BLET Division 301 in Roanoke was chartered on November 17, 1885. Members celebrated their Division’s 140th anniversary at a Division meeting earlier in this month where they wore t-shirts designed by Local Chairman Patrick Jennings.
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In 1885, Grover Cleveland was sworn in as President of the United States, the Statue of Liberty was delivered to New York as a gift from France, and BLET Division 301 in Roanoke, Virginia, was chartered. This month, Division members celebrated the historic 140th anniversary at their regular monthly meeting. Donning commemorative t-shirts designed for the occasion by Division 301 Local Chairman Patrick Jennings, members sat down for a meal and reflected on nearly a century and a half of history.
The Division was originally based in Lovely Mount, Virginia, and represented locomotive engineers of the Norfolk & Western Railroad. It relocated to Roanoke in 1903. At the time, members attended Division meetings four to five times per month — every Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Today, the Division represents nearly 250 active and retired Norfolk Southern locomotive engineers. Serving the members of Division 301 are President Mike Worrell, Vice President Greg King, Secretary-Treasurer Josh Wickline, and Local Chairmen Jeremy Mullins, Doug Moore, Patrick Jennings, Richard Harris, and Chris Arnold. Upon conclusion of the meeting, the Division donated a commemorative t-shirt to the National Division, which will be displayed in the BLET history museum at the union’s headquarters.
Norfolk Southern-Eastern Lines General Chairman Scott Bunten, a member of Division 301, said he was proud to participate in the historic event. “It’s quite a milestone and epitomizes a 140-year legacy of outstanding representation.”