Re: (erielack) WC Tower What are these?

[Gordon Davids <g.davids_@_verizon.net>]

Curt -

Some ID?s on the photos at WC Tower:

The cabinet in Photos 2 - 4 was a telephone/telegraph terminal with a patch board on the front.  It was set up so the Operator, under direction of the Wire Chief, could insert plugs and jumpers and juggle telephone and telegraph circuits on different wire pairs on the pole line.  For instance, if the Dispatcher?s wire developed a short or an open between WC and SF, the operators at both offices could insert jumpers and re-route it over a different pair.

It appears that two telephone instruments were mounted on the cabinet door, with an annunciator above each one.  When the dispatcher, wire chief or message wire monitor wanted to call an office, he put a series of codes on the line corresponding to the office to be called.  When the code pulses matched the setting in the office annunciator, it sounded a bell or buzzer.

If WC wanted to call MQ on the message phone, he would raise the monitor in Hoboken (HO Office) with ?HO, WC.?  HO answers ?HO,? then WC says ?Ring MQ.?  The monitor sends the pulse code for MQ, and the MQ annunciator sounds off.  MQ answers, and then WC and MQ can hold a party line conversation.  Believe it or not, that message monitor job was full time in 1970.

The rods in Photo 9 are locking rods for a power switch machine.  Those rods move with the switch points.  When the switch is in either the normal or reversed position, the switch machine inserts a plunger through one notch or the other to positively hold the points in position.  The threaded end is used to adjust one rod alongside the other so that the notches made by the two adjoining rods are the correct size and in the correct locking positions.

Gordon Davids

>Subject: (erielack) WC Tower What are these?
>
>NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment.
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>http://lists.railfan.net/listthumb.cgi?erielack-06-30-05
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>Cainet1_Outside.jpg (image/jpeg, 1952x2608 291580 bytes)
>Cabinet_1_Inside_Door.jpg (image/jpeg, 1952x2608 316652 bytes)
>Cabinet_1_Inside.jpg (image/jpeg, 1952x2608 294822 bytes)
>Batteries.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 322319 bytes)
>Large_Battery.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 261085 bytes)
>Number_Board.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 263427 bytes)
>What_is_it_2.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 318528 bytes)
>Medium_Battery_Label.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 308495 bytes)
>Small_Battery_Label.jpg (image/jpeg, 2608x1952 432238 bytes)
>
>Hello all.  Since some have had trouble of getting to our site here
>are the pictures again on this list. We are cleaning up the interior
>of the WC tower in Waldwick NJ and have come across several items
>that we want to know more about. Please go the links below and look
>at the pictures and give us your best information or point us to
>sources.
>
>Thanks and have fun.
>
>Curt Springstead
>

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