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

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Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with seven of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. Most of the discussion of the night
was about the Open Houses we had last Thursday and Saturday at the newly
restored Virginian Station in Roanoke.  Thursday was by invitation for our
major donors and those who were directly involved,and the Virginian
Brethren.  Saturday was a public event.  The local news outlets covered it
and the Virginian Railway was "put out there" last week in the Roanoke area.


 During the events several people came forward and offered artifacts and
Virginian items to us as well as offering to loan VGN items to us;
Included were:  Virginian Apprenticeship diploma, VGN tool box, brass
painted O gauge model of the Tri-Plex, three and one half foot painted
brass model of the VGN AG and others Many signed the book for our time
capsule with unusual comments.  One of the best was from Kent Brinkley,
grandson of VGN General Yardmaster Roanoke Staley Brinkley when he quoted
H. Reid and wrote :There will always be a Virginian".


 The following will finish this report and tells of why I got involved in
the restoration of the Station:  At the November 12, 2016 Open House for
our restored Virginian Station, I was telling a group on the tour about he
video I filmed in 2009, being shown in the B&E Conference Room, of retired
VGN Yardmaster Rufus Wingfield.  A nice lady in the group asked me if I had
a tape of VGN Conductor Tom Victory.  I answered Yes I do, and she
responded, with a tear running down her cheek, "Is it available for
showing?"  I explained that I have taped interviews of about a dozen former
VGN employees and will show these CDs after their editing.  She told me her
name was Linda Creasy, daughter of Tom Victory.  The  young boys with her,
Chase, age 7 and Max age 5, are Tom's great grandsons.  They were born
after he passed away in June, 2009,  (I taped the interview with Tom March
23, 2009).  Since the Open House I have spoken with Linda and made her a
copy of the interview with Tom for her to show the whole family  at
Thanksgiving.  Chase and Max as well as several other family members will
able able to see their Grandpa Tom for the first time, telling of his work
on the VGN RWY.  This is possible because of the Roanoke Chapter NRHS's
efforts to save the Virginian Station.  Linda also answered a question I've
been trying to get solved since before we started the Station project:  Who
planted the rose bush that is now featured behind our VIRGINIAN monument?
Linda told me her Dad Tom tended roses as a hobby and felt there should be
some at the station.  She doesn't know when but is sure, that he planted
that one we have now...  Because of the work of Chapter members Joyce and
Dave Foster, we now have an extra rose bush planted from a "cutting" off
Tom's original.  These two now frame the VIRGINIAN monument in front of the
Station.  Should we name these rose bushes "Chase" and "Max"?


 Time to pull the pin on this one.


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DCXXVIII
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