"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. From last week, thanks to Abe Burnett
for responding about Dr. Jeffrey Oaks of the University of Indiaapolis, who
is the world authority on rail date nails. I remember the day at Roanoke
Shops about 1972, when a small keg of 1959 nails was discovered when some
excavation was being done near the old Wheel Shop. One of the shop
inspectors made a lot of friends that day passing out the "1959 jewels from
the past".

Thanks to Todd Arnett for responding about the brake stick holders. He says
the new NS GE Heritage units have one on each side (on the engineers side
above the rear air tank and on the fireman's side between 2nd and 3rd
stanchion). I don't think my VGN stick will fit...

The ebay report this time includes the following Virginian Railway items
sold: Negative of EL-2b #126 for $22.50; Public VGN Timetable of 4/10/31
for $39.95; Five slides of Virginian Heritage Locomotive #1069 sold from
$2.99 to $14.99 each; VGN 4/34 Short Globe lantern with red globe, with
serial # K638 was the "sale of the year" at $202.50; New River VGN
Timetable of 8/5/45 for $39.95; "Virginian in Color" for $39.99; 3 Photos
of VGN Steam for $14.05 and #906 Photo for $12.29.

The Jewel from the Past from my "M-Day" Arrow article: "Tom 'Cornbread'
Victory, VGN Yard Conductor, remembered being given a new N&W switch key
and changing out the locks. He recalled throwing away, in scrap cars, many
of the now "precious" Virginian Heart Shaped locks, and replacing them with
the N&W version. Victory also was delighted to now qualify for the N&W
Supplemental Pension Plan, not available to VGN employees. Rufus Wingfield
said when he retired in 1988, he got a 6% return on his supplemental
pension, gained from the merger."

Passed a round was a photo I took on Tuesday of the first terra cotta tiles
being installed on the new roof at the Virginian Station in Roanoke. The
Raleigh, NC roofing company should finish the roof job soon. The photo
captured the Illinois Terminal NS Heritage unit waiting for a signal,
beside the station. I also took a photo of the IT unit with a train
approaching JK from the south on the "Punkin' Vine" Winston-Salem District,
with the Interstate Heritage unit on the lead in the background, and the
Pennsylvania and Wabash Heritage unit as its pusher. NS Heritage units are
showing up everywhere...

For Show and Tell, I took my latest VGN find, a VGN RWY spike maul. I asked
the Brethren what the smaller of the two heads was for. I guessed it was
for starting spikes. Landon Gregory said "that end is for hitting small
spikes"....

I told the Brethren about meeting former VGN Yardmaster Roy Grose at the
Gun Show in Salem, VA last Saturday. Roy and I talked for a while about our
VGN Brethren friends, and almost every story I told, he finished, or "added
mustard" to it. His colorful embellishments encouraged me to ask him to
come "take twenty" with us and tell 'um again...

Also passed around was the "Save the Date" flyer for the Roanoke Chapter
NRHS Fall Amtrak Excursion Trains this fall. November 10, we will travel
from Roanoke to Abingdon, VA and on to Bristol, VA/TN and return; November
11, Veterans's Day, will be to Shenandoah, VA with a short turn around
north. We will honor all current and past Veterans on board the trains.
Veterans also will be given a discount for their ticket cost. We are
encouraging our "Friends of the Virginian Railway" if you know of a Veteran
who you would like to purchase a ticket to ride this train, or would like
to sponsor one, call 540 774 0611.

Then there's this: A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and, one
night, he's doing a show in a small town. With his dummy on his knee, he
starts going through his usual dumb blonde jokes. Suddenly, a blonde woman
in the audience starts shouting, "I've heard enough of your stupid blonde
jokes. What makes you think you can stereotype women that way? It's people
like you who keep women like me from being respected at work, and in the
community, and from reaching our full potential. You and your kind continue
to perpetuate discrimination against not only blondes, but women in
general, in the name of humor". The embarassed ventriloquist begins to
apologize, and the blonde yells, "You stay out of this! I'm talking to that
litle boy on your lap!"

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CDXXX

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