All right listers....looks like the forward thing won't work so here is
verbatim what RCB sez
OS STANDS FOR ON SHEET-NO DOUBT ABOUT IT- I just mailed Dave Lotz a letter
about that last Saturday. In the 1950's there was a retired CB&Q dispatcher
lived next to my father at Ottumwa who was also retired. His name was Art
Wright and he was 100 years old and his mind was sharp as a tack - When I
would drive down to visit my dad we would go down to his home which was just
2 houses from dad and we would visit for about an hour- He had hired out as a
telegraph operator in the relay office at Ottumwa in the early 1880's and was
promoted to dispatcher in the mid 1880's at Ottumwa. He retired in 1936. I
asked him about OS several times. He said he was told when he went to work
in the 80's it stood for on sheet. When he was in the relay office he would
go in after work and hang out with the dispatchers and one of them who had
worked there since there was a dispatcher's office there which would have
been in 1860 and he told him it stood for on sheet. If you think about it
that would make sense as this would alert the dispatcher to have his pen
ready and move his sheet to the right place. If he didn't use the OS the
dispatcher would know he would be asking about a train perhaps or some other
information. If feel his reply could not come from a more reliable source
with the experience he had. To me thats as good information as anyone could
get and closes the subject. If others think they know better I say just let
them think it as I will stand by this story 100 percent.
Robert B.
I would agree with Robert B. seems like it does indeed close the subject.
Pete Hedgpeth
30
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