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

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Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with five of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We talked about our road trip on the
25 to Victoria; we agreed we will all meet at Walley World on US 460 East
and travel by rubber tire motor car vehicle down the road instead of
catching an eastbound coal train and dropping off at Abilene...


Landon and I worked at the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society Archives last
week on a thick file about the change over from kerosene hand held lanterns
to electric. Very interesting reading and it is now in the N&WHS system.
VGN President Buckholtz didn't think much of the change.  He cited the
extra cost of batteries and lamps and thought the unions wanted electric so
the men wouldn't have to clean and maintain the kerosene ones.  Tests
proved the electrics were more efficient and effective.  There was a time
during WWII that batteries were rationed (military got the first batches)
and there was talk of possibly having to go back to kerosene instead.
Since the Andy Griffith Show questions have sort of "run their course" I
have a new one for you:  What brand of electric lantern did the Virginian
Railway adopt as their first standard in August 1945?  No prize this time,
just want to throw this out there.....  FYI the kerosene lanterns were
Company property with a serial number; The battery lanterns were issued to
the employees for a $2.00 fee which could be taken out of their pay check.
More on this subject next week.


The Jewel from the Past is from March 27, 2008:  "In response to some
inquiries last week, I spoke to Greely Wyatt, VGN Electrical guru, about
whether the FM (heads up Frank) Train Masters would hook up with the MU
cables and run with N&W Also RS11s and EMD GP9s after the merger.  Seems
the VGN FM 27 pin trainline circuits were were assigned different pins in
the MU receptacles from N&W EMD or Alco (as they were on other lines).  So
at the time of the merger they would NOT multiple unit, electrically.
Physically, the connection could be made but the circuits were in different
pin locations.  Wyatt said the 'FM wiring was eventually modified to be
compatible with the Alcos and EMDs, even though it was very rare they ran
in the same consist'".


I told the Brethren a "Grandpa Jones" story I heard lately.  Seems Grandpa
and Mac Wiseman were touring while Grandpa was having a new home built for
him in middle Tennessee, by his nephew.  Grandpa was very anxious to get
back home to his new home and they left immediately after their last show
from Canada and drove straigh through to Tennessee.  Upon arriving home,
they were greeted by the smell of sulphur.  Seems the brand new well was
full of sulphur water.  Grandpa immediately started drilling a new well
"down the hill" from the first one.  He said about once a week Mac would
ask "Grandpa have you hit water yet?  After several inquireys, Grandpa
answered "no but we can now smell rice burning".   This story prompted
Landon Gregory to tell of a happening at Meherrin, VA, on the old VGN, home
of  Hee Haw Star Roy Clark.  Landon was dispatcher at Crewe in the early
70s when he got word form Assistant Superintendent Charlie Glass that a
special TV show was to be filmed near Meherrin called the "Homecoming".
This was an interview by Ed McMann of Roy Clark near Roy's home.  They
wanted Ed and Roy to walk down the old Virginian right of way during the
interview.  Landon said trains were stopped several hours for the
interview.  Landon said he played golf with Kenny Clark, one of Roy's
cousins.  Landon also said he heard Roy say he wanted to start a golf
tournament for Seniors over 90.  It would be only three holes and whoever
remembered the score after the three holes was declared the winner.


This report will end on a very serious note.  On Monday my youngest son
Josh's wife Carmen delivered our brand new grandson.  He weighed in at 7
pounds and 5 ounces and has lots of dark hair and is 21 inches long. All
systems are functioning and he looks like an angel.  I was honored when
they named him after my Dad and I:  Charles Everett Salmon III.  God is
good!


Time to pull the pin on this one!


Departing Now from V248,


Charles Everett Salmon, Jr.


DXXXVIII




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