"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. Wis Sowder's son and daughter, and
her husband joined us.  Wis has beautiful twin daughters Ricky and Vicky.
I was so proud to be able to tell which one had joined us, Vicky.  Both are
rail fans and Wis admitted last night when they were little, even he
couldn't tell them apart.  They would attend each others classes, covered
for each other, and he admitted making friends with a lot of school
principals because of that.


 The extreme cold weather was also in the conversations and Wis told us
about having to "throw off big chunks of coal" from VGN hoppers to keep the
Warm Morning fired up in the Yard Office.  He remembered letting hobos come
in and sit by the stove when the weather was real cold.


 The Jewel from the Past is from December 18, 2008:  "Brakeman R. L. Seay
told about working several trips after the merger on the Powhatan Arrow,
crack N&W passenger train.  He said a lady 'from up north' asked the
Conductor as they passed Pembroke, 'what is the name of that big river?'
The Conductor answered 'Why that's the New River'.  She immediately
responded 'Why do they call it that?'  The savvy Conductor answered in his
best SW Virginia drawl 'Ma'am, they just finished it last week?'"


 Some good news to tell you.  This week Norfolk Southern donated to the
Roanoke Chapter NRHS a 40 foot box car MW #404 that started out as N&W/REA
#226 Power Car.  Plans for this car are to restore her as N&W Power Car
#226, complete with the unusual side door and generator to provide power
for trains on the new Roanoke Southern (Belt Line) excursion line.  Thanks
to Board Member and exceptional Friend of the Virginian Railway, Steve
Smith for making this happen.  I told him he "was fine as a frog's hair
split nine different ways"!  Plans are to bring this car from Birmingham,
AL to the Chapter's 9th Street yard very soon.



 Then there's this (heads up Frank):  A lawyer had a wife and 12 children
and needed to move as his Rental Agreement was coming to an end for the
home where he lived, but he was having difficulty in finding a new home.
When he said he had 12 children, no one would rent a home to him because
they knew the children would destroy it.  He could not say that he had no
children; he could not lie.  After all LAWYERS CANNOT LIE AND DO NOT LIE.
So, he had an idea:  He sent his wife for a walk to the cemetery with 11
children.  He took the remaining one with him to see homes with the real
estate agent.  He liked one of the homes and the agent asked:  "How many
children do you have?"  He answered: "12 children".  The agent asked "Where
are the others?"  The lawyer answered, with a sad look, "They are in the
Cemetery with their Mother".  And that's the way he was able to rent a home
for his family without lying.  MORAL:  It is not necessary to lie, one only
has to choose the right words.  Lawyers don't lie ...they are creative.


 Time to pull the pin on this one!


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DXCIV








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