Lynchburgh Mayor Mike Gillette is intrested in contacting Amtrak last I spoke with him to get a Name Change for the 176 Northeast Regional to a Named Train that reflects the regions history. He is looking to have this done before the train gets to Roanoke next year. Of course my personal preferance would be "The Robert E Lee" but he is not too popular right now with many people. Then you have the Pocahontas but then again she is not to popular with Native Americans as she was seen a a Benidict Arnold to them who sold out her people See (http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html) If anyone her could come up with something and even the original name of the train that plyed this route that would be helpfull.
More on the Mayor below-
Michael Gillette was born and raised in Connecticut, and moved to Virginia in 1990. Dr. Gillette attended Brandeis University as an undergraduate where he graduated magna-*** laude with majors in Philosophy and Classical Greek. He graduated with highest honors in Philosophy and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Gillette then went on to receive his Master's and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Brown University, where he wrote a doctoral dissertation in the field of clinical ethics. - See more at: http://www.lynchburgva.gov/michael-gillette-mayor-ward-i#sthash.lgsTBo8z.dpuf
Perhaps another one-time N&W train name, the Powhatan Arrow?
Fast Flying Virginian
FFV even would fit on the computer monitors in place of 176.
I hope it is not politically incorrect or a micro-aggression to use a name from the past that refers to somebody-anybody-who lives in Virginia, is it?
That is a classic name from a classic train.
It ran from 1889 to 1968 running from Jersey City, NJ through Washington to Charlottesville and thence west to Cincinnati.
After Pennsylvania Station and the NE Corridor was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Fast Flying Virginian ran right in to Pennsylvania Station behind GG1 electric locomotives.
Coming south from New York, the FFV would take Pennsylvania tracks to Washington DC.
South of Washington, DC, the route of the FFV went on the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad to Alexandria, then on Southern Railway tracks to Orange, then on to Chesapeake and Ohio tracks to Charlottesville and points west.
So the bulk of the route of 176 to New York is on the former route of the Fast Flying Virginian.
Here is a picture of the FFV in 1939. It is moving at a good clip as one can tell from the way the smoke is laying back over the train.
I was going to suggest George Washington as a suitable Virginian to have a train named after him. Very C&O, right? But I agree with kgbw49 that FFV (Fast Flying Virginian) would be fantastic from a marketing perspective; it says all the right things about transportation by train. It's also rather C&O...sort of. Or how about Old Dominion? Not very cutting edge though, is it?
I suppose that Nat Turner or John Brown are not good names, huh? Still, they evoke a certain historically truthful image of Virginia in a way that the others don't.
I really wonder about the pedigree of "Fast Flying Virginian." All I ever saw in a C&O timetable was "F.F.V.," which I assumed represented the classical shorthand for First Families of Virginia.
A know-it-all writing on a record jacket I saw once solemnly assured us F.F.V., the train name, stood for "Fast Flying Vestibule."
With Lynchburg and Virginia being involved I can think of several names that would be very far from PC, so I'll just keep them in my mind.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Here is a link from the C&O Historical Society Web Site. It is a search on "Fast Flying Virginian" and pulls up a variety of pictures of the train that you can order from various points in its very long history.
http://www.cohs.org/cgi-bin/cohs_search.pl?st=fast+flying+virginian&textsubmit=GO&tr=AND&lp=1&ld=1&lf=1&lo=1&sl=100
The very last item at the bottom of the list is a stencil of the drumhead that was put on the rear car of the train back in the day. It says "F.F.V." with "Fast Flying Virginian" in a half-roundel shape at the bottom.
It was C&O's Train 3 when Westbound and Train 6 when Eastbound.
But if for some odd reason, either founded or unfounded, people would protest the name (who knows in this sensitive world we live in these days), then go with something geographical, such as "Blue Ridge Flyer" or "Blue Ridge Express".
In order to avoid offending anybody, I hope that any names that refer to the Civil War can be avoided. Maybe names that refer to the battlefield heritage might be OK if they are nonpartisan.
I have no horse in this race, but I wonder about the possibility of resurrecting the old N&W name, The Cavalier.
Another idea is to resurrect the name of the B&O's Shenandoah.
Tom
Isn't Liberty University and Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, VA????
Why not call the train "The Holy Roller"?
I think everyone has enough of a sense of humor the name would stick and would promote the train quite well.
I just Googled 'fast flying virginian first families of virginia,' like that, and found an interesting "talk" Wikipedia entry that supports the 'fast flying' name.
It represents that 'fast flying,' etc., was the understood reference from the start, tho meant to remember, obviously, the flavor of the 'families' predecessor. Sounds reasonable.
Two names come to mind: The Trans Dominion Express or the Blue and Gray Special, the latter one a variation of a former RF&P train name. Another is the Blue Ridge Express.
