RNRH Newsletter
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come. Nearby, one of the AGs No. 906 sat, The Official Newsletter of the UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS fresh paint shiny, just out of an overhaul, but Roanoke Chapter, National never fired when the orders came down that Regular Meeting Locations are at the Railway Historical Society, Inc. no more steam was to be repaired. Only O. Winston Link Museum. keeping them running until enough diesels August 16 - General Meeting Volume 39, Number 4 were on hand to cover the work. That day July-August 2007 had arrived, June 1, 1957. Just a few miles September 4 - Board Meeting away, at Bluefield, one could still hear the September 20 - General Meeting sound of steam and steam whistles on the Norfolk and Western and would for just a bit October 2 - Board Meeting over two and a half years. The steam era was October 18 - General Meeting ending rapidly, on some roads, it had already November 6 - Board Meeting occurred. Little could anyone have guessed on that Saturday evening, that all the stored November 15 - Annual Meeting Virginian steam power would be rapidly dis- December 4 - Board Meeting patched on one last trip just weeks after the January 8 - Board Meeting merger with N&W, not a revenue trip, well not exactly, but to the scrapper for return to January 17 - General Meeting raw metal, probably to make new diesels or February 5 - Board Meeting automobiles. February 21 - General Meeting http://community.roanoke.com/RoanokeChapterNationalRailwayHistoricalSociety Turntable Times is published bimonthly as the newsletter of the Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. Opinions and points of view expressed herein are those of the staff members of the Turntable Times and not necessarily reflect those of the members, officers or directors of the Chapter. Items of interest should be sent to Editor Kenny Kirkman, 590 Murphy Road, Collinsville, VA 24078-2128. Non-Profit Editor, Turntable Times Organization Roanoke Chapter NRHS U.S. Postage P.O. Box 13222 PAID Roanoke, VA Roanoke, VA 24032-1322 Permit No. 89 Dated Material Please do not delay Meeting Notice The Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, August 16, 2007 at 7:30 pm. at the Link Museum located in the former N&W Passenger Station, 101 Shenandoah Avenue. Please be sure to note our weather cancellation policy below., please note, this policy also applies to Board Meetings. This issue was much delayed in production and is being mailed with the May-June Turntable Times. We anticipate returning to reg- Volume 39, Number 4 ular schedule with the next issue and apologize for the delay July-August 2007 From The Head End EDITOR Cards and Flowers Kenney Kirkman [email protected] If you know of a Chapter Member who is sick, lost a loved one or has a new birth in the family, please contact Bonnie Molinary. Bonnie is responsible for Chapter cards and flowers and can be MIXED FREIGHT reached at 362-0273. Robin R. Shavers Deadline for Turntable Times SMALL RAILS The deadline for the September/October 2007 issue of Turntable Dave Meashey Times is Saturday August 18, 2007. Please send articles, informa- [email protected] tion and exchange newsletters to: Kenney Kirkman, Editor Jim Shaw Photo/J.L. Sanders Collection Turntable Times, 590 Murphy Road, Collinsville, VA 24078-2128. The 251 is sitting on the ready track at Princeton, not too many months before making HISTORIAN Meeting Cancellation Policy Virginian history. Kenneth L. Miller Any Chapter meeting will be considered cancelled if any of the at a bargain price just six years before would likely she’d be called back to service, and [email protected] following conditions are due to weather: Roanoke City Schools are gain its place in the history books as the last even if she was, she’d have to get a monthly closed on the day of or for the day after the meeting, or Virginia Virginian steam locomotive operating. inspection before she could be fired again. All materials should be Western night classes are cancelled for the night of a meeting. Shuffling a few cars around the yard at Dobbins cracked open the blower valve sent directly to the Editor: Material for Turntable Times Princeton, the little 0-8-0 now looked out of allowing steam to escape slowly, the 251 Kenney Kirkman place, it was the only live steamer in the was tied down on the end of the line, hand 590 Murphy Road We are always in need of articles, photos or news items for the yars, the locals could not have realized that