Railway Telecomms

The railways were the first to adopt the fledgling telegraph in the last century. Throughout their history they have adopted new technology in telecomms as a means of improving their business operations and, most importantly, increasing the safety of the running of trains.

	The first section is about railway telecomms hardware, starting with an article about a subject that has kept me employed for the past thirty years - Signal Post Telephones Why are telephones needed at signals? What are the safety requirements? How are these achieved? Leading on to:
	The STC Selective System A simple, yet ingenious method of implementing the requirements for a signal post telephone. The system handbook is available in PDF format.
	Level Crossing Telephones A series of articles about another subject that has kept me employed for over thiry years. The first part is a short history of the need for a telephone system at autmoatic crossings. The second part is a more detailed description of the Plessey post-Hixon system. Still to come is a description of the Whiteley PETS developed about 1990 to replace the Plessey system.
	The Single Needle Telegraph and Block Telephone A simple and reliable telegraph using a variation on the Morse code, but with the resilience of double current working. The block telephone is a means of piggy-backing a telephone circuit on a simple earth-return bell connection between signalboxes.
	Railway Telephone Signs What do they mean?
	And now some Railway Telephone Advertisements
	Kent & East Sussex Railway Phones Vintage telephones actually in use on the K&ESR.
	Kidderminster Railway Museum has some fine examples of railway telephones on display.
	BRT Locos Finally, a brief account of the equally brief lives of the BR Telecomms locomotive fleet. Cooke & Wheatstone naming ceremony on NY Moors Railway Marconi honoured. Princess Elettra names loco in honour of her father.

	Railway Documents The next section contains extracts from historic books, courtesy of Mike Tyrrell and telephone directories, courtesy of Andy Emmerson
	Control on the Railway My colleague, Mike Tyrrell, has passed on to me a book published in 1926 about control on the Railway. There is an explanation of what the Controller does, compared with a signaller and there are photographs of some vintage telephones from the period in their original settings.
	London & Northwestern Railway, Telephone Directory 1915 These quotes are priceless: Promptitude in answering and brevity in speaking are the essence of a successful telephone service. It is desired that the greatest courtesy should be exercised when speaking on the telephone. When concluding a conversation on the telephone notify the caller at the other end that you have finished.
	Great Northern Railway, Telephone Directory 1916 Some useful definitions include: An "Exchange" is a place where a switchboard is provided in connection with a number of offices, etc., where telephonic communication is established, the switchboard being used to connect the various places with each other. A "Line" consists of the wires connecting any two places where telephonic communication is established.
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