The date that telegraphy died...

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

September 23, 2005

Good afternoon, all:

I was speaking with Dennis Nauman, who worked as a
relief operator from 1949 to the mid-1950s on the
Shenandoah Division.  While we all know that steam
locomotives were discontinued in 1959 on the N&W, he
mentioned that year was also when the telegraphic
message wire was likewise killed.

Does anyone know, or does the Archives have,
information about the last date that a telegraph wire
was operational on the N&W?  Dennis also mentioned an
interesting fact: the telephone message line and
telegraph message line were in service on the
Shenandoah Division during the final year or two. 
Information when the dispatcher and message telephone
lines were activated in the 1950s would also be
helpful.

Best wishes,

Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com
(202) 268-2121 - weekday office
(540) 837-9090 - weekend afternoons 
in the former N&W station on VA rte 723 
117 East Main Street 
Boyce  VA  22620-9639
 
Visit at http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org