brake tightened down on the tender, and Collinsville, VA Turntable Times. Due to copyright restrictions, we cannot reprint Saturday that they would never see this with the faint glow of coals remaining in the articles from most newspapers; a condensed rewritten article 24078-2128 sight again. It seemed rather sudden, but firebox, steam bleeding from her valves, in crediting the source, however, is acceptable. Turntable Times is published now there were enough of the black and yel- the late evening light, the 251 was breathing bimonthly as the newsletter of Cover Photo low diesels around to cover all the jobs, as her last. the Roanoke Chapter, National soon as the 251 finished the first part of its The 251 ended a era of some of the largest Railway Historical Society, Inc. Who would have thought in 2007? Shiny F units on an east- Opinions and points of view bound Norfolk Southern business train on a flawless sunny day. shift, the gloved hand of inspector Roy steam locomotives ever built, the huge 2-10- expressed herein are those of Jeff Sanders caught the special at Union Street in Salem on 4:27 Dobbins began the final process, with the 10-2 Class AE, the virtual copies of the the staff members of the fire dying out, and enough steam pressure C&O’s 2-6-6-6 AGs, the beautiful 2-8-4s, also Turntable Times and not nec- pm on July 20, 2007. The consist of train 951 was units 4270- essarily reflect those of the 7278-4271, Office Car NS5 “Maryland”, NS 24 “Delaware” and NS in the boiler, the 251 waddled across the virtual copies of the C&O locomotives, all members, officers or directors 23 “Buena Vista”. table to the dead line track, not much need now cold and dead in the storage lines, of the Chapter. J.L. Sanders Photo to shake the fire out of her, it was not too awaiting a call to service that would never 1 8 noted factors. Despite the fact that the Double-Headed Tank Engine to tons. In its 41 year life, the Silver Spade dug from the rim of the tower. event was a 20th Anniversary, there was no be Featured 600 million tons of material. For more info, Homer Bedloe arrived in the Hooterville real activity or event to honor that mile- log onto: www.hcrhp.org Valley and got on the train known as the stone. The main highlight for me was the all he New Hope Valley Railway recently This is an amazing story of a colossal Hooterville Cannonball. It was a steam train N&W passenger train featuring the newly Tannounced that John C. Gramling will machine that cleared the earth to expose pulling a short wooden coach that was half refurbished combine No. 1506. That train bring his 0-4-0T tank engine, known as Flagg coal and how it made its way into railroad baggage/half coach car. looked great and the weather was perfect. Coal Company No. 75 to the New Hope hopper cars. From there it made into power Homer took notes of the weird stuff that It has been a while since I have presented Valley Railway at Bonsal, North Carolina dur- generating plants that turned on the light went on during the train's journey. He was a general report on the Richmond Railroad ing the month of November. Engine No. for all. about to fire from the payroll a man sitting Scene. All of the activity surrounding the 7575 will team up with New Hope Valley on the platform at the tiny station near to buried C&O train within Church Hill Tunnel Railway tank engine No. 7517, as a double- Last Run for a ‘60s TV Icon Sam Drucker's general store. has been silenced for about a year. Concerns header combination, operating over two by Gary Ballard "That's one mistake you made mister, I about an above ground cave in seem to have weekends. An operation like this has never he mean old man named Homer Bedloe don't work for you. I own the store over placed the entire project on indefinite hold. been attempted before in the State of North Tin the TV show from the 60's, Petticoat there. " said Sam Drucker to a demanding Other more pertinent and important pro- Carolina using this type of steam locomo- Junction, died Monday, July 9th at age 102. Mr. Bedloe. jects and issues are in Richmond's spotlight. tive, and should provide four thrilling days Charles Lane played the part of the mean Sam was relaxing at the depot while Kate Railfan-wise, CSX is as busy as ever. I have of railroading to the public. and scratchy voiced Homer Bedloe. He was a and her daughters hopped off the waiting noticed more and and steady coal and grain Operation of the two tank engines will be top executive of the C&FW RR on the show, train so they could shop in his store.