"Taking Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty with 9 of the Brethren 
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a Happy Birthday card 
for George "Rusty" Mann, Jr. who turned 79 yesterday.

Passed around was the latest "Turntable Times" with Jeff Sander's great 
shot of the Barnum and Bailey Circus Train coming through Roanoke, on 
the cover. Also passed was the latest "Bulletin" of the National Railway 
Historical Society devoted entirely to O. Winston Link. The Brethren 
really enjoyed the steam locomotive pictures. Raymond East commented 
that he "really appreciated Mr. Link saving the memories of the old N&W 
Steam engines".

The ebay report of recently auctioned Virginian items included: a 1907 
Tidewater annual pass for $380.25; 2 1908 VGN passes for $104.75; 2 1912 
VGN passes for $81; 2 1913 VGN passes for $68.79; 2 1914 VGN passes for 
$55.56; 2 1915 VGN passes for $69.79; 2 1916 VGN passes for $93.79 (one 
was a pass to VGN Club Car);1917 VGN passes for $19.99; 1918 VGN pass 
for $19.99; 1931 VGN pass for $29.07 and a 35mm negative of photo of VGN 
PA #210 for $18.29.

I also showed the Brethren Gordon Hamilton's article from the "Bluefield 
Bluefield Daily Telegraph" of May 22, 1909, telling about all VGN trains 
stopping for five minutes during H. H. Rogers funeral in his honor.

At the N&W HS Archives work session last week, Tom "Saltwater" Salmon 
gave a great presentation with photos about his intense study of the 
beginning of the Virginian Railway. Part of his emphasis is on debunking 
the notion that H. H. Rogers built the line just because of coal rate 
squabbles with the C&O and N&W. I passed on some of his comments to the 
Brethren. Tom is planning a book on the subject and I am sure it will be 
a "best seller" and "eye-opener".

The video shown was a continuation of my shooting Virginian locations 
with NS trains for use at the Roanoke VGN Depot after restoration. Shown 
last night were (1)shots of an empty westbound grain train leaving the 
siding at Kumis (V261) and tripping the high green signal just east of 
Lafayette (V262). (2)A special train being pulled by a red GenSet test 
locomotive that included our own Steve Smith's NS Research car, one 
loaded coal hopper and an NS GP38 at the diamond at JK (V243) and scenes 
at the Virginian Station and NS power under the Jefferson Street Bridge. 
(3) Shaffers Crossing Diesel Shop with various locomotives around the 
turntable. I told the Brethren about shots taken but not shown: (1) NS 
736 coal train in the rain at Salem Timber Truss (V251.3). (2)NS coal 
train shot at Lafayette (V262.1) and Riverside (V260.5) near the road 
going into the new Western Virginia Regional Jail.

I passed around an instruction sheet sent to me by my friend John 
Snidow, director of the N&W HS Archives, that the Brethren really liked 
and asked me to pass on to you. It is "How to Install a Home Security 
System". You first go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of used men's 
work boots, size 14-16. Put them on your front porch, along with a copy 
of "Guns & Ammo" magazine. Then place a few giant dog dishes next to the 
boots. Leave a note on your door that reads: "Hey Bubba: Big Jim, Duke, 
Slim and I went for more ammunition, be back in an hour. Don't mess with 
the pit bulls...they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up 
real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it, but it was hard to tell 
from all of the blood. I locked all four of "em in the house. Better 
wait outside. Signed "Cooter".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon





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