"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.  We talked about the recent passing
away of Judith Wood, daughter of Russell R. McDaniel.  They remembered her
bringing a cake to Mr. Mac's birthday celebration several years when she
"took twenty' with us.  We sent a sympathy card from the Brethren to RRM.


 We had quite a discussion about exactly when the main line at South Yard
was changed to A1 as we have discussed when our pal Abram Burnett mentioned
it.  This prompted Landon Gregory to admit something that he has kept quite
about all these years.  On April 7, 1963 a very important Extra 942
Tidewater coal train arrived in town shortly after midnight.  Landon was
the Operator at Walnut Ave Tower.  Yard Conductor Tom "Cornbread" Victory
asked permission to make a west bound movemet to change the cab on this hot
shot to a Norfolk Division caboose,when it happened.  Landon had given Tom
permission to go west past a red signal to make the swap.  However the
switch was not aligned and the yard crew put the switch "out of service".
This required the train crew to proceed east past the N&W WS "Pun kin'
vine" at JK in order to put their cab on. Now we have something on Landon
who is now known as the Operator who requires Norfolk Division Cabooses to
be applied ease of JK...


 The Jewel from the Past like those in a 21 jeweled Elgin #571 B. W.
Raymond box car dial beauty is from January 15, 2009:  "One of the photos
put out for the Brethren to see at the open house shows the Virginian
Shops, Roundhouse, etc. as it was in 1957 beside Naval Reserve Ave. and
Jefferson in Roanoke.  I was asked if the VGN Roundhouse was reduced in
size (stalls removed) as was the N&W Roundhouse at Shaffers Crossing after
diesels came.  Ruf Wingfield said that it was NOT.


 For Show and Tell I took the Roanoke Chapter NRHS Newsletter "Turntable
Times"  On the cover is a great Dorr Tucker photo of the new NS rebuilt DC
to AC units 4000 and 4001 in our South Yard in February.  Also in this
volume, in his "Mixed Freight" rail writer Robin R. Shavers suggested that
the new combined Pocahontas and Virginia Divisions of NS be renamed the
"Appalachian Division".  Several of the Brethren commented that the boys
from Bluefield will forever know it as the "Pokey".


 Thanks for all of the responses regarding the photo I posted last week of
the dedication of the VGN EL-C #135 at our Roanoke Station.  Some of those
attending included:  Ed Watkins Director of RTM, David Helmer, GE VP & GM
J. C. Dwyer Mayor Noel C. Taylor, R. B. Claytor, Jeff Sanders, Ken Miller,
Dorr Tucker, Richard Shell, Julian Sacks and Tom Marshall.  I saw Mr.
McDaniels son in law recently and he told me he has more of Mr. Mac's
photos the family will share in the future.


 Then  there's this:  A couple went to the hospital to have a baby.  The
doctor told them he had invented a new machine that would automatically
transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the father.  He asked if
they were to try it out.  Both agreed so the doctor set the knob 10% for
starters, explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father
had ever experienced before.  But, as labor progressed, the doctor then
adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer.  The husband was still feeling
fine.  The doctor checked the husband's blood pressure and pulse and was
amazed at how well he was doing.  At this, they decided to try for 50%.
The husband continued to feel OK.  Since it was obviously helping out his
wife, he encouraged the doctor to transfer ALL the pain to him.  The wife
delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain.  She and her husband were
ecstatic.  When they got home however, they found the mailman dead on their
porch!


 Time to pull the pin on this one!


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DXCIX




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