From Mike:
1940 Manhattan phone-biiok:
https://stevemorse.hopto.org/census/1940nypl/manhattan/p555--large.jpg
[quote user=“daveklepper”]
From Mike:9.
1940 Manhattan phone-biiok:
https://stevemorse.hopto.org/census/1940nypl/manhattan/p555--large.jpg
That was my understanding. I think the service was available relatively early on some trains… someone like Mike will have a definitive list with dates.
I believe it would have been technically possible for something like the Trainphone system to bridge telephone voice without involving FCC radio regulations. To my knowledge the Metroliner system was the first that allowed making and receiving calls connecting to the POTS system from anywhere on a moving train’s route, but I’d be interested to hear of others.
Almost a Glenn Miller song.
The Pennsy outfitted two Pullman parlor-lounge cars, Lot 6383 Plan 3999-C, John Adams and George Washington, for telephone service for the Congressional Limited on August 11, 1947 using equipment installed by Bell Telephone Labs.
Later, additional telephone service was provided on trains The Potomac and The Legislator between Washington and New York
Of course the Budd Congressionals and Senators had “second generation” telephone service and for a while mobile phone was available for Broadway Limited passengers on segments of its route. Both Harbor Rest and Harbor Cove lounge cars were equipped for public telephone service. There were only segments of the system covered, around Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Chicago. The rest of the route was “dark”.
http://www.wb6nvh.com/MTSfiles/TrainMTS.htm
Not particularly related to mobile telephony but this fellow has an interesting look at the telephone apparatus of the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad system:
http://www.cedarknolltelephone.com/prr/index.htm
Regards, Ed
Tracks at Grand Central and Penn Station had phone jacks that accepted large “Tip and Ring” plugs that look like modern phono plugs, with the jacks under the platform edge on the raised platform. The phones were ordinary Western Electric phones. I don’t know off hand if such jacks were available at LaSalle St., Union Station or South Station…
In the pre-cellular phone era the radio phone connection depended on the band used - most likely VHF low-band around 40 mHz- and usually required line-of-sight. Remember the whip antennas on police cars in 1940s and 1950s movies to get a feel for how limited mobile radio service really was in those days.
I fondly remember listening to a person talking on his cell phone as the California Zephyr entered Moffat Tunnel. The cell signal held for about 15 seconds, then “Hello? Hello?”