RKFarmsAnd our first phone "number" was (I think) 3 longs and 2 shorts.
Did your phone have a whistle.
MidlandMike RKFarms And our first phone "number" was (I think) 3 longs and 2 shorts. Did your phone have a whistle.
RKFarms And our first phone "number" was (I think) 3 longs and 2 shorts.
Hand crank ringers. They were used on railroad 'block lines' between Train Order stations in the days after telegraph and before radio. There were line of road telephone facilities put in place for train crews to be able to contact train order operators about their being stopped.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
On one of my co-op stints on the PRR, I was assigned to a C&S line gang's camp train in Greenfield IN. We had a phone connected to the wayside message line. At night, I could ring up (crank) the Columbus OH switchboard operator who would plug me to a carrier line to Cincinnati where the Cincinnati Operator would dial up my girl friend (now wife of 61 years) and I could talk for a while. On a later assigment, I was assigned to Columbus OH & after work, I would go to the switchboard room which was a three position plug board, and since there was only one operator, I could sit at an empty bay and plug into one of the Cincinnati channels and do the same. There were four channels to Cincinnati and I could see if they got busy, so I knew I was not blocking anyone. I still wonder how I was able to talk over 100 miles over #9 copperweld wire. Also, one night, when I was in Greenfield, a thunderstorm was going on and the arrestor (protector) located on the wall near me was sparking. Doing its job but I was in a wooden car and so I had no problem.
Our neighbor was a RPO worker and he told stories of how hard it was to sort the mail if the train was running fast. Getting hit by heavy bags of mail that fell from the shelves. And he always carried a gun on the job as someone mentioned. They knew how to stop anyone trying to break in the mail car door but that info he never shared. His father was a Frisco engineer and so was his wife's father. The mail seemed to be delivered faster and better than it is now. We lost our carrier of 15 years until he retired a couple of years ago. No one seems to stay long on the route, a few months and then we are back to subs again. I was getting mail at 8 and 9 pm but it is better now. Have heard they are short staffed as a lot of people did not return after Covid.
And on the phones, I do remember the rotary dial and have one in the basement that still works too. Southwestern Bell replaced our hard wired phone with a jack to plug in the wall, because they would no longer be coming to repair stuff like they used to do. If it is the wires to your house, they will take care of it, but inside you are responsible. We had Sterling as a prefix later changed and no area codes. Mom's aunt/uncle still lived on old family farm near St. James, MO when we would visit. They had a special ring for their phone and if Aunt Mary wanted to hear the latest gossip, she would pick the phone up even if it was not her ring. A true party line. Dad got rid of our party line we had for years, because someone had a bunch of kids and could never use the phone. Ask them to hang up which they did, but a soon as call was finished, the busy signal once again. So he told SBC to set us up with a single line. Touch tone was much easier to use and faster. I still have my land line as it will work when everyone's else's gadgets go down. And I do not have it tied into internet or my TV, It is a bundle, but keep them separate, one goes and takes the rest with it. This way if one goes it is only that item. Lots of changes over the years.
Backus My 88 year old friend started out on the mail trains in the 1950's. He was a substitute, usually working on the Great Northern out of St. Paul but also worked on the NP and the Milwaukee Road He worked trains to Chicago, Winnipeg, Williston, ND, and a number of other places. His first trip actually took him through his home town of Bemidji, MN on the run to International Falls, MN. He stayed on the mails trains until they ended in the late 1960's. His trips were out and back so he would overnight and then return the next day. As a federal employee he did carry a pistol which was issued to him at the beginning of each run. He still has his original RPO badge and has told me lots of really great stories.
My 88 year old friend started out on the mail trains in the 1950's. He was a substitute, usually working on the Great Northern out of St. Paul but also worked on the NP and the Milwaukee Road He worked trains to Chicago, Winnipeg, Williston, ND, and a number of other places. His first trip actually took him through his home town of Bemidji, MN on the run to International Falls, MN. He stayed on the mails trains until they ended in the late 1960's.
His trips were out and back so he would overnight and then return the next day. As a federal employee he did carry a pistol which was issued to him at the beginning of each run. He still has his original RPO badge and has told me lots of really great stories.
Some years ago we had a forum member who called himself dakotafred. He had worked on mail trains sorting mail. He was also an author of novels with railroad settings. I' sure he could (or could have) answer most all of these questions on RPO's. I hope he's still with us.
Do not forget that to go to touch tone in your exchange the telephone company had to change the dial tone so it would work on both pulse and DTMF.
We had a problem that sometime touch would not work. After many arguments with repair service went to phone exchange and told technition that one or more incoming registers would not take a touch tome. Called me the next day and said he found the bad register. Said they had 20 in the office and of course it was # 20 that had the problem . Said he was beginning to think I was wrong and a few other nasty comments to a co worker.
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