Telegraph Engineer
I worked in Fleet from 1963 to 1992 as a Telegraph Engineer.
Fleet Building housed the Inland Telex and International Telex exchanges,
London Inland Telegrams, Manual cordless switchboards for International Telex,
Inland and International test rooms, Fleet Mux (ARQ terminal) and an MCVF
terminal.
I started in January 1963 as a youth in training and left in March 1992 as
TOA of the MCVF (multi-channel voice frequency) terminal.
I too as Rodger Bean did, spent time at the Featherstone Street training
centre doing the ARQ principles course with Len Warwick as lecturer and a
Marconi HU121 ARQ course with Harry Pizey as lecturer.
I well remember the Electra House Telegraph and PIX rooms, the Electra Mux
ARQ terminal with George Shaw on the fault control desk, the electromechanical
faceplate Tors and the Hasler HU21 electronic (cold cathode) Tors.
We at Fleet Mux had the Hasler transistorised and Marconi HU121 transistorised
Tors.
During my time working in the International test room (late 1960s) I was
involved with the NASA Apollo moon landings telegraph private wire circuits
to the various earth tracking stations as well as looking after the HF radio
Telex and private wires.
I then moved to the Frequency shift MCVF terminal that had both International
and Inland 24 channel systems as well as Hasler Syntoc (synchronous telegraphy
over cable),also known as SUEMUX (six unit electronic multiplex equipment).
Latterly, moving into the digital bearer age, 184 channel and 60 Channel
TDM systems were installed.
In the early nineties the Fleet SPC electronic Telex exchange was installed
together with its own 60 Channel TDM transmission suite, the 60 channel TDM
for the SPC came under my control as well as the MCVF terminal.
One of Rodger's letters is signed by training officer Mr. A.L. Taverner,
I well remember Him as his office was in Fleet Building.
Sadly Fleet Building is currently being demolished, (so I am told) to make
way for a building that is more in keeping with the Holborn Viaduct area
architecture.
Colin Howes +++++++
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