VGN explosion, et al

[NW Mailing List]

Skip:

That's the "flakiest" tale you have EVER told.

Bob Cohen



> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> Message: 1

> Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:22:38 -0500

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

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

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

> Message-ID: <4D78D09E.4090803 at vt.edu>

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>

> Last night on Ash Wednesday 2011, I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty"

> with eight of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. I told

> the Brethren of the passing on 2-28-11 of VGN Conductor Frank Saunders.

> Several of the Brethren knew Frank.

>

> Gibby Davis brought the March 2011 issue of "Railfan & Railroad"

> magazine for the Brethren to peruse. This issue has a great story, "The

> Flanger", about snow plows, (similar to what I've heard the VGN may have

> had), to keep the famous Donner Pass clear of snow.

>

> The response from last week was tremendous about the movie "Unstoppable"

> and the VGN #800 explosion. Thanks to Doug Harris, Gary Gray, Ed

> Painter, Ken Rickman, Rick Huddle, Tom Craig, Dave Phelps and others who

> got the word out about NOT stepping on the rails. This is a violation of

> N&W Safety Rule 1060, which is drilled into the heads of new employees

> on the very first day of their service. Several mentioned Denzel

> Washington carrying duct tape (AKA 100 MPH tape and others) in his grip.

> During the 1978 N&W Strike, and other times when I worked as a

> supervisor-road engineer, I never left home without bailing wire,

> electrical tape, needle nose pliers with cutters, and a "Bluefield

> Connection" in my grip. (For those of you without the decoder ring,

> contact me off site at <gkholine at cox.net> and I will tell you what a

> "Bluefield Connection" is). By the way, I only used it in the daytime.

> Also the response was outstanding about my interview with VGN Operator

> Clyde Weatherly and the explosion of VGN #800 near Stewartsville. Some

> never-before-seen photos of the disaster came out of the woodwork. I can

> take you to the site of the explosion, just west of Goodview, but must

> tell you I have yet to make friends with that large black dog...

>

> The Jewel from the Past is from February 24, 2005: "Ruf Wingfield told

> the story of VGN Yard Conductor Frank Angel, who took a transfer cut of

> cars every night about 8 PM to the siding near 'JK' for the N&W crew to

> pick up. He would stop at the Yard Office porch, chat with the clerks,

> and board the last car, as it passed. One night the boys nailed his

> lantern to the porch floor and when he made a dash for the last car, his

> lantern didn't go with him".

>

> For Show and Tell, I took a VGN EL-C Instruction Manual and passed it

> around. It belonged to F. O. Marshall and was issued by L. C. Kirkhutt,

> VGN Superintendent, Motive Power. This unique VGN electric "brick" had

> several gauges not found on EMDs, FMS or Alcos: (1) Height gauge of

> Transformer pyranol oil (pyranol contained PCBs and was banned in 1979);

> (2) 0 to 5,000 horsepower meter and (3) Three ammeters that indicated

> current in 1&2 Traction Motors, 3&4 Traction Motors and 5&6 Traction

> Motors, instead of just one, measuring current to a single motor.

>

> Several responded to my special sentence "The 'dog catcher' and

> 'Dutchman' passed the 'kiss and ride' and picked up a 'mud hop' near the

> 'pot signal' for a 'skin lift'". From the official Norfolk Southern

> Glossary: DOG CATCHER is a relief crew for a train which has stopped

> because of the 'Hours of Service Law'. DUTCHMAN is a short section of

> brake pipe hose equipped with glad hands at each end, used to connect

> two brake pipe hoses that are too short. KISS AND RIDE is a place where

> commuters are dropped off at a station to board. MUD HOP is a yard

> clerk. POT SIGNAL is a small revolving fixed signal used as a substitute

> for a dwarf signal and a SKIN LIFT is a minimal track raise of about 1

> to 2 inches that removes minor track surface irregularities.

>

> Danny Gee told me about a little silver-haired lady who called her

> neighbor and asked "Could you please come over here and help me get my

> jigsaw puzzle started?". The neighbor asked what the puzzle was supposed

> to be when finished. "According to the picture on the box, it's a

> rooster". He then told her he would be right over. When he looked at her

> table he said "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be

> able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster". He

> takes her hand and says "Secondly, I want you to relax. Let's have a

> nice cup of tea and then we can put all the Corn Flakes back in the box."

>

> Time to pull the pin on this one!

>

> Departing Now from V248,

>

> Skip Salmon