The Instructograph came in two varieties: one for land Morse code and
one for radio code (International Morse code). The codes are slightly
different. For either, you connect your own sounder (real Morse) or
buzzer (radio Morse) plus a battery for the device and listen to the
moving tape make and brake the circuit.
I remember that there were approximately 24 reals of paper tape.
I witnessed some of the operators chatting over the line. They were
blazingly fast.
Glen Brewer
Railroad Glory Days <http://railroadglorydays.com>
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, Gerald Edgar <vje68@...> wrote:
>
>
> I believe there were a couple of brands as 'in the day' Western Union
needed many skilled "op's" as did some other employers who used code.
>
>
> Gerald
>
>
>
>
> To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
> From: apo09324@...
> Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:56:28 +0000
> Subject: [CBQ] Re: FW: Morse Code: A Lost Language
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Was the machine an Instructograph? I borrowed one from a local ham
when I was learning code for my novice license in 1964. The beauty of
the machine was you could use paper tapes for whatever type of code you
needed to learn. The problem was when the tapes started to wear thin in
places and you might get extra dihs or dahs.
>
> Ken Vandevoort
> WA0KYT
>
> --- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "teejay0469_2" t.m.j@ wrote:
> >
> >
> > This has been a very interesting thread and have enjoyed it. It
really hit me since I had a desire to learn morse when I was a teenager.
I never did but I might have a chance in the near future. To this end, I
wanted to let evrybody know about a very unique find that is very
relevant to this subject. A railroad club that I use to belong to here
in Minnesota is responsible for maintaining and old Joint Milwaukee
Road/CB&Q tower that was in Newport Minnesota.
> >
> > I was up in the tower a while back and found a box that had an
interseting electronic device in it along with several reels of paper
tape. After looking and inspecting it very closely, I found out that it
was a morse code tester/sounder. I sequestered the device away to a safe
place since the tower was being gone through and all of the "trash" was
being thrown out. I definitely did not want this unit being tossed out.
> >
> > Since I dropped my membership, I sorta lost track of what happened
to the unit, but a couple of months ago, one of our local ham radio
groups and railfans held a ham radio event in the tower. I visited and
talked with one of the members who is also a club member and asked if he
had seen the unit. I had let him know sometime before hand (before I
dropped my membership) to keep track of it. He said he pulled it out and
fiddled with it and it would start reading the paper tape but than stop
and damage the tape. He only let one tape get damaged, but I impressed
upon him how important the unit was.
> >
> > Now, I just need to find a historian that could reburbish the unit
and find a way to copy the paper tapes to new tape so it can be used. I
would believe the morse is in true dispatcher format which would be very
cool to hear...........
> >
> > Tom Johnson
> >
> > --- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "John D. Mitchell, Jr." <cbqrr47@>
wrote:
> > >
> > > Even after they started to use telephones for train orders, the
oldtime operators would say BK (break)Â when the dispatcher got too
fast to copy!
> > >
> > > --- On Fri, 12/10/10, Dale Reeves <drale99@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > From: Dale Reeves <drale99@>
> > > Subject: Re: [CBQ] FW: Morse Code: A Lost Language
> > > To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
> > > Date: Friday, December 10, 2010, 9:15 PM
> > >
> > >
> > > Â
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > My dad, a Q agent/operator, was teaching me to become a helper in
'44-'45.
> > > I got so I could send a little. The Navy interrupted my RR
carreer. Later
> > > I was in Northwood, ND on the GN in the early 60's The mayor was
agent
> > > there. I was in the depot with him, and I started to send on his
key. He
> > > was impressed, as he didn't know how to telegraph. Evidently the
GN branch
> > > up there wasn't using the telegraph then -- probably around 1962 I
would
> > > guess.
> > > The thing that always amazed me was how fast those old
telegraphers could
> > > send and receive. They abreviated a lot, and they could send over
100 words
> > > a minute. They could really make those sounders sing! My dad
claimed he
> > > could send as fast on the key as he could on the bug.
> > > Dale Reeves
> > >
> > > Dale Reeves
> > > Original Message -----
> > > From: <Jpslhedgpeth@>
> > > To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 2:30 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [CBQ] FW: Morse Code: A Lost Language
> > >
> > > Gerald et al
> > >
> > > I seem to remember that 1972 was the last year for telegraph on
the Q..but I
> > > can't point to any particular reference...IIRC the Rock Island
quit the
> > > telegraph in1965.
> > >
> > > Coincidentally I've been reading through some of my od RR
Magazines and have
> > > recently read some of Palmer's stuff in the 1941 and 42 issues.
> > >
> > > When I was braking on the Q 1956-58 the branch lines in Nebraska
were all
> > > telegraph and the mainlines had both telegraph and telephone
communication.
