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Thank's, Skip, I too miss Cornbread's jokes and stories. Jim Flummer<BR> <BR>> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:05:23 -0400<BR>> To: nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org<BR>> Subject: "Taking Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren<BR>> From: nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org<BR>> <BR>> Last night I had the pleasure of "Takin' Twenty" with six of the Brethren <BR>> and Friends of the Virginian Railway. Most of the talk of the night was <BR>> about the funeral that many of the Brethren attended earlier in the day for <BR>> our beloved Tom "Cornbread" Victory. I had the honor of giving a eulogy for <BR>> Tom. We set up his regular table setting and added a tall globe VGN lantern <BR>> and a bowl of cornbread along with the photo book and notes about him from <BR>> the past 6 years of this "Takin' Twenty" Report that I used in the eulogy. <BR>> See a photo of this on this web site under "Memorial Photos of People". I <BR>> reported at Tom's funeral about the many responses of condolence from this <BR>> web site, some as far away as New Zealand and Ireland. Some who also <BR>> attended his viewing or funeral included Obediah Overstreet, Rufus Dean <BR>> Williams, Aubrey Wiley from Lynchburg, Greg Elam from Victoria, George and <BR>> Betty Harmon (Slick Inge's niece and nephew) from Princeton, Dwight and <BR>> Carolyn Vivas from Petersburg, J. D. Ferris, Tom Guilliams and many more. <BR>> "Cornbread" will always be remembered at every "Takin' Twenty".<BR>> <BR>> Every year about this time, the Brethren are anxious to see what great <BR>> Virginian memories Aubrey Wiley includes in his next all-VGN calendar. <BR>> Every one of the Brethren present bought their 2010 version last night. <BR>> Rufus Wingfield immediately spotted a photo on the back page of a special <BR>> scaffold used by VGN linemen to maintain the overhead 11,000 volt lines for <BR>> the VGN Electric Locomotives. He also noted a "typo" under the photo, Salem <BR>> is MP V251. Raymond East recalled seeing this tower on a motor car working <BR>> in the Yard. This prompted me to remember in 2004 when Toby Hodson, VGN <BR>> Helper Lineman, was a regular at "Takin' Twenty". He shared with us the <BR>> same photo in the calendar and one with a close-up showing him and VGN <BR>> lineman Red Taylor working on top of the tower. I have posted the second <BR>> photo on this site under "Skip's Photos". As usual, Aubrey you have printed <BR>> a masterpiece and another winner in the 2010 version and every Virginian <BR>> fan should have one!<BR>> <BR>> I showed the Brethren a clipping from Monday's "Roanoke Times" from 1909 <BR>> (100 years ago): "Roanoke may expect a visit in a few days from the monster <BR>> Mallet engine, which has just been received by the Virginian Railroad from <BR>> the builders".<BR>> <BR>> We talked about the movement of the "Lost engines of Roanoke" from the <BR>> Virginian Scrap Iron location. These three M2 steam engines have now been <BR>> distributed for cosmetic restoration. The #1151, built in Roanoke Shops has <BR>> been delivered to VMT; the #1134 is now at the 9th Street Siding of the <BR>> Roanoke Chapter NRHS where Will Harris, Goshen lumberman who is making the <BR>> moves, and his work force will sand blast and paint it for delivery to <BR>> Portsmouth, VA Historical Park; and the #1118 is now at 9th Street for the <BR>> Chapter's use. The Chapter will have an Open House on September 26 at the <BR>> 9th Street Facilities and should also have the two C&W Baldwin switch <BR>> engines for all to see.<BR>> <BR>> Landon Gregory just returned from a trip to the National Railway Historical <BR>> Society's Convention in Duluth, MN. His wife Sandra informed me that he has <BR>> a new nickname give to him by a "Yankee female bar tender". Landon and his <BR>> friends now call him "Muffin".<BR>> <BR>> The funeral and seeing a lot of former VGN and N&W employees prompted a lot <BR>> of memories. Rufus recalled Benny Russo who came to Roanoke from Minnesota <BR>> with the circus, liked Roanoke, and got a job as a brakeman on the VGN. Ruf <BR>> said Benny was always working on old "VWs" and was asked once why he never <BR>> bought a new car. He answered "I like working on the old ones".<BR>> <BR>> When I prepared for Tom Victory eulogy, I looked at the last six year's <BR>> "Takin' Twenty" Reports and "gleaned" some of the best "Cornbread" stories. <BR>> I showed them to Rev. Jay Fields, Tom's Minister, for review since some are <BR>> sort of "racy" and certain ally not politically correct. He insisted that <BR>> the following one be included:<BR>> 11/10/05 "Cornbread" Victory told us about Benny Russo getting saved and <BR>> bringing back to the Yard Office a pile of tools that he had stolen. <BR>> Victory said that there was a "mad rush from the sinners to take possession <BR>> of the returned tools".<BR>> <BR>> Time to pull the pin on this one!<BR>> <BR>> Departing Now from V248,<BR>> <BR>> Skip Salmon<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> =============<BR>> ________________________________________<BR>> NW-Mailing-List@nwhs.org<BR>> To change your subscription go to<BR>> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list<BR>> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at<BR>> http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/<BR><br /><hr />Windows Live: Make it easier for your friends to see what you’re up to on Facebook. <a href='http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:SI_SB_facebook:082009' target='_new'>Find out more.</a></body>
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