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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with six of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. We caught up for last week when I
could not attend, discussing the Super Bowl, fallout from NS pulling out of
Roanoke and the Little League Champions being disqualified.


 As I arrived last night, I placed my latest ebay purchase, a 10" wall
plaque of the old red and white Virginian Railway logo with the slogan "The
richest little railroad in the world" on it, next to my table.  A gentleman
from the next table approached and commented on the plaque.  Turns out he
was Danny Hollensworth, 13 year veteran engineer for Norfolk who is
assigned the Blue Ridge District of NS Virginia Division which included the
portion left of the old VGN from Roanoke to Abilene. He and Landon
discussed various operations on this line and asked "what are the tracks
beside NS at Abilene.  The Brethren were quick to tell him that they were
the old Virginian main line to Victoria and east.  Landon also explained
that after the merger, this stretch was used to store over 600 loaded coal
hoppers.  I gave Danny one of our Friends of the VGN calendars.


 The Jewel from the Past is from June 5, 2008:  "Cornbread Victory, 85,
said he read recently about Japan having a train that runs over 300 MPH.
He then proceeded to tell his story of having to 'deadhead' back to Roanoke
form Mullens once and was told to catch the next coal train.  He took on
the grab irons of a Squarehead going 14 MPH and 'almost pulled my arm
off'.  Last night's comment was 'reckon nobody deadheads on the Japanese
train'".


 For Show and Tell I took the VGN plaque and a downloaded version of the
new Norfolk and Western (and VGN) Historical Society recruitment brochure.
This one has a photo of yours truly when I was the "Conductor" for the
large photo shoot at VMT several years ago.  The Brethren said it was just
in time for the spring planting for scaring off crows......


 I was asked an unusual question that I forwarded to the Brethren:  Did
anyone on the VGN ever refer to the EL-2bs as "GP-9"S?   The Brethren had
never heard this.  Any comments?



 The ebay report this time has a VGN RWY tool box at $203; 1954 Annual
Report at $18.01; 1918 VGN RWY USRA Rule Book at $56.55 and a 1969 color
photo slide of Penn Central ex-VGN EL-Cs for $45.77.


 I asked a question for Frank B. about the origin of the supply of brown
and gray paint used on the VGN before the merger and no one had a comment.


 Then there's this:  My son Scott is a gunsmith and works on firearms of
all types in his spare time.  He sent me this the day after the Super
Bowl:  "For the past six years I thought I'd seen it all.  A young fella
dropped off a Mossberg 930 that he said would not function.  He admitted
that it shot fine (semi-auto) prior to the Super bowl but wouldn't work
afterwards for the celebration...his words were still laced with alcohol.
I disassembled it today to find five 12 gauge shells inserted backwards in
the tube.  I charge double for stupidity".


 Time to pull the pin on this one.


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DLII


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