NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 50, Issue 39

[NW Mailing List]

Skip and all:

Reading a Chinese instruction manual for assembling and other
translated instructions has long made for interesting reading. When I
worked on the Valley RR of Connecticut in the early 1990's, they
marvelled at the instructions for the Chinese Chooch, now on the Susie
Q, for the whistle among other things: the whistle's definition you
ask? Bird Mouth! There were other gems but that's the only one I
remember now nearly 20 years later.

Merry Christmas all.

Bob

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>

> Message: 2

> Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:59:31 -0500

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

> Subject: "Taking Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren

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

> Message-ID: <4B3365B3.6010103 at vt.edu>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

>

> Last night, on the eve of Christmas Eve, I had the pleasure of "Takin'

> Twenty" with eight of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We

> signed Happy Birthday cards for Gibson "Gibby" Davis and William "Scotty"

> Scott. Gibby's grandfather was a machinist in the VGN Roundhouse in

> Roanoke. Gibby will be 73 on the 29th. Scotty, retired NS yard engineer, is

> 70 today. Our long time waitress, Princess, presented each of the Brethren

> with a festive Christmas bag filled with baked "goodies". I presented each

> of the Brethren a N&W/VGN pin with each RR's logo and "Building to a

> Vision" underneath. These pins can be purchased at the N&W Historical

> Society Commissary, Stock Number 132.08.

>

> I received several corrections from last weeks "Takin' Twenty" Report. The

> Roanoke Chapter NRHS EJ Lavino #34 tank engine was traded for the 1118

> which is a Mastodon (12 wheeler 4-8-0)and NOT a Mikado (MIKE 2-8-0). Thanks

> to Bud Jeffries of Radford and Ed Burnett of Lynchburg for pointing this

> out to me.

>

> The ebay report this time includes: One Mullens Motor Barn Slide with FM

> Trainmasters, Squareheads, EL-2Bs and EL-Cs all in the same photo for

> $36.00; VGN EL-C Instruction Manual $64.97 and a 1940 VGN Conductor's log

> book for $37.89.

>

> I had the pleasure of helping Santa assemble a dune buggy for my 14 year

> old grandson. I was asked by my oldest son if I could store the package,

> when Santa delivered it. I didn't know that he got it in China and it came

> in a tractor trailer in a 6' by 8' metal skid. We assembled it in two days.

> I shared with the Brethren some of the instructions listed on the "Hang tag

> for manual". "Please circumgyrate 180 degrees of rear turn lite"; "This

> vehicle is only using for amusement and lying fallow"; "The young man who

> is under the age of 18 can't operate this vehicle"; and my favorite "This

> marker can't remove before SALING". The full size dune buggy complete with

> a full roll cage and racing type seat belts had all fluids already applied

> except antifreeze. The battery acid had to be added to the battery. When we

> got it assembled, we of course had one box left over..a set of tools to put

> it together.

>

> I told the Brethren that Norfolk Southern invoked "FORCE MAJEURE" effective

> 12:01 AM 12/19/09 during our big snow that dumped several feet on NC, VA,

> WV, MD and eastern PA. This causes the line to be relieved of some contract

> and regulation requirements to handle an "Act of God" emergency. Landon

> Gregory said that he remembered using this as Chief Dispatcher, Virginia

> Division, Norfolk Southern, to clear up disasters and emergencies. This

> allows a crew to continue past the "hog law", for example,, to clear road

> crossings in an emergency, etc.

>

> Glen McLain, VGN Clerk, brings jokes to our session every week and we enjoy

> passing them around. You can tell who has them by the circulation of

> laughter. This week's favorite: A man took his wife to the doctor. After a

> short examination, the doctor said "Your wife's mind has completely gone!".

> To which the man replied "I'm not surprised, she's been giving a piece of

> it to me every day for the past 25 years".

>

> Time to pull the pin on this one!

>

> MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL from V248,

>

> Skip Salmon