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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the honor of "Takin' Twenty" with five of the Brethren and
Friends of the Virginian Railway on the eve of this year's Thanksgiving.
We talked about Thanksgivings past on the VGN, and how it was hard to fill
crew teams for trains "that ran just like any other day".  Wis Sowder
remembered trying to get extra list crews to come in and having to assign
Clerks to run as Firemen.  In the conversation it was brought out that the
most popular drink at that time was sold by the quart, Virginia Gentleman
whiskey.


 I told the Brethren about a photo I have posted on this site under Skip's
photos of an NS "Generac 16 KW" generator now positioned at the West River
Road beside the old Virginian at Riverside.  It is to power the lights and
gates for the grade crossing in case the power is off.  The brand new
generator is fenced in by chain link and has propane as power.  My next
door neighbor who is a retired Air Force Dentist who has a practice in
Roanoke, has one just like it except his is a 20KW, for his whole house.  I
took him a copy of the photo and he was impressed. He has a large "G" scale
rail line in his back yard and is quite a train enthusiast.


 The Jewel from the Past is from April 24, 2008:  "I passed around the
January/February "Turntable Times", newsletter of the Roanoke Chapter
NRHS.  This issue has a tribute I wrote to our dearly departed Russell
"Slick" Inge.  When Frank Breedlove read it, he told the group how Slick
hired him in 1955.  Frank had just been released by the US Army and was
visiting his family in Victoria.  He needed a job so his brother told him
to go see Slick the next morning.  When Slick saw him in uniform and was
asked about work, he asked Frank if he preferred Norfolk or Roanoke.  Frank
said he  didn't especially like Norfolk so he answered 'Roanoke'.  Seems
the next week was when the VGN was changing over from a 6 day a week to 5
day a week work schedule, and gave Frank a 'dead head slip' to ride one of
the last #3 trains to Roanoke, and the start of his rail career."


 Bob "Little Abner" Glass responded to last week's report and said his dad
was "Jesse James" Glass who was NOT a train robber.  "He and some of his
friends did put soap on some tracks once to slow down a train going to
Bristol" Bob admitted.


 Also in the photo section is a photo I took last Saturday near the
Yateman's bridge between Wabun and Riverside showing an old VGN highway
grade crossing sign now being used in a private area between the old VGN
(in the background) and the N&W.  The sign says "SLOW DOWN TO 5 MILES VA
LAW".


 I told the Brethren about the now annual running of the "Candy Cane
Shifter" at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.  This train is pulled by
the Roanoke Chapter NRHS T-6 #41 and has Santa on board.  You and yours can
ride it on December 6 and 7 this year. On Saturday it will run from 10 AM
to 5 PM and Sunday 1 -5 PM.  Come join us if you can and bring your
children!


 This week's ebay report has three excellent values:  VGN enamel face
Safety First screw back pin for $38.77; "Coal on the Move" on the VGN for
$6.99 and H. Reid's "Virginian Railway" in hardback for $20.


 Then there's this:  A police recruit was asked during the exam at the
police academy, "What would you do if you had to arrest you own mother?"
He studied for a while and then answered. "I'd call for backup."


 Time to pull the pin on this one!


 Departing Now from V248 and wishing you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING,


 Skip Salmon


 DXLIV
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