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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with ten of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We signed a Get Well Card for Jim
Cosby, Chairman of the Virginian Station Restoration Committee, who is
recovering from surgery.

For Show and Tell, I took the July/Aug/Sept "The Arrow" publication of the
Norfolk and Western (and VGN) Historical Society. I showed the Brethren the
January 29, 1956 article from the "Roanoke Times" in the magazine that
documented the last regularly scheduled Virginian passenger trains ever
run. Each of the Brethren had a comment about this article. Raymond East
said he had "fired the Pacific's on several trips, but not on the last".
Wis Sowder remembered working that day but not going to the Station. Ken
McLain was in Norfolk at
Sewells Point, too far away to see the train. I asked Russell McDaniel, who
was Master Mechanic at Victoria at the time, what his part in this was.
Russell remembered riding the train from Victoria to Roanoke with Mr.
Strickland. Gordon Hamilton asked him how he got back to Victoria. He
responded "we had someone in a car take us back". It was reported in the
article that there were 90 "deadheads" who rode from Victoria to Roanoke.
Someone said they recall "way over a hundred" claiming to make the trip.
Also for Show and Tell I took a copy of one of the only publications the
VGN RWY ever put out: "Coal on the Move". Wis Sowder identified on a page
about the scale house (AG) at Wasena "Arrival at Roanoke" (the pages are
not numbered) Ed White and Willy Burres. Wis worked with Ed and Willy there
weighing the coal. This small booklet has many photos and maps that tells
the Virginian Railway's part in the story of coal and I highly recommended
its reading for any Friend of the Virginian Railway.

Thanks for all the comments on the Lerro Publication's photo shoot at VMT
week end before last. Some were actually complimentary. In the photo that
was the top shot of the day for railpictures.net, Charlie Hardy, volunteer
from VMT, played the Porter. Look for more of these photos in future rail
publications.

We talked some about the recent news of NS profit for the second quarter
2013, being down by 11% because of a decline in export coal loadings. Also
the Brethren discussed a recent news release about out Roanoke VGN Station
being in a 47 acre area that is seeking Historical designation. It has been
named "The Bridges" for Jefferson Street and Walnut Avenue Bridges, and
will link the downtown area with the Virginia Tech-Carilion Medical School
and Research Enterprise, located on the former site of the Virginian
Railway complex in Roanoke.

The Jewel from the Past, like those in a friend who doesn't want to be
identified's Hamilton 950B "Railway Special" with double sunk dial,
is from June 28, 2007: "Cornbread Victory shopped at the Grand Opening of
the new Ukrop's store in Roanoke this week. The new store has several
parking lots with a very complicated set up. When he got back to his car
and got in, he immediately called 9-1-1. He told the dispatcher his car had
been broken into and the steering wheel, CD Player, and heater controls had
been stolen, 'Please send police right away'. Shortly after the police
arrived, the officer radioed in 'Please disregard, Mr. Victory got into the
back seat of his car".

Time to pull the pin on this one!

Departing Now from V248,

Skip Salmon

CDLXXXI

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