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

[NW Mailing List]

Ditto!!!
John Lisica
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:47 AM
Subject: Re: "Takin'Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon



>   Skip I look forward to your "TakinTwenty"'s, read them all, learn and 

> enjoy. Cal Reynolds.

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:44 AM

> Subject: "Takin'Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

>

>

>> Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with nine of the 

>> Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a card for VGN 

>> Yardmaster Rufus Wingfield who is recovering in Rehab after a recent 

>> fall.

>>

>> We talked a lot about today being the 100 year anniversary of the opening 

>> of the VGN Passenger Station in Roanoke. At the meeting of the Roanoke 

>> Chapter NRHS tonight, a celebration will be part of the monthly gathering 

>> including a cake and the honoring of several of the Brethren who plan to 

>> attend. Also there will be some VGN displays for Chapter Members at the 

>> regular meeting site, O. Winston Link auditorium at 7:30 PM.

>>

>> This week's ebay report includes: H. Reid hard-cover book $20.00; Lima 

>> photo of AG #800 $16.26; Fairbanks-Morse Operator's Manual for H24-66 for 

>> $144.50; 1949 VGN ticket receipt $19.53; Original slide of VGN #432 with 

>> a cab and box car for $15.39; and a VGN red short globe lantern with 

>> "VGN-RY", serial #K-456 for $494.00.

>>

>> Last week's Report prompted more feedback that most. The Keith Sowder 

>> account of VGN #72 "pulling away" from a passenger train caused the most 

>> discussion. After talking to the Brethren, we have concluded that Keith 

>> may have seen the N&W Cavalier somewhere between Suffolk and Norfolk. The 

>> Cavalier arrived in Norfolk at 7:30 AM on the advertised. #72 needed to 

>> be at the Ford Plant by 6 AM. As with these Reports, I just quote what I 

>> hear and feel that these Brethren probably embellish some of the accounts 

>> of incidents past, especially when there was a competition with the "W"! 

>> The Report last week also induced a lot of emails concerning the meaning 

>> of letters in diesel locomotive classes. Again I only quoted "Trains" 

>> magazine. Kevin EuDaly, publisher of the N&WHS "The Arrow" talked to two 

>> EMD "diesel experts" about this. They responded that the "F" is 

>> definitely for "Freight" in an F7. Also they agreed that the "E" is for 

>> 1800 horsepower in the E8 but added that "SW" was for 600 horsepower with 

>> a Welded frame; "SC" was for 600 hp with a Cast frame; and NW is 900 

>> horsepower with a welded frame etc. After all, this report of the meeting 

>> with the Brethren is suppose to encourage discussion; besides feedback 

>> lets me know if someone is reading this stuff...

>>

>> For "Show and Tell" I passed around several photos from the N&W Archives. 

>> The first is an EL-2B at the high bridge at Covel with a VGN auto box on 

>> the front probably for #72 and the Ford Plant and a flat car with a 

>> yellow gasoline tanker trailer minus its wheels and tires. Someone said 

>> that the yellow tank trailer was destined for the Naval Base at Norfolk. 

>> The second shot was of VGN B-37 derrick when she was brand new. The third 

>> was a shot in the cab looking toward the firebox of BA #505, brand new in 

>> Lima in 1946. Next was the 113 on a local with a VGN ballast car, 

>> auxiliary tender and VGN caboose and the last is an EL-2B set pulling a 

>> coal train east over the high bridge at Glyn Lyn with two auto boxes on 

>> the lead.

>>

>> The Jewel from the Past this time is like one in Mahlon Clasbey's 

>> Hamilton given to him by his father, Jerome Clasbey, N&W carpenter is 

>> from July 15, 2004: "Cornbread" Victory talked about the strike of 1923 

>> when the N&W and VGN just 'swapped' workers in Roanoke. He also mentioned 

>> a strike just after the end of WWII when labor agreements ran out. 

>> President Harry Truman called railroad workers 'a bunch of Russians' and 

>> put everybody back to work".

>>

>> And finally several emails this time included tidbits shared with the 

>> Brethren. One was from a fellow quoting a sign he saw in a mining camp 

>> canteen somewhere in West Virginia: "We don't serve women in this 

>> establishment; you must bring your own". There also was a list of things 

>> about transplanted Northern folks who relocate in the South: "Just 

>> because you move South doesn't mean you can be called 'Southerner'. If 

>> your cat had kittens in your oven, you wouldn't call them 'biscuits'"!

>>

>> Time to pull the pin on this one!

>>

>> Departing Now from V248,

>>

>> Skip Salmon

>>

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