> > >
> > > All of the old head agent-operators were telegraphers..Most of
those guys
> > > were 1900-1920 seniority and used mostly the key and sounder.
> > >
> > > Some new agents-operators were coming on and most could telegraph
a bit but
> > > didn't like to use the key in preference to the phone.
> > >
> > > There was a young telegrapher who worked on the Lincoln-Ravenna
line as an
> > > extra operator...It was said of "Arch".. "The only thing Arch can
use the
> > > key for is to send....FN. ie...."get on the phone"
> > >
> > > I've opined in my monthly piece in our local railfans club
newsletter that
> > > the new fad "texting" is nothing more than the old telegrapher's
> > > "shorthand"..Those guys never used unnecesary words of letters..
> > >
> > > In a story by Don Livingston RR October 1941...."Wt dd u sa wd be
ur gess on
> > > tt local"...Translation..."What did you say would, be your guess
on that
> > > local".
> > >
> > > Every telegrapher had a sine by which he was known..Harry
Bedwell's Eddie
> > > Sand's was DY... Every station had a two letter telegraph
call...these were
> > > called in Employee timetables through the 1950's and maybe
> > > later..example..at El Reno, OK on the RI....El Reno freight yard's
call was
> > > FO...the passenger depot was RN...There was an old
dispatcher...and many of
> > > them did likewise still continued to use the telegraph call on the
phone...I
> > > can still hear old Charlie Forbes..who really didn't need the
> > > telephone...yelling into the phone..."Hello FO" when he wanted El
Reno yard.
> > >
> > > Pete
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Gerald Edgar <vje68@>
> > > To: cbq cbq@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Tue, Nov 16, 2010 11:29 am
> > > Subject: [CBQ] FW: Morse Code: A Lost Language
> > >
> > > We have not discussed use of Morse Code on the Q to my
recollection; anyone
> > > know where on the system was the last use of same? I'm guessing it
was
> > > post-BN as I recall a Trains article identifying an ex-GN or SOO
line in No.
> > > Dakota still using Morse in the "80's. When I hired on C&NW in "78
three
> > > stations still used Morse; consecutive stops from Marchalltown
east on the
> > > 'main'. These were 3 senior Agt/operators who insisted the Signal
gang keep
> > > their wire operational. When they ret'd, that ended Morse on the
> > > Northwestern. 9allefgedly there were some rare opccasiopns
> > >
> > > I learned a semblance of American Morse as a Scout and intensive
knowledge
> > > of International Morse while in the Air Force; those of you who
are old
> > > Ham's learned some as well.
> > >
> > > Any stories out there relating to Morse on the Q? I have a RPPC
showing a Q
> > > work train with one car clearly marked 'Telegraph Dept'. Dates
from 1920's.
> > > I think some old equipment bklts also differentiate between
Telegraph Dept
> > > and Signal Dept. Also Western Union had their own work trains that
traveled
> > > any & all RR's well into the 60's (even later?)
> > >
> > > Gerald
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > "A LOST LANGUAGE", by LeRoy Palmer. An Article appearing in the
June,
> > > 1940 issue of "Railroad Magazine", pages 89-92.
> > >
> > > As months and years drift by, the number of us old-time
telegraphers
> > > in rail service who know the train wire language is dwindling,
like the
> > > "thin blue line" and the "thin gray line" of Civil War veterans.On
> > > practically all the main-line dispatching circuits the telephone
has
> > > displaced the telegraph. Only the oldest ops can remember the days
> > > when the average train dispatcher had a "copier", a fast pen
operator
> > > who wrote all orders in the order book as the dispatcher issued
them
> > > and checked as each was repeated.
> > >
> > > In this era of telephone dispatching, the work is, of course, done
> > > much more quickly. Orders are now repeated in one-fourth the time
that
> > > was required for even the "gilt-edge" Morse man, although the time
and
> > > all station names are spelled out, while train and engine numbers
are
> > > repeated on the telephone. The veteran brass pounder has to admit
it,
> > > even though he misses the vanishing language. Formerly I could be
busy at my
> > > desk, or even reading the newspaper, and still hear the train wire
with its
> > > "OS" reports of trains passing over the district, and thus I kept
posted on
> > > everything approaching my station. Now I hear nothing unless I sit
with the
> > > telephone receiver hung over my head. They took some of the
romance and
> > > fascination away from railroading when they installed telephones
on the
> > > train wire.
> > >
> > > The twelve-hour night shift men were excellent "spotters". That
is, they
> > > were adept at catching much-needed sleep when opportunity offered
and they
> > > trained themselves to wake for their call. The old Morse
dispatchers knew
> > > that Bill or Joe was "in the hay" when they got no answer on the
first call
> > > and they would slowly repeat "RC RC RC DS" or "ZA ZA ZA DS," or
whatever the
> > > call was, the repeated chatter bringing the Op to life. This was
customary
> > > and was well understood.
