Peavine train numbers

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Jim is absolutely correct.

The Pocahontas was named in a contest announced by Passenger Traffic Manager W.C. Saunders in a circular issued regarding the new schedule on October 7, 1926. It was announced that the suggestion selected by the committee from either an employee or non-employee would be offered a prize of $25 ($356 in today’s money!). By the end of the contest, 13 days later, an avalanche of suggestions buried Mr. Saunders’ office with more than 2,000 letters that carried between 8,000 and 10,000 suggestions. The suggestions were numbered in the order received, filed and at the end turned over to the committee appointed to select a name (no mention of who was on the committee).

It was announced that E.V. Perdew, City Ticket Agent at Petersburg was the first to suggest the name as used.

Just a bit less than 20 years later in March 1946, a similar contest was announced to run for three weeks. This time the prize was to be $500 ($6,851.79 in today’s money!) This time they received entries from all over, places as far away as Tahoma, Washington, Los Angeles, California and New York. There were over 140,000 entries, some arriving via special delivery on the last day. This time the winner was retired section man Leonard Scott of Dry Branch, Virginia with the Powhatan Arrow. Ten additional $25 prizes were also awarded (nothing to sneeze at, $342.59 in today’s money. 

One of Mr. Scott’s relatives is on the list and I am surprised he has not chimed in.

Ken

> On Sep 21, 2018, at 2:35 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
> 
> There were two different contests (one for each train, about 20 years apart). I don't remember who suggested "Pocahontas" but "Powhatan Arrow" was submitted by an adult male, I believe from Dry Fork, VA.
> 
> Jim Nichols
> 
> 
> On Friday, September 21, 2018 12:56 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
> 
> 
> True story. I recently read the promotion of that contest in several of my dads 1930’s N&W Employee magazines, and reports on the same (and the eventual winners) in contemporaneous Circleville Herald newspaper articles. 
> 
> Does that line up with your mother’s elementary school times?
> 
> Matt Goodman
> Columbus, Ohio
> 
> Sent from my mobile
> 
> On Sep 21, 2018, at 8:32 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
> 
> Good morning!
> Various members of my family worked on the N & W, so I have heard stories all my life about the railroad.  One of the things my mother used to tell me that when she was in elementary school (in Welch, WV),  the railroad held a contest for the kids to help name the new trains.  That's when someone suggested the  Powatan Arrow and Pocohontas names, which the N & W adopted.
> Now I know that family stories aren't always accurate,  but they sure can be interesting,  if nothing else!
> 
> -Tracy Foutz

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