Firemen on electrics

[NW Mailing List]

Grant

Let me also reiterate what Jim said about sharing the knowledge. While you modestly don't take any credit, other than asking the questions. You still have the knowledge and need to share it, so that future historians can study it when you and I are gone.

And being even later to the party. In the newspaper reports of the VGN wreck at Kumis, Va in March 1941, the fireman who was killed was referred to in the newspaper article as "oiler".

Ken Miller
On Apr 19, 2017, at 10:35 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

> Skip,
> 
> Firemen on N&W "motors" were referred to as "helpers."
> 
> Grant Carpenter
> 
> On 1/26/2017 3:28 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>> Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin Twenty" with four of the Brethren and Friends of the Virginian Railway. I was a little late because of attending a funeral for an old friend Doug Lyle.  Doug served in Viet Nam so he had full military honors.  The Mckee Family Cemetery is located just a stone's throw from the Hardy Tunnel.  After the flag folding, as the Honor Guard Commander was approaching Doug's widow with the flag, we heard blasts from an NS diesel as the engineer was approaching the tunnel.  It was almost as if it was a scripted tribute.  I visioned maybe once this had already happened when a VGN PA engineer blew for the tunnel in years past for some other hero...
>> 
>> 
>>  For Show and Tell *I took the newest "The Arrow" publication of the N&W (and VGN) Historical Society.  Pages 6-11 has one of the very best articles ever in this magazine, "T. R. Marshall's Virginian Memories".  These are stories by our good friend Tom Marshall of Mullens about his Dad.  If you are not a member of the N&W Historical Society, joining just to get this copy would be recommended.  On page 9 Tom says "firemen were referred to as helpers when they were working on electrics".  This prompted me to ask the Brethren what did the N&W refer to their firemen when they worked on the electrics.  Gordon Hamilton will research this.  Anyone out there know?  This issue also has Ken Miller's article about the VGN C-1 cabooses and N&W signals of 1930-1959.
>> 
>> 
>>  Thanks for all of the responses I got from last week about the hickey bought by VGN General Storekeeper V. W. Miller.  The first correct answer was submitted by Roger Link of Newport, VA.  A hickey is a tool used to bend electrical conduit.  I know this is an electrical device because it was ordered from Graybar Electric Co.  I got several responses stating another hickey was used to tighten brake wheels on timber cars but this one was the electrical bender.  First answer for the second use was Kevin Byrd of Chesterfield, VA.  The 2017 NS calendar was shipped to Roger Link today.
>> 
>> 
>>  The Jewel from the Past is from July 16. 2009:  "Our designated joke provider brought the following paragraph that is probably typical of a lot of the VGN Brethren:  "I've sure gotten old!  I've had two bypasses, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes.  I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 30 pills that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to black outs.  Have bouts with dementia.  Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet.  Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92.  Have lost all my friends.  But, thank God, I still have my driver's license."
>> 
>> 
>>  Then there's this:  An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area.  Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.  He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, Pull, Nellie pull!" Buddy didn't move.  Then the farmer hollered,  "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.  Once more the farmer commander, "Pull, Coco, Pull".  Nothing.  Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull"  And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.  The motorist was most appreciative and very curious.  He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.  The farmer said , "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!"
>> 
>> 
>>  Time to pull the pin on this one!
>> 
>> 
>>  Departing Now from V248,
>> 
>> 
>>  Skip Salmon
>> 
>> 
>>  DCXXXVII
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> =============
> 
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