The "VASCO"

[NW Mailing List]

Today I was taking a Google Maps "street view" drive around Shafers Crossing and noticed how much the "VASCO" (railroad beanery) has been cleaned up from the grungy dump it used to be. 

This raised some questions: 

1.) When was the Vasco building built? It appears to be circa-1940s construction. 

2.) Before the VASCO was built at 24th Street, what and where was the railroad eatery in that area? 

3.) The acronyn "VASCO" stood for "Virginia Supply Company," and if memory serves me correctly, there were several others on the N&W system. Was not the Virginia Supply Company owned by several N&W officials? 

4.)  Is the Virginia Supply Company still in business.  If so, who owns it?  If now, what happened to it?

5.) I know for a fact that the VASCO supplied food for the diners on the wreck trains, because I overheard conversations relating to Shop Track employees being sent there in company trucks to fetch a "wreck order" or a "double wreck order." Extrapolating upon this, I am wondering if the VASCO did not somehow have its hand in supplying food to the MW camp outfits. And (not that I am in the least bit cynical,) but did the VASCO also function as a "silent middleman" for the Dining Car Department's purchases, perhaps never taking physical possession of those supplies, but handling the paperwork and taking a small cut on each transaction? 

Does anyone know the "back story" on the VASCO and the 24th Street building? 

-- abram burnett 

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