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

[NW Mailing List]

Skip:
 
It was the Great Northern for the Cascade Tunnel electrification that got  
motor-generator electric locomotives similar to the VGN locomotives and also 
 built by GE.  The "Little Joes" were 3300 V DC locomotives built by GE  
originally for Russia, as you said, but ultimately they went to the Milwaukee, 
 South Shore, and Paulista (Brazil).  They were not motor-generator  
locomotives; they used a combination of accelerating resistors and motor circuit  
transition.  The ones for the South Shore were re-wired for 1500 V DC; the  
rest stayed at 3000/3300 V DC as originally designed and built.
 
Dave Phelps
 
 
In a message dated 9/18/2014 1:04:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

 
Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty with eight of the  Brethren 
and Friends of the Virginian Railway.  I took a photo to Wis  showing him 
and one of his twin daughters, Ricky at the session last week.  Wis was 
surprised but immediately told me that he would now have to  invite Vicky to 
"take twenty" with us for her photo.  He also admitted  that he tells the ladies 
appart by looking under their right eye.  Ricky  has a small mole there... 
We were surprised when a large Sunday School Class held a birthday 
celebration  at the restaurant nearby, and attending was our good Friend of the 
Virginian  Railway Ray Forbes and his wife. 

For Show and Tell I took my latest VGN discovery, a 7/1/1936 issued  Safety 
Rule Book.  I pointed out one rule that struck me as funny:  #1026 "It is 
prohibited to throw ashes, clinkers, garbage, bottles,  refuse, tools, waste 
or other material out of windows".  I also took the  July/August/September 
"The Arrow" magazine of the N&W (and VGN) Historical  Society.  On the cover 
is the great shot of VGN EL-2b #126 streamliner  passing the Palisades at 
Eggleston, VA.  This prompted some discussion  about what happened to them and 
if any other railroads had any like them.  I remembered that the 
Milwalwaukee Road had something similar.  Gordon Hamilton said  about the time the VGN 
got theirs,  Westinghouse made some motor generator electrics for Russia 
which were wide  gauge (5').  He believes that there was an embargo at the 
time for  Russian exports so the MR had them changed to standard gauge and got 
a good  deal.  He also said they were called "Little Joes" because they were 
 intended to go to Joseph Stalin. 

I told the Brethren about today's opening of bids for Phase II of the  
Virginian Railway Station project in Roanoke.  If all goes well, this  project 
will be back "on the main line" very soon! 

Last week at our work day at the N&W (and VGN) Historical  Society's 
Archive, I discovered a file I suspect was left on the VGN desk for  me by our 
good friend Tom "Saltwater" Salmon.  It is a thick file 071.2  on "Robberies on 
the VGN RWY".  I put it into our system, so it is now  available for 
research.  One interesting entry was from October 30, 1944  from Goodview, VA:  
"Referring to telephone conversation of October 21st with you regarding 
someone  breaking into your Tool House and stealing 20 to 30 gallons of gasoline.  
Investigation developed that only one or two gallons of gasoline, if  any, 
was removed or stolen from this barrel.  In the future, be  absolutely sure 
that gasoline has been stolen before reporting to the  office". 

Correction from last week:  Chip Oaks daughter is Savannah';  Angie is his 
wife. 

The Jewel from the Past like those in a 25 jeweled Ball Railroad  official 
"Trainmaster" (for Frank, one word not two like the VGN Train  Masters) is 
from February 7, 2008:  "Bob Rowland said he had fond  memories of his 
favorite engine, the big AG Blue Ridge Class 900s.  He  recalled engineer "Hush" 
(short for Hustlebubble) Mattingly 'with a small  transister radio in one 
hand held up ot his ear and the throttle in the other  as he made his pull'". 

Then there's this:  After the Christening of his baby brother in  church, 
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.  His  father asked 
him three times what was wrong.  Finally, the boy replied,  "That preacher 
said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to  stay with 
you guys". 

Time to pull the pin on this one. 

Departing Now from V248, 

Skip Salmon 

DXXXIV 

__._,_.___



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