"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.  Attending with us, down from
Maryland, was Bob Cohen, member of the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society and
well known rail historian and author.  Bob and Landon Gregory discussed
several rail wrecks including the famous one in the Great Dismal Swamp
involving the J Class 611 as well as other historical incidents.  Bob told
us about some rail lines in the 1800s, including the Erie, that had a six
foot gauge line.  One fact that came out in the discussion that even Bob
had never heard, was how the track gangs kept from being bitten by rattle
snakes while constructing the line through the Swamp.  It was a very
unusual use of a piece of common equipment they used.  If you know the
answer to this, send it to my home address written on the back of a Henry
rifle, any caliber, and I will send you a prize.


 For Show and Tell I took a Christmas present given to me by my nephew Brad
Huddleston of the "Australian Railway History".  This book was perused by
the Brethren and contains a lot of familiar photos that reminded Landon and
Wis Sowder of how the VGN did it.


 The Jewel from the Past is from July 9, 2009:  "Glen McLain and Wis Sowder
discussed ways to keep deer from eating the tops of plants in their
gardens. This prompted a discussion about hunting.  One of the Brethren
recalled once going bear hunting with some of his VGN friends.  They came
to a fork in the fire trail road and saw a sign that read "BEAR LEFT", so
they went home..."


 Thanks to David Simmons of Watertown NY for sending me the music and words
(all four verses) ot Tillman's "Life's Railway to Heaven".  One day I hope
to teach my namesake grandson this song and how to play it on my 1973
Martin D-35 Dreadnaught, which will be his some day.  If you have never
heard the middle two verses, and love railroads, you should look it up!


 In response to two questions from Frank B. I consulted with VGN Geru
Greely Wyatt.  He says  at Mullens they had a spacer car to shove the
electrics into the motor barn.  Also "we used other locos or most of the
time some of the other electrics".  Concerning the Squarehead noise, Greely
said primarly it was the "pounding of the side rods when running at track
speed (14 or 28 MPH) and the motor that ran the dynamo power for the
traction motors when at lower speeds."


 We are trying to find out the names of Station Agents at the Roanoke VGN
passenger station.  Does anyone out there know the names of any of these
former Agents?


 Then there's this:  A mother is explaining fire safety to her young kids.
They go over fire evacuation , how to get to safety, and where to meet in
the yard to make sure everyone is safe.  "For example," the mother asks,
"let's say this afternoon I accidentlally start a fire while making your
lunch  What would you do?"  The oldest boy replies, "We'd all meet in the
back yard and make you take us to McDonald's for lunch".


 Time to pull the pin on this one.


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DCXXXV
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