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

[NW Mailing List]

Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with eight of the Brethren
and Friends of the Virginian Railway. Attending with us for the first time
from Applegate, California were Peter and his wife Sam Hills.  He is
retired from the Fire Service and she from the Medical field.  They are on
the east coast visiting relatives in Charlottesville and came to Roanoke
yesterday to visit VMT, the VGN Station and to "Take Twenty" with the
Brethren.  They are members of the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society and
have attended conventions in the area.  Peter is a regular reader of this
report.  Yesterday at the VGN Station they were "impressed" with the
section of concrete with "VIRGINIAN" saved from the power plant at
Narrows.  The Brethren told them stories and it was neat that just after
Pete asked questions about old #4 VGN switcher at VMT,  Raymond East
arrived and finished the conversation by telling about actually firing the
old steamer at Suffolk at the Planters Peanut factory.  Wis Sowder and
Frank Breedlove also discussed their work on the VGN with them. I presented
them one of my photos (copy on this site under "Skip's Photos") of the NS
VGN Heritage unit 1069 "posing" under the Jefferson Street Bridge with the
VGN Station in the background, to take back to California.


 I have posted a photo on this site on "Skip's Photos" from the Train
Lover's Day last Saturday at VMT, where we gave train rides safely to over
1,000.  It shows my grandson Charles Salmon III being shown something
during the train ride on the old N&W Powhatan Arrow coach.  Note that the
Conductor's buttons are all Virginian, made from original dies.


 I mentioned to the Brethren that this Saturday Wheel of Fortune hostess
Vana White will celebrate her 60th birthday.  This prompted several senior
comments that do not pass our censor's test for this report.


 From last week, Dave Foster of Salem, VA was the first to give the correct
answer for the use of a Singer Sewing machine on the VGN.  It was used at
the upholstery shop in Princeton.  A photo of NS Heritage unit 1069 will be
given to Dave as soon as I can get it to him.


 The Jewel from the Past is from July 30, 2009:  " I told the Brethren
about NS CEO Wick Moorman's speech at the Governor's Conference last week
in Biloxi, MS where he said 'freight volumns in this country are projected
to grow 88% by 2035'.  Also passed around was Gordon Hamilton's reprint of
the December 18, 1909 "Bluefield Daily Telegraph" (from "Roanoke World")
about the record mile long coal train that VGN pulled out of Roanoke. The
train had 120 steel 50-ton hoppers and "while it was not generally known,
many people were attracted to the depot to see the longest loaded train in
the world".


 Then there's this:  A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her
husband.  Suddenly her husband burst into the kitchen."Careful", he said
"CAREFUL!" Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at
once.  TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW!  We need more butter.  Oh my
gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK!
Careful. CAREFUL, I said be CAREFUL!  You NEVER listen to me when you're
cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY?   Have you lost your
mind? Don't forget to salt them.  You know you always forget to salt them.
Use the salt.  USE THE SALT! THE SALT. The wife stared at him.  "What in
the world is wrong with you?  You think I don't know how to fry a couple of
eggs?"  The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted to show you what it
feels like when I'm driving."


 Time to pull the pin on this one!


 Departing Now from V248,


 Skip Salmon


 DCXL




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