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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with five of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. Attending with us was my middle son
Stephen.   Wis, Landon and Raymond enjoyed giving him a hard time about how
much he was eating, and enjoyed his asking them questions about our beloved
Fallen Flag.


 We talked about this Saturday's Grandparents' Day at the Virginia Museum
of Transportation from 10 AM until 5 PM.  Grandparents are admitted free,
and they are giving out free ice cream from 11AM to 3 PM.  The Roanoke
Chapter NRHS is giving train rides ($3 fee) all day on their caboose and
Powhatan Arrow coach. Come join us if you can.


 The Jewel from the Past is from October 16, 2008:  "I showed the Brethren
a sign I found at the N&W(and VGN) Historical Society Archives work session
last week.  It reads 'The Virginian Railway Company Notice: When Club Car
is occupied only for meals, an extra charge of twenty-five cents will be
made, an exception to this rule being authorized  in the case of passengers
holding space in Pullman Sleeping Cars'.  This prompted Rufus Wingfield to
recall there was a 'night train' special during spring and summer out of
Roanoke to Norfolk that became a 'Virginia Beach Special'.  He said Jessee
James, who later worked with Rufus and Bob Rowland as a call boy, was a
supply clerk on these specials and purchased the food and beverages for the
trains on the Club cars."


 For Show and Tell Landon brought a nice notebook given to riders on an NS
Special "Security Analysts Inspection" train that ran from Norfolk to
Cincinnati October 25-26, 1983.  Robert Claytor was Chief Executive Officer
on this train.  The book has many early photos of the brand new NS.  At the
time NS was just getting "fired up" as a brand new Corporation with 41,260
employees.  I was working the Search Diagnostic equipment at Shaffers
Crossing and "tuned up" the diesel locomotive electrical systems for this
trip.  I also took my latest buy on ebay, a nice bourbon glass given out at
the N&W Historical Society Convention in Bluefield, WV June, 1996.  This
glass has both the "N&W" and "VGN" logos.


 Also shown to the Brethren was the Summer 2015 "Biz NS" newsletter with a
great article about the Roanoke Material Yard,"safe, green, efficient".
Pages 16-18 were especially interesting to the Brethren showing "Running on
railroad time" about the NS collection of clocks and historical watches,
including Samuel Spencer and Wick Moorman.  Mr. Moorman spoke at this
year's National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors about the company's
collection.


 Then there's this:  With his wife away, a man decided this is the perfect
time to paint he toilet seat.  The wife comes home sooner than expected,
however, sits on the john and the seat sticks to her rear.  Panicking, she
has her husband drive her to the doctor.  She puts on a large overcoat so
as to cover the stuck seat, and they go.  When they get to the doctor's,
the husband lifts his wife's coat to show the doctor.  "Have you ever seen
anything like this before?" he asks  "Well, yes," says the doctor.  "But
not framed."


 Time to pull the pin on this one!


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DLXXIV


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