spoons and tongs were stamped "Virginian Ry."


The Jewel from the Past is from July 3, 2008:  "Billy Daniels brought in a
bright red Star electric battery powered lantern with "VGN" and #236
markings and a red globe for 'show and tell'.  He said it belonged to his
and our friend and train lover Doug Andre.  Most agreed the red globe was
for signalling 'Emergency Stops' versus regular stops with a white light.
Also Cornbread said sometimes they were used on the rear of 'coal transfers
over to the 'W' when a caboose wasn't handy'.  Raymond East said 'that
lantern would stop a doubleheader train with two pushers'"


The ebay report this time has several very interesting items.  The first is
a Virginia State Department of Health Speciman Container with "Victoria VA
VGN RWY CO Supt. B. E. Nevins 1946 Richmond, VA" that sold for $6.99 (Would
this be connected to a Rule "G" infraction?)  The second item is a 1956
medal switch lock with no key marked "VGN" and "1956" that sold for $100
and the last is a set of three Alco Brass HO Models of VGN EL-3A Jack Shaft
Electrics for $745.00.


Then there's this form the "I never knew" collection:  BUYING THE FARM
 This is synonymous with dying. During WWI soldiers were given life
insurance policies worth $5,000.  This was about the price of an average
farm, so if you died you "bought the farm" for your survivors.


Time to pull the pin on this one.


Departing Now from V248,


Skip Salmon


DLV

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