Happy New Year!

 Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, and Safe 2026!

 “Of all the marvelous achievements of modern science the electric telegraph is transcendentally the greatest and most serviceable to mankind … The whole earth will be belted with the electric current, palpitating with human thoughts and emotions … How potent a power, then, is the telegraphic destined to become in the civilization of the world! This binds together by a vital cord all the nations of the earth. It is impossible that old prejudices and hostilities should longer exist, while such an instrument has been created for an exchange of thought between all the nations of the earth.”  

-- Charles F. Briggs and Augustus Maverick  in their 1858 book “The Story of the Telegraph”

 

December Operator-Agent Post

Happy Christmas Eve!
We hope you are all snug and warm and the wire is quiet.

Here is the third part of Larry Isenor's series on Operator-Agent's duties for Train Operations.
I can imagine that working the late trick in a station on Christmas eve was pretty quiet... or Not.

This month Larry shows us examples of real Train Orders and Clearances from his collection.

Merry Christmas!

You can start from the beginning of Larry's series with Part 1 here.

Enjoy
73

The job of the Train Order Operator 

and

Timetable and Train Order Operations

by Larry Isenor

Part 3

Train Order and Clearance Forms

The following forms are used in Train Order operation:

Form 31 train order requiring signatures of crew:

Form 19 to be delivered by train order hoop:

Clearance Form:

==========================

Next month Larry will cover how the orders were sent and received by the Operator via Telegraph.

Christmas Comes to the Prairie Central

 Christmas Comes to the Prairie Central

"Banker Management Had Nearly Wrecked the System;
 a Blizzard Threatened to Finish the Job."

By Harry Bedwell, Boomer Brass Pounder and Dispatcher,

from the January, 1943 issue of "Railroad Magazine".

The gray bowl of the sky had shut down over the Oberlin yard.  Snow fell in big flakes, sliding in quietly to make a clean carpet over rails and gaunt ties and the dark ballast between.  It washed the sprawling roof of the big station, with division headquarters above stairs.  It made the lines of rolling stock along the sidings look like the huge links of long white chains in the growing afternoon gloom.  The night air was tight as a drum.  You could feel the sullen pressure of the storm climb.  The wind gathered out there somewhere under the dull arch.

Eddie Sand, slim and light-stepping, came up the station platform heading for the dispatcher's office.  A boomer telegraph operator from every place but here, he'd be sure to drift on once more when his feet again became restless.  Right now the swarming flakes and the crisp air trickling in about the high collar of his overcoat stirred a random element inside him.  They shifted his thoughts beyond the lowering sky and the curtain of snow to far reaches of sun and desert.  Eddie felt good.  He was ticking like a watch.  Beside him loped Hi Wheeler, fiddle-footed trainman and comrade on many unseemly pranks.  Hi's sheepskin coat was belted tight about his gaunt middle.  A shrewd glint of oafish eyes showed from the nest of turned-up collar and low visor of his heavy cap.

The thick shutter of snow muffled and blanketed the restless area of the fanned-out sidings.  A yard goat stamped by, sluggishly dragging a string of open-top equipment.  Her exhaust shook the dead air, bouncing back from the low sky.

Eddie and his friend paused before separating at the foot of the outside stairs under the shelter of the wide eaves.  Hi's face cracked in an impish grin.  "I'll bet you got me something nice for Christmas, Eddie,"  he insinuated blandly.  "You wouldn't neglect an old pal."

Eddie gestured with his hands inside his overcoat pockets.  Yeah, it was Christmas Eve, he admitted.  So what?  To a railroader it merely meant more grief handling people and packages which were on the move at holiday time.  And on the Prairie Central it'd be a wearisome time, considering she was likely in the clutches of the Big Six Line which would probably kick her into the ashcan.  Anyhow, railroaders didn't celebrate.  They just fixed it so that everybody else could enjoy themselves.  "Also," Eddie admitted, "I