"Takin Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

[NW Mailing List]

Skip, 
I'm so glad your Grandson Hunter is fine!
Norris Deyerle
 
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 07:00:01 -0400
Subject: "Takin Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

Last night I had the honor of "Takin' Twenty" with six of the 
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway.  This meeting was special
 because it was 10 years ago (April 1, 2004) when I wrote the first 
"Takin' Twenty" Report.  I have posted on this sight under "Skip's 
Photos" a photo of three of the Brethren holding our "10 year sign".  
They are Wis Sowder, former VGN Clerk; Landon Gregory, former VGN 
Operator and Raymond East, former VGN Engineer.  Visiting with us was 
our waitress for most of the 10 years, Princess, who brought her brand 
new (5 weeks old) son, Houston.  The Brethren made Houston an honorary 
VGN Brother and promised to help get him a job on the railroad when he 
grows up.  (They will be about 100 if this comes true!).
 
For
 Show and Tell I took the January-March 2014 Roanoke Chapter NRHS 
newsletter "Turntable Times".  This issue has on the back inside cover a
 photo of a brand new  Virginian H-14 hopper # 5675, posing outside the 
car shop at Princeton December 17, 1956.  This Virginian paint job 
lasted until May 18, 1982 when it was renumbered # 15675 and painted in 
N&W scheme at Lamberts Point.  This, and other "Turntable Times" are
 available for viewing on line at the Roanoke Chapter web sight.  Also 
passed around was the 2013 Norfolk Southern Annual Report "What we move 
moves the economy".  Landon Gregory was quick to point out to the 
Brethren on the inside cover, the operating ration (what it costs to 
generate one dollar) for NS for 2013 was 71.0%, down from the 2012 71.7%
 or 71 cents to generate a dollar.  He was also quick to tell us that 
the 1958 Virginian Railway annual report (last one for a full year) 
showed it took the VGN 51 cents to make a dollar!
 
We talked about the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society Convention coming to Roanoke in June.  On Saturday June 28,
 I asked if the Brethren could be at the Station to help with a tour for
 the Convention and all said they would help if they were healthy 
enough.  
 
Jeff Sanders brought the Brethren a nice flyer 
about the upcoming overhaul and re-steam program for the N&W J 
#611.  She will dead-head to Spencer in May and return to Roanoke, under
 steam for hopefully steam excursions in 2015.  One even suggested 
having the 611 pull the first Amtrak train out of Roanoke to 
Lynchburg..........(sound of a new can of worms being opened).
 
PERSONAL
 NOTE:  Thank the Lord for a phone call I got from my grandson Hunter 
when I got home last night, telling us he was OK.  He is in the US Army 
and was transferred from Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, last week to Fort 
Hood Texas.  The shooting yesterday was near his barracks and he 
actually heard the shots. 
 
No one could recall any April fool jokes being pulled on them on Tuesday,
 but this reminded me of this week's Jewel from the Past:  "Bob Rowland 
(VGN Clerk) told the best story of the night.  Seems when he was about 
14 in 1942, his grandmother, who lived on the outskirts of Princeton up a
 long winding road, had an old Chevrolet.  Bob learned to drive it and 
could even back it up the muddy roads from the grocery store.  She told 
Bob he needed to get a driver's permit, even though he was not yet the 
required age of 16.  She was the type of person who never told a lie, so
 when she took him to the Justice of the Peace to get the permit, wrote 
on the bottom of his shoes "OVER SIXTEEN".  When she was asked by the JP
 'Is that boy over 16?', she could answer, 'yes he is!'"
 
Then
 there's this:  A very attractive lady was standing in line at the Post 
Office when a gentleman about her age, tapped her on the shoulder.  When
 she turned around, he said "Oh, I'm sorry, you remind me of someone I 
went to school with.  You look like Helen Brown".  The lady, being sort 
of flattered, answered, "You should see me in my red dress!"
 
Time to pull the pin on this one!
 
Departing Now from V248,
 
Skip Salmon
 
DXI



    
     

    
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