The "VASCO"

[NW Mailing List]

I finally got to check Roanoke City Directories for Tidewater Rail Services
and Vasco.

I was surprised to see that there were few listings in my directories. The
dates of the Directories are 1932, 1936, 1953, 1957, and 1963. There was
nothing (for either)prior to 1953.

In 1953 there was Vasco Club House (NO kidding!) with a commissary at 23
24th St, NW. So, sometime between 1936 and 1953, it must have been built.

Then in 1957 there was a Tidewater Supply Co., Inc. at 105 14th St, NW, and
no listing for Vasco. The Tidewater Supply Co. list officers at Norfolk and
Roanoke.

In 1965,  no Vasco, but Tidewater Rail Services, Inc. shows up at 23 24th
St, NW, and listed as service contractors for N&W Railroad.

Seems to me that at one time there was a "YMCA" somewhere around 14th
Street. Ken, didn't your father talk about that? It would have been near
the old roundhouses in that area.

See attachment for a souvenir.

Jeff S.

Moderator:

http://nwhs.org/mailinglist/2016/20160625.Tidewater_Rail_Services-Key_fob.jpg




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*From:* NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
*To:* N&W Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
*Sent:* Wednesday, June 22, 2016 11:29 PM
*Subject:* The "VASCO"

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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