--- In BRHSlist@y..., PSHedgpeth@a... wrote:
>
>
> Regardless of all of the above experience or whatever I never heard
the term
> OS discussed as to it's origin. First memories of listening to the
operators
> at Langdon give their "train reports" would be something like
this.
> Langdon......OS No. 21 at 28 and 30. Normally the old guys didn't
use the
> hour. Someone said, "If a man doesn't know what hour it is he has
no
> business being on the railroad.
>
> Pete Hedgpeth
>
bingo, from what *little* i remember hearing while eavesdropping on
the dispatcher phone. something like 'station name and os' or 'os and
station name', then ds would repeat or say station name, operator
then would report something like '901 west by at 36' and ds would
repeat, only slower as if was reading back what he was writing down.
worked at depot and was around ds rooms at times, and that was what
they were doing when answering, was writing it down on the sheet, saw
this when was loafing and talking to dispatchers during the early
morning hours. not too many employees around middle of the night,
dispatchers, operator, telephone operator, ticket agent, baggage and
mail handlers, few passenger engine crews in and out. so if you
wanted to bs someone your options were limited. had to watch though
and stay out if it was panicky in there. never gave os any thought,
just thought it was just another one of those many short criptic
oldtime telegraphy codes, that made no sense to me, and this one
meant 'i have a train report'
interesting thread
warren
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