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

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Thu Feb 18 08:56:50 EST 2010


Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty with nine of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. I started off the meeting by asking
the Brethren if they remember a famous wedding that took place 77 years ago
on February 17,1933 of one of the most famous couples in the world. They
have been in the newspapers for years. He was the son of a railroad magnate
and she was the daughter of a famous financier. Her maiden name was
"Boopadoop". After many clues Scotty Scott finally got it. Answer at the
end of this report.

I announced to the Brethren that this web site now has over 1,000 members,
who I hope read about them every week!

I got a response from Greg Harrod from Fredericksburg, VA about his
Granddad, VGN engineer W. R. Bloyd's gold pocket watch, bought in 1923,
when he went to work on the VGN. Mr. Bloyd, who Rufus Wingfield remembered
calling for trains many times, traded the watch to Victoria jeweler J. A.
Keeton for a 1945 vintage Longines military style, 24 hour watch. Landon
Gregory said that everybody in Victoria knew Joe Keeton and he was a watch
inspector for the railroad. Greg has a watch inspection card from the
1930's that lists the serial number of his Granddad's Elgin BWR, 21 jewel,
as serial number 26529327. Greg would like to find this watch. If anybody
out there has any information that would help find it, please respond.

Passed around was a copy of a deed that I found at the N&W Historical
Society Archives work session last week, while entering Right of Way
purchases of the Deepwater Railway from 1903. It was written on stationary
from the "HOTEL TOY" in Lester, WV, and had on the letterhead "J. H. Toy,
proprietor on C&O and Virginian Railways, rates: $2.00 per day". Also
passed around were emails from Michael Napoli, the new owner of the former
Virginian Railway Tugboat, the "W. R. Coe". Mr. Napoli changed her name to
the "Deborah Quinn" after his wife's maiden name. He added "The tug is
currently being used to tow dump scows by the Breakwater Marine Company in
Oyster Bay, NY. The boat's namesake, W. R. Coe, is buried just miles from
my house and Planting Field, his home that he donated to NY State, is 2
miles from my house. We have been going there since I was a kid, never
knowing I would own this boat. I will try to send you some pictures; the
boat is in mint condition and is one of the cleanest boats I own." If we
could only find the old VGN 44-tonner #6...

Also sent around were copies of pages from a book I found at the N&WHS
Archives last week, "The Virginian Railway Company Pass Rules, effective
July 1, 1948". Rule 21 outlined transportation of corpses: "The remains of
a person eligible to receive passes may be transported free, either on a
trip pass issue for "Remains of _______" or on a pass held at time of
death. Rule 23 covers "unlawful use of passes" with a penalty of dismissal
from service as well as prosecution under Federal law, which provides a
maximum penalty of $2,000 fine for misuse of free transportation".

The "Jewel from the Past" is like one in Jeff Sander's Hamilton 992B 23
jewel watch having a Montgomery Dial with two hour hands, that he purchased
while working for the N&W near Indianapolis,IN and had to cross the Central
Time Zone, is from May 13, 2004: Jimmy Whittaker, VGN clerk, told of a 1935
Ford Station Wagon that VGN Superintendents Garrett and Strickland used for
track inspections. "It had been modified to run on the rails. It ran on
rubber tires with a metal bracket welded on the side of the car to keep it
on the tracks."

Also passed around was a photo I took last week of the clock that was
donated by VGN Superintendent Hank Kinzel to the N&WHS. One day I hope it
will be displayed in the restored VGN Station in Roanoke. This clock, a
large pendulum style clock leased from the Western Union by the VGN for
trainmen to set their watches, was in the Yard Office in Roanoke for many
years. I have posted a photo of it on this site at "Skip's Photos". It has
been repaired and keeps perfect time.

Now about the famous wedding: His name is Dagwood Bumstead and you all know
the former Ms. Boopadoop as "Blondie".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon


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