This has been a very interesting discussion. The only thing I can add is that I did find a picture of the Western Union sign on the Interlocking tower at Louisiana, MO. This photo was taken in 1961. In 1976 a photo of the tower does not show the sign.

The link: http://transport.castlegraphics.com/dis ... p?pid=3163

Gentlemen:

Here’s a brief overview previously shared with me that helped my understanding considerably. Trailing, also find some source links for additional reading.

Any wires "dropped" off the pole line into the station were "broken through" the station's switchboard.

For example of how things were done in the early days - consider four wires dropped into the country waystation or tower:

#1 - the Train Wire (i.e. the Train Dispatcher's circuit)
#2 - the Message Wire
#3 - the Block Wire
#9 - the Western Union Wire

All four of these wires would pass through the switchboard. Connecting wires leading to office equipment dropped down to the desk from the switchboard.

The normal arrangement would be to have a relay on the desk for each of these wires.
There would be only one sounder in the office, and that would probably be in a resonator. You would have a jack box on the desk, which allowed you to plug your sounder into any of the desired wires. Of course, you would probably stay plugged into the Train Wire, unless you had business to conduct on one of the other wires.

If your office were a "Day Only" office, you would, before closing up, "cut the wires through" by arranging the brass pins so that the wires "worked through" and did not activate your instruments. By relocating pins, local instruments would be disconnected from the four circuit wires AND circuits associated with the four message wires would not be interrupted.

You "cut out your instruments" for several reasons: (1) to protect them against lightening, (2) so that intruders could not stand at the window and listen in on the business that was passing through the wires, and (3) so that the circuit would not be opened in the event any trouble developed at your station (an instrument coil winding burned out, your key fell apart and opened the circuit, the station caught afire and cremated the instruments, etc.)

There were two other functions for the switchboard.

(1) That transverse brass bar at the top served as an air-gap lightening arrestor. It was tied to ground. If one of the wires took a lightening hit, the voltage would (hopefully) jump the air gap to the large brass plate and be grounded, before it fried the instruments in your office.

(2) In case of wire trouble, the Wire Chief could "sectionalize" the wire between stations by telling the various something like, "X, you ground wire 3 east, and Y, you ground wire 3 west," or whatever. If both remaining segments of the wire functioned, he knew the trouble was somewhere between X and Y. In an important case, he may tell the telegraphers something like, "X, you patch wire 3 to wire 2 east and Y, you patch wire 3 to wire 2 west," setting up a "patch" around the trouble.

Finally, I understand all this got a lot easier once patching jacks and patch cords were invented in the 1890s. The next refinement of the "switchboard" was the "Unit Jack Board," which came into use sometime around 1910. It was a refinement in that it had fuses inside and it had improved jackin’ capabilities.

I had opportunity to learn this info from a master AND I appreciate his taking time to share. Should additional detail be needed, kindly PM me as time allows. NOW, the question being worked on is, how was payment for WU service transferred from a county wayside or tower - help appreciated.

Before closing, here's source reference for additional work on switchboards:

http://members.kos.net/sdgagnon/te6.html

AND, as previously reported, The DODGE TELEGRAPH INSTRUCTOR is available online at:

http://www.morsetelegraphclub.org/libra ... tml/dodge/

Thanks for opportunity to share,

Jim K

Mark -

Thanks very much for finding and posting the photo of the tower in Louisiana, Missouri, with the attached Western Union sign. Plus, a photo of CB&Q O1A # 4960 as she appeared when in service on the Burlington. A really great bonus! This also answers the question of whether the tower with the WU sign was in close proximity to the GM&O or CB&Q stations in downtown Louisiana and obviously it wasn't!

Dennis and Jim -

Thanks for the great information/photos/links. I've learned a lot, and still learning! Really great stuff gentlemen!

Les

You are welcome. You raised some interesting questions and since I have travelled through that town many times (but after the towers demise) thought I would see what I could find. I love the wealth of information, thoughtful questions and answers this site has.

Have a good one.

This photo was just posted to the wonderful "North American Interlockings" website:

http://northamericaninterlockings.com/i ... is.jpg?424

The tower shown (GA) was apparently in Pennsylvania and is believed to be either a B&O or Erie tower. What caught my eye however, was the prominent "WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH & CABLE OFFICE" sign on the tower which made me recall this old thread. Would have been interesting for a patron to get to the operator to send a Western Union telegram!

Les

A few years ago, while remodeling a tower in Washington DC I removed the old distribution frame board including the telegraph section which included WU circuits, this was a 1934ish tower on the prr