John
Most of the orders I heard being transmitted involved passenger trains which
were then exclusively "hauled" by E units in the 9900 series...I would either
be listening on the DS phone or sitting there while the OP repeated.....Number
26 twosix engine 9922 nineninetwotwo...(you can't get the effect by writing
it you have to hear it)...all done it a rapid "singsong" with no breaths.
You didn't explain...you didn't have to for me, but maybe someone "younger"
than we....BK came from the telegraph "shorthand" for "break"...I can't keep
up....the old guys still continued to use BK even though they were on the
phone.
Break came from the concept that anyone in "The Loop" could open his key
(break the circuit) and thus stop all communication until the key was closed
and
the circuit restored.
Just as a little aside at the RITS (Thats ROCK ISLAND TECHNICAL SOCIETY)
meeting in OKC last week some of the retired dispatchers from El Reno...most of
them were working when I was there in 1960-61) set up a little "practice set"
with a key and sounder (complete with Prince Albert can), on a board...Visitors
to the area with kids would bring them over and they would whisper their name
to the guy handling the key and he would "send" the name and the guy on the
other side of the table would tell the kid his or her name...They loved it...
They have a Telegraph Club named for Don Watrous who was the day OP at El
Reno yard when I was there...Don tried to teach me a little telegraphy, and I
got
so I could send a little bit that he could read, but never could receive...
I was glad there are some who are keeping the craft alive.
Pete
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