An alternative routing would have been available if desired. For example,
the alternative routing to the same office may have been 346-531. There was
also a waiting facility available. A queue could have been formed for one
or two calls, the waiting time being limited to 30-60s. If a line became
free during this period, it would be seized by the first waiting call. If,
on expiry of the waiting period a line has not become free, the waiting call
would have been automatically rerouted to an overflow teleprinter within
the main telegraph office which served the destination office.
The procedure to send a telegram via the TAS network started by the telegraphist
pressing the calling button. A white 'proceed-to-select' lamp would light
up and the teleprinter motor would start. the distant number would be dialled
and in a couple of seconds, if the call was extended through to the destination,
the distant answerback-code would be received automatically. This caused
the white 'proceed-to-select' lamp to go out and the green pilot lamp at
the top of the dialling unit to come on. The "here-is" key was pressed, the
telegraphist typed in duplex mode so no local copy. After the telegram had
been typed, the "who-are-you" key was pressed printing out the distant
answer-back to verify the two teleprinters were still connected, the "here-is"
key was sent and the connection was then broken by pressing the clear button.
The two distant answerback codes are gummed onto the telegram form to pass
any later scrutiny, the operator signs the form and time of transmission.
A telegraphist did not have to be in attendance at the teleprinter to receive
a telegram but certain safeguards were built-in, such as a paper-alarm fault
or the distant office pressing the bell key to bring a telegraphist to the
machine.
When transmitting a telegram to a page-receiving telex subscriber from an
11B tape teleprinter, the operator typed with no local copy so an end-of-line
lamp was provided which glowed shortly before the nominal 69 characters had
been typed to remind the telegraphist to press carriage-return and line-feed.
When an office closed for the evening, weekend etc, the telegraphist operated
the Out-Of-Service key which allowed further traffic to be automatically
routed to their parent night-appointed office.
Sub post offices, known as telephone-telegraph (TT) offices, would accept
incoming telegrams over the phone from a telegraph office for delivery in
their area (many grumbles were noted from Postmasters saying "Oh heck, they're
miles out of town!") and accept originating telegrams over the counter for
onward transmission by phone to their parent telegraph office.
In the 1950s, there were upwards of 12,000 telegraph offices; almost all
of them able to accept telegrams over their counters.
Fridays were a busy day with telegraph money orders by the hundreds destined
for Ireland on pay day. Saturday was as busy with all the wedding telegrams
that the mischievous messenger lads hoped for a good tip.
The Instrument room housed all the circuits and associated equipment, the
phonogram and TT positions were, if possible, housed separately. The circulation
point was at the end of a conveyor belt and was the central area of all outgoing
telegrams to be routed according to destination. This was the 'hub' of the
office and I always enjoyed my shift on that position.
Incoming telegrams were received by the gummists, sticking incoming gummed
tape onto the form, checking number of words, collation, signing off and
despatching down the conveyor belt.
Upon arrival at the tracing position, the telegraphist would decide if the
message was to be telephoned, telexed, posted or hand-delivered.
Larry Rice OTO1 Birmingham
ITAO 1961-1982 11/10/1999 +++++++
