In Trains Magazine there was a
article in Ask Trains about
Morse Code dispatching. Stop.
Are there any old dispatchers
out there who can answer some
questions?
TimA
Nope.
I’m pretty sure the railroads didn’t use “stop” in their transmissions, though.
Or maybe they did, and gave it up when they went to telephone dispatching. I used to listen in on the dispatcher’s wire often (two different railroads!), and was privileged to prepare for and copy an order once. Didn’t do too well, but learned a lot.
I know zip as usual about this, but have heard the telegraph working in an old museum depot - that and an old steam whistle are hard to beat for sound! Talk about nostalgia!
I was hoping there might be some “old hands” out there. I have several old telegragh key’s from the railroads. They have little brass plates on them with the railroads name ingraved on them. One that I have say’s P.C.R.R. on it but it needs new contacts. The contacts are made out of nickel. I was hoping someone can give me a heads up on were I can get some new ones. The key’s that the railroads used are fine crafted and well balanced. I use them quite often on my Ham radio rig.
Question, did conductors need to know code? I seen a picture of a caboose sitting at a siding with wires hooked to the telegragh pole? If a train was out switching for any lenth of time, was communications required through the telegragh?
TIM A
In Trains Magazine there was a
article in Ask Trains about
Morse Code dispatching. Stop.
Are there any old dispatchers
out there who can answer some
questions?
TimA
Nope.
I’m pretty sure the railroads didn’t use “stop” in their transmissions, though.
Or maybe they did, and gave it up when they went to telephone dispatching. I used to listen in on the dispatcher’s wire often (two different railroads!), and was privileged to prepare for and copy an order once. Didn’t do too well, but learned a lot.
I know zip as usual about this, but have heard the telegraph working in an old museum depot - that and an old steam whistle are hard to beat for sound! Talk about nostalgia!