> > >
> > > One of the first things the op learned was to arouse from deep
slumber for
> > > his call.
> > >
> > > I remember the first job I ever worked, night operator for the
Milwaukee
> > > Road at Burlington, Wis., in 1901. I'd been on the job only a few
nights
> > > when. One morning just before daylight, I got mighty sleepy and
stretched
> > > out on the freight desk, with an "Official Guide" making a soft
pillow for
> > > my head, and was soon sleeping soundly. I dreamed I was walking
along a
> > > street, and as I passed a store I heard a telegraph instrument
tapping out
> > > "BU BU BU BY" which was my office call. I thought, "Gosh! I'd
better go in
> > > there and answer that. It's my call!" The next thing I knew, I was
tumbling
> > > off that desk onto my feet as I realized that the Beliot
dispatcher was
> > > hammering out slowly "BU BU BU BU DS."
> > >
> > > I dove for the telegraph desk.
> > >
> > > I have had this same dream, or one very much like it, many times
since on
> > > similar occasions. Other old-time ops report having had identical
> > > experience. Seldom would we get deep enough in the hay to fail to
recognize
> > > the familiar sounder call. There's not much excuse for lightening
slingers
> > > to drowse on an eight-hour shift nowadays, but should a man
working the late
> > > night, or third, trick in the heat of Summer, slip off to
dreamland between
> > > trains, the telephone bell is, perhaps, not the equal of the old
repeated
> > > Morse call to arouse him from slumber.
> > >
> > > Perhaps you have sat in some wayside depot waiting-room and
listened to the
> > > clatter of the instruments in the telegraph office and wished you
could
> > > understand what was passing over the wire. But missing now from
the chorus
> > > of clicking sounders is the loudest one of all, the sounder of the
train
> > > dispatcher's wire. What you would hear now, if you could read
them, would be
> > > the message wire and the commercial wire, carrying private
telegrams. Gone
> > > is the hottest and fastest of them all, the sounder with the
mysterious
> > > abbreviations and language of its own, which every student aspired
to read.
> > > When a student could read the train wire his education was
complete; he was
> > > a full-fledged op.
> > >
> > > In 1900 I was an apprentice at the CMStP&P depot in Elkhorn, Wis.
George
> > > Hayes was the daylight operator there. In addition to his regular
duties, he
> > > had the job of teaching two students, Bill Jones and myself. Both
of us were
> > > green farm hands. I don't know how dumb I was as a ham, but I do
remember
> > > that Mr. Hayes was in despair over Bill. We both did learn,
however. I
> > > became a boomer op, and the last I heard of Bill Jordan he was the
chief
> > > dispatcher for some Western pike.
> > >
> > > I was given night work with the night man, a short, fat little
Irish fellow
> > > named Eddie uinane. Eddie was a prince. He used to send to me
faithfully an
> > > hour or so every night when he wasn't too busy, but he was a
rotten sender.
> > > The boys along the line had a hard time reading him. But I got
accustomed to
> > > the funny twists he put on his Morse, and I had no trouble. Later
on, when I
> > > was working along the line on the extra board, if some op had to
copy Eddie
> > > and I was around he'd make me sit in and take Eddie's dots and
dashes.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, I put in about six months with Eddie, showing up when
he did at
> > > six p.m. and quitting at one a.m. I was beginning to get
discouraged. I
> > > could read words off the Western Union commercial wire pretty
well, but I
> > > couldn't get used to those "cut" words used by the dispatchers,
even though
> > > I listened faithfully, trying to separate the characters and make
sense of
> > > them.
> > >
> > > I'll never forget that winter night when I opened the waiting room
door,
> > > hustled over to the huge coal stove to thaw out, and heard the big
> > > train-wire sounder in the office rattling away. I listened a
moment, when --
> > > just like that-- I could read the language! Boy, was I tickled!
What
> > > previously had been a jumble of sounds was now clear to me. When
Eddie came
> > > in a few minutes later, I had the joyous news for him that I could
read the
> > > train wire, and he seemed as pleased as I was.
> > >
> > > After that, I was more anxious than ever to perfect myself. One
day George
> > > Hayes said to me: "Kid, I'm going to give you a note to W.H.
Melchoir, the
> > > chief train dispatcher at Beliot, and send you over to take your
> > > examination. Eddie says you have your block rules learned okay and
you can
> > > read the train wire. They need operators and you are good enough
to start
> > > out."
> > >
> > > Next day I rode the morning local passenger train to Beliot. Mr.
Melchoir
> > > examined me and sent me to Burlington to work that very night.
