News from the Telephone Exchange
The museum has had its own Strowger exchange since 1985 when GEC Plessey, Hartlepool, donated a 100 line Siemens type 222. This exchange operated phones around the Tramway and tram depot. However, it proved to be hard to maintain and not very reliable.
In 1992 BT offered the museum a 100 line exchange from Embleton, on the Northumberland Coast. It was decided to abandon the Siemens exchange in favour of the 100 line UAX 13 rural exchange, a workhorse of the GPO. This was installed with help from BT and has spent the last 21 years operating the internal tramway and depot telephones.
However, we have recently only been using a handful of the possible 100 lines. In the last few months members of the Tramway Group, who look after the exchange, have been trying to expand the network. They now have cable across most of the Regional Heritage Engineering Centre and are poised and ready to set off across the whole museum site.
BT have once again agreed to help by offering us some of their engineers time, as part of their community involvement scheme, to come and work with our volunteers. We are also in the process of trying to recruit more volunteers who have and interest and skills in telephone and electrical engineering. So if thats you please let us know.
The photos below show Les and Peter, from the Tram Group, hard at work installing new lines in the RHEC offices, the museum has amassed a good collection of handsets and hardware but we are always on the look out for more. If we are able to get more lines out onto the museum site one of the most essential things will be telegraph pole fittings. Now seldom seen, the rows of poles with their white ceramic insulators were once a common site. As far as possible we will be trying to use old fittings to maintain the period look of our buildings.
Les installing and testing a new line
Peter installing a distribution box for the RHEC Office
The exchange and master clock which controls all the clock on the tramway system
Some of the telegraph poles at Rowley Station which we hope to have working lines on in the not to distant future.
Interesting project to see. I do like the idea of sticking with this kind of system rather than jumping into a modern and expensive VoIP system (Why replace it if it works fine?). Are you looking for any particular skills for the volunteers?
Hi John,
A general interest is really all you need. We will be doing everything from restoring handsets to installing cable. If you would like any more information you can contact me via museum@beamish.org.uk.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hello, do you require anyone with Strowger exchange maintenance experience. Before retirement I. Worked for BT for 39 years. Experience in exchange maintenance, transmission, exchange jumpering and power.
Hi,
Yours is exactly the sort of experience we are looking for! I will forward you some information about what we hope to do.
Thanks,
Jonathan
I spent just under 50 years in Telecomms working for the Post Office as Engineer in a Strowger Exchange, then GEC Public Exchange Division to Ford Motor Company. British Leyland, J.P. Morgan Bank, Grand Metropolitan. Finally my own business providing network modelling software and information.
I have been writing short stories about the the Industry to be published under the title Phoneman. I would be pleased to discuss helping.