"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.  Our waitress Saba said she had been
feeling sort of lowly all day and I  reminded her that it was probably
because ob the changing from summer to fall...


 The ebay report this time includes the following Virginian RWY items
sold:  two 8X10 prints, #900 and #251 at Princeton in 1958 for $30.49; VGN
RWY blotter for $8.50; 35MM slide of VGN AG #903 at Roanoke in 1957 for
$54.99; VGN RWY class diagram for freight cars, Marty Swartz Resource Guide
and a Painting and Lettering guide for Freight Cars and Locomotives for
$24.99.


 The Jewel from the Past is from May 14, 2009:  "Passed around was my
recent ebay purchase of an article from August 1956 'Trains' entitled 'Of
black Upholstery and Commanding Exhaust'.  'Cessation of Virginian
passenger service provokes warm memories of orange cars, shoe box lunches,
and Teddy Roosevelt regaling the riders with tales of San Juan Hill'.  The
article mentioned Sunday 'extra' Church Trains, Teddy Roosevelt speaking at
the 1997 Jamestown Exposition to VGN riders and called VGN #3 and #4 'shoe
box and cinders trains'.  The article told of orange coaches that matched
the stations before and riders 'bragging about dinners on the night trains
(#3) that left Norfolk's Union Station at 10 PM and arrived in Roanoke at 8
AM the next morning, the same hour as the day train (#4) took off for
Norfolk'.  They were trains with straight-back seats of somber black
upholstery, spittoons and windows to stick your head into the winds and
hear the stout steam engine moan, and whistle with commanding exhaust
pluming from the smokestack.  Engineers and firemen were quick to pitch
candy to kids..."


 Our good friend Robin Shaver asked for more unusual train names from
Landon's 1948 book:  PRR E. St. Louis to Enola, PA "Uncle Sam"; SAL
Richmond to Bostic, NC "The Tarheel": PRR Crestline, OH to Buffalo "The
Salesman"; IC Council Bluffs, IA to Freeort, IL "Pork Chops" and IC
Centralia, IL to Chicago "Naked Lady".


 Thanks to Tom "Saltwater" Salmon for our new header on this site
highlighting our VGN Passenger Station in Roanoke.  We are having the first
scheduled event there this Saturday, a picnic for Roanoke Chapter NRHS
members to show them their restored beauty.  We will have an open house for
the public in November and I will keep you posted.


 One of our Brethren needs some encouragement, Robert "Little Abner"
Glass.  He is currently at the VA CLC in Hampton, VA room 121 and can
receive calls at 757 439 0803.  An email can be sent to him at <
boberselglass at cox.net>  Bob was a clerk at Sewells Point and Lamberts Point
and worked with colliers unloading coal.


 Then there's This:  Two American Astronauts land on the moon and begin
exploring.  Mission Control asked if they have found anything to report.
"Yes sir, we do.  We have found a deceased female.  It appears to be a
'Mrs. Ralph Kramden".


 Time to pull the pin on this one.


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DCXXI
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