The 1st Continental Light Dragoons (cavalry) was organized by the Virginia government in June 1776, prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as the Virginia Light Horse Regiment under Captain Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and the regiment was accepted into the Continental Army in November 1776 as the 1st Continental Light Dragoons. Virginia cavalry regiments played significant roles in many revolutionary war battles. Harry Lee was the father of Robert E. Lee and also wrote the resolution passed by Congress upon George Washington's death that he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
In the Civil War, perhaps the most famous of Confederate Cavalry Generals was J.E.B. Stuart of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was particularly adept at being a thorn in the side of the Union Army of the Potomac, and at two different points in time rode completely around the Army of the Potomac, taking prisoners and capturing supplies and generally making a fool of Generals McClellan and Meade.
Stuart was so well-respected that the M5 Stuart Light Tank of World War II was named after him.
So "Cavalier" has a very long tradition for the State of Virginia indeed.
The University of Virginia's mascot is the Cavaliers, and it is quite likely that UVA students will generate significant riders for the train.
Cavalier"" is indeed an ancient name in Virginia. During the time of the English Civil War, there were many in Virginia who supported King Charles I and his elder son, whose supporters were called "Cavaliers" (and who were opposed by the "Roundheads"). An uncle of my Degge immigrant ancestor was knighted by Charles II. Not only did the N&W have a train named Cavalier, the Pennsylvania also had one with the same name, which provided overnight service between New York City and Norfolk by way of the Delmarva Peninsula, with passenger ferry service across Hampton Roads.
Of course, neither train ran on the Southern.
Johnny
ACY In order to avoid offending anybody, I hope that any names that refer to the Civil War can be avoided. Maybe names that refer to the battlefield heritage might be OK if they are nonpartisan. I have no horse in this race, but I wonder about the possibility of resurrecting the old N&W name, The Cavalier. Another idea is to resurrect the name of the B&O's Shenandoah. Tom
ACYI have no horse in this race, but I wonder about the possibility of resurrecting the old N&W name, The Cavalier.
Now the Web site is posting before any content is entered - the next amazing step in Indian user-interface simplification.
I think Tom is onto something, and I will be the first to provide a slogan for publicity: "Amtrak Virginia - the Route of Cavalier Service".
Quite a few of King Charles' Cavaliers bailed into the Virginia colony after Cromwell and the Roundheads won the English Civil War.
Just like a lot of Roundheads bailed into Massachusetts after the Restoration in 1660.
Ain't it nice to have someplace to go when you know you're not wanted?
Firelock76 Quite a few of King Charles' Cavaliers bailed into the Virginia colony after Cromwell and the Roundheads won the English Civil War. Just like a lot of Roundheads bailed into Massachusetts after the Restoration in 1660. Ain't it nice to have someplace to go when you know you're not wanted?
And they both sent their criminals to the penal colony in Georgia.
How about calling it train 176? No matter what name you give it you are bound to offend somebody. Unfortunately that is the state of this country and the world.
kgbw49In the Civil War, perhaps the most famous of Confederate Cavalry Generals was J.E.B. Stuart of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was particularly adept at being a thorn in the side of the Union Army of the Potomac, and at two different points in time rode completely around the Army of the Potomac, taking prisoners and capturing supplies and generally making a fool of Generals McClellan and Meade.
Many believe that if Stuart had been doing his proper job (reconnaissance and screening) during the 2nd invasion of the North in 1863, and not showboating, Gettysburg might have never been fought.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
BaltACD Firelock76 Quite a few of King Charles' Cavaliers bailed into the Virginia colony after Cromwell and the Roundheads won the English Civil War. Just like a lot of Roundheads bailed into Massachusetts after the Restoration in 1660. Ain't it nice to have someplace to go when you know you're not wanted? And they both sent their criminals to the penal colony in Georgia.
Well, neither the Cavaliers or Roundheads did that, the Georgia colony wasn't established until the early 1700's, long after the English Civil War ruckus had died down and most, if not all, it's participants had died off.
At any rate, the English did use the North American colonies as a dumping ground for convicts, most of whom actually did make good use of the opportunity and made something of themselves. When that option was gone after 1783 they had to ship them somewhere else, and so Australia was born.
schlimm kgbw49 In the Civil War, perhaps the most famous of Confederate Cavalry Generals was J.E.B. Stuart of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was particularly adept at being a thorn in the side of the Union Army of the Potomac, and at two different points in time rode completely around the Army of the Potomac, taking prisoners and capturing supplies and generally making a fool of Generals McClellan and Meade. Many believe that if Stuart had been doing his proper job (reconnaissance and screening) during the 2nd invasion of the North in 1863, and not showboating, Gettysburg might have never been fought.
kgbw49 In the Civil War, perhaps the most famous of Confederate Cavalry Generals was J.E.B. Stuart of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was particularly adept at being a thorn in the side of the Union Army of the Potomac, and at two different points in time rode completely around the Army of the Potomac, taking prisoners and capturing supplies and generally making a fool of Generals McClellan and Meade.
Oh well, nobody's perfect.
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