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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night, on the last day of summer this year, I had the pleasure of 
"T akin' Twenty" with nine of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian 
Railway. GNP engineer Raymond East was able to join us. I brought for 
"Show and Tell" an N&W "Rules and Instructions for proper firing of coal 
burning steam locomotives" (16 pages from July 1, 1949) and passed it 
around. Raymond, who once fired the old #4 (now the last VGN Steam 
Locomotive left), commented when I asked him if he had ever seen one of 
these on the VGN: "All they ever gave me was a short handled shovel and 
instructions on how to open the firebox door!"

Also passed around was the September/October "NS Biz". This issue 
highlights "Coal Fuels the World". It features NS coal handling 
operations including exported coal. The country that receives the most 
NS coal is Brazil with France, Italy, Spain, India, Belgium, UK, China, 
Egypt and Turkey close behind. Also this issue tells about NS' new 
business opportunity with Marcellus Shale gas drilling and the "NS Go 
Green" program. The Brethren commented that the only green they remember 
being associated with the VGN were "the bananas in those ice cars".

The Jewel from the Past is from September 23, 2004: "Unlike the N&W 
Business Cars that were famous for their bars, 'Slick' Inge said that he 
saw no bottled liquor, but he couldn't vouch for what was in the paper 
bags that the VGN officials brought on board their cars with them at night".

I told the Brethren that the video for the night was one that I had been 
trying to get for a long time. Last Saturday as I approached Riverside 
Crossing, a coal train was just turning on his head and ditch lights at 
the east end of Kumis, telling me that he had just received a signal to 
come east. I rushed to one of my favorite spots, climbed the bank and 
shot the NS 9384 Dash 9-40CW and UP SD70 5971 pulling 100 loads of coal 
across the Yateman's Viaduct. This is the VGN Bridge that crosses above 
the N&W tracks just east of Singer on the N&W. I got the rear of the 
coal train as it crossed the high trestle above the Roanoke River from 
Mr. Greene's property. Me, trespass???

The ebay report this time includes the following VGN items sold: 1955 
#22 Timetable for $40.00; Two H. Reid 1961 hardback "Virginian Railway" 
books, one for $34.33 and the other for $37.36; a 1949 Public Timetable 
for $17.29 and a bogus Lionel Zippo lighter with a VGN EL-C in blue and 
yellow on it for $16.37.

"Gibby" Davis remembered going to Moneta from Roanoke on the VGN 
Passsenger Train in 1942 and 1943 with his grandfather to get 
"vegetables". He clearly recalls that some of the "veggies" came in 
Mason Jars and were a clear liquid. W. W. Scott as a lad, said he did 
not wear shoes from May first until Labor Day. Glen McLain said that he 
went wore no clothes "until he was about 7, when my Dad got me a cap, so 
I could look out the window!"

I was able to give all the Brethren a Norfolk Southern pocket protector 
for their pens. Scotty suggested that the Brethren keep all of their 
$1,000 bills in these. Glen said he wore one as clerk on the VGN, but it 
definitely was not NS or VGN.

Several of the Brethren are planning to attend this Saturday's "Big Lick 
Stamp Club" special issue of a first day cover celebrating the 100 year 
old VGN Passenger Station in Roanoke. I will have these with the 
Saturday post mark, for sale as a fund raiser for the Station Project.

Our regular waitress, Princess, was on vacation last week. Raymond East, 
who can be seen greeting all of the waitresses as he makes his way to 
the back where we meet, told her this week "You haven't been yourself 
lately, we've noticed the improvement!"

Ken McLain, the official "Takin' Twenty Joke Man" brought this one to us 
last night: "What's the difference between a Yankee Zoo and a Southern 
Zoo? On the cage in a Yankee Zoo, it will have the name of the animal 
and their scientific name in Latin. A Southern Zoo will have the name of 
the animal and a good recipe."

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

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