Citadel, SC to VMI/Lexington, Va. Special Movement

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My uncle was VMI Class of '68, and he told me that there used to be an industious few cadets who would grease the rails in a couple of spots as the tracks climbed the grade into Lexington, as the station from what I understand used to be where Washington & Lee's new parking deck now stands. The grade was stiff enough that when properly greased, those riding the train into town would have to walk an extra half mile or so to the station. It was common for cadets to perform this task when class returned for W&L students and for football games against VPI and the Citadel. 

Regards
Russ Goodwin
Buford , Ga


Sent from my Galaxy S®III

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From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 
Date: 12/07/2013  20:35  (GMT-05:00) 
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
Subject: Citadel, SC to VMI/Lexington, Va. Special Movement 
 
Mr. Smoot:

Regarding your football special movement reference which I have cut & pasted below: for what years might you recall these special movements occurring to and from Lexington, Va.? The earliest and latest which you might know about would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Bob Cohen


During the early 1960's I saw the Tennessean and Birmingham Special many times at Kemper St. Station in Lynchburg. Each carried one stainless steel Pullman. Once every other fall, the Sewanee University football team would come to play Hampden-Sydney and an additional Pullman (may have been heavy-weight) was added from Chattanooga to Monroe for the  team. I believe they returned on the evening Birmingham Special.

The Pelican came through Lynchburg both ways in the middle of the night. It carried two Pullman cars both ways. The only time I saw it the Pullmans were Southern stainless steel.

As an aside, there was another every other year football related special movement through Lynchburg. A 15 or so car extra was run from Charleston, SC to Lexington to bring the entire Citadel student body to VMI for the football game. This involved Southern, N&W, and C&O. The train came into Lynchburg on the Southern, went down the old main line to Union Station, briefly backed onto the N&W to connect with the C&O, went up the C&O to Balcony Falls, then up the N&W valley line to Buena Vista, then up the C&O branch to Lexington. Southern motive power was used for the entire trip. Coming back in the evening, it came through Union Station just after the Powhatan Arrow went east. I regret to report that there was evidence of drinking on the train as it returned!

    Raymond Smoot
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