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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with eight of the
Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. I passed around my note
book of photos of the new Norfolk Southern Heritage units, with the
latest being the original Norfolk Southern. With it was a photo I got
last week of the Central of Georgia, when I spotted it near South Yard.
I followed until it got to the refueling area, and moved very carefully
not to be seen as trespassing, when I heard a voice say: "Get over there
and I'll take your picture in front of it". It turned out to be one of
the lady fuel truck drivers who refuel the diesel engine tanks there. I
have posted on this site under "Skip's Photos" that lucky shot. Also I
asked Harry Bundy, who worked for the original Norfolk Southern (NS
operator and worked with VGN operators), if he ever thought he would see
a brand new NS AC 4400 HP diesel painted in the old NS colors. He
responded "I didn't...The old Norfolk Southern took good care of the
Baldwins...not one ounce over the tonnage ratings; a thorough inspection
at Glenwood Shops (Raleigh) after the first 229 miles from Norfolk; and
before completing the next leg of the journey to Charlotte, and a force
of women who wiped the carbody down with cloths after every federal
test. I wonder if today's NS will be that particular?"

For Show and Tell I took my most recent ebay purchase: Five different
Virginian Railway forms. Form 1709, Company Surgeon's Report Covering
Physical Examination which asked if applicant had ever had "fits" and
had the physician state if "His his appearance is that of a temperate
man?"; Form 1708, Report of Vision and Hearing Test which tested for
colors red, green, yellow and blue; Form 315-15M Daily Report of
billings and weights;Form 1121, Bid on New and Vacant Runs, and Form
602-1/2, Request for Virginian Trip Passes which designated "White" or
"Colored" and "must be prepared by use of a typewriter". Frank, these
forms will be entered into the N&WHS Archives system and made available.

The ebay report this time includes the following Virginian Railway items
sold: Trust Plate for $99.00; Original Employee Safety First Pin (with
screw back) for $47.53; "The Virginian Handbook" for $28.00; H. Reid's
Book for $24.95 and a Negative of H16-44 #33 in Roanoke in 1959 for $10.51.

Also passed around was the latest June 2012 "Trains Magazine" which has
on the inside back cover a great shot of the Roanoke Chapter Alco T-6
#41 pulling two cabooses and NS Exhibition Car on the way to the
Appomattox Rail Days last October 7, crossing the Cotton Mill Trestle in
Lynchburg, VA. This issue has a great Don Phillips article on page 12
about his first trip to Roanoke in 1958. Russell McDaniel remembered Don
and his work with N&W while he was Manager Motive Power and
Equipment-Locomotive. Also, with it being a reminder of Landon Gregory's
stopping the 90 MPH Atlantic Coast Line "Champion" at Jarratt, VA for a
VGN coal train,Page 11 reports that Norfolk Southern has placed a speed
restriction on 41.2 miles of Amtrak trains between Ann Arbor and
Kalamazoo, Michigan from 79 to 25 miles per hour . Also page 61 has an
article and outstanding photo of newly painted N&W 1776 in Bristol,
TN/VA during her trip back home to Roanoke from Chattanooga.


>From the "Kumis" siding origin saga, this week Kevin Kittridge posted

in his "Roanoke Times" column, a theory submitted by Joe Young in Texas.
The Young theory is that perhaps Kumis was named after Kumisi, a place
in Georgia (the country, not the Peach State). It is great to see that
the Virginian Nation now includes part of the great Nation of Texas!

I asked the Brethren about a recent discussion about the cutting back of
passenger service to three times a week in the late 1940s because of a
coal strike. None recalled anything about it.

The Jewel from the Past is from January 12, 2006: "Bob Rowland, was his
usual jovial self and told of having a pet turkey at his grandmothers
farm near Princeton, WV, when he was a child. The turkey would play with
them as any pet would do, but several times got mad and 'bold him over'.
He said that after one of these encounters, his grandmother 'invited the
turkey to have Thanksgiving Dinner with us'".

Time to pull he pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CDXVIII

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