There was no
> > > physical or standard rules examination at that time, but you had
to know the
> > > block rules. You had to know how to ask the man east of you for a
"47"
> > > before you let an eastbound train into the block, etc. A "block"
was the
> > > stretch of track between your office and his, and "47" meant "Will
hold all
> > > westbound trains until your train arrives."
> > >
> > > Because the Morse train dispatcher had to work fast in order to
keep his
> > > trains moving, there came into use so many abbreviations that if,
as you sat
> > > in the wayside station waiting-room listening to the sounders, you
could
> > > have to read every letter that was passing over the train wire,
you still
> > > would have been unable to know what was going on, unless you
understood the
> > > code. You might have heard the dispatcher and the op converse as
follows:
> > > "Sa wn x w cmg ma hv 9 r tm." snaps the dispatcher. {Say when
extra west
> > > train is coming. I may have orders for them.}
> > >
> > > "Art tnk c tr smk no," returns the op. "Es hr ty cm ty in ste nw."
> > > {All right. I think I see their smoke now. Yes, here they come.
They are in
> > > sight now.}
> > >
> > > "U gt nytng r em." asks the DS. {Have you got anything for them?}
> > >
> > > "Es abt 15 m wk," replies the operator. {Yes, about 15 minutes
work.}
> > >
> > > "OK 31 cy 3 r em & let me kw hw mch wk ty gt at DR b4 c clr em ma
hv
> > > to chg tt meet wi 42 No 7s ab 20 m1 I'll hnd hm sm ti on tm at
DR."
> > > {Okay. Make 3 copies on a 31 order for them and let me know how
much
> > > work they've got at Darienbefore you clear them. May have to
change that
> > > meet with number 42. Number 7 is about twenty minutes late. I'll
hand him
> > > some time on them at Darien.}
> > >
> > > Hour after hour, with occasional periods of rest, twenty-four
hours a day,
> > > the sounder rattled on, Few words were spelled out in train
movement
> > > conversation, as this language -- the "cut" language of the old
Morse train
> > > wire -- clicked over the line.
> > >
> > > All railroad offices with telephone dispatcher's wire equipment
have a
> > > Morse circuit to fall back on in case of trouble on the phone
wire. The
> > > young operators dread this. If they happen to be working with an
old Morse
> > > dispatcher, they are in hot water trying to read his abbreviated
> > > instructions. To a veteran, however, it's the old familiar code.
> > >
> > > Morse men admit that the telephone, like the typewriter, makes for
greater
> > > efficiency. It standardizes operations, saves time and work, and
diminishes
> > > the hazards of the iron trail. But we of the old school miss the
romance of
> > > the earlier days of rugged individualism when you reached for a
brass key
> > > instead of a black telephone receiver, and were proud of the bold,
rapid,
> > > flowing strokes with which you wrote your train orders by hand.
> > >
> > > And if a tobacco-chewing boomer op were suddenly yanked out of the
dim past
> > > and put to work on a teletype machine, his consternation would be
equalled
> > > only by his profanity. Teletypes are doing their bit to make
> > > Morse a dead language. So far, you'll find 'em on only a few of
the big
> > > roads. The latest pike to install this system is the Erie, which
is now
> > > using teletype machines for their consist and passing report
systems.
> > >
> > > As every rail knows the consist of a freight train includes all of
its
> > > car numbers, listed in order, beginning at the head end. For each
carload
> > > are shown contents, tons, destination, route (including other
roads, if any
> > > such are needed to take the car to its destination), and sometimes
the name
> > > of the consignee. Ventilation, refrigeration, or heating
instructions are
> > > shown for perishable freight, and when livestock was last fed and
rested.
> > >
> > > All this information, in the case of the Erie, is transmitted by
teletype to
> > > the company's general offices at Chicago, Cleveland, and New York,
and to
> > > the district office at Jersey City, NJ, immediately after hotshot
freights
> > > have left the yards. There, centralized tracking bureaus use the
information
> > > to answer quickly all shipper and receiver inquiries about the
movement of
> > > cars -- inquiries that in days gone by were answered with the aid
of Morse
> > > conversation.
> > >
> > > A friend on the Erie tells me that when his company adopted
teletypes for
> > > its consist and passing report systems, last March, it converted
845 miles
> > > of telegraph wire to printer circuits, making a total of 2,320
miles of
> > > these circuits now in operation on the Erie. Of this total, he
says, 2,075
> > > miles are equipped with duplex apparatus over which messages or
consists can
> > > be sent in both directions at the same time.
> > >
> > > Morse experts concede that the telephone, the typewriter and the
teletype
> > > seldom fail and, as I pointed out, do the work more easily and
more rapidly.
> > > Few train dispatchers and ops would go back to the obsolete system
if they
> > > could. But now and then you'll run across a mellow old boomer who
sighs for
> > > the snappy Morse dialogue on the dispatcher's wire that is fast
becoming a
> > > lost language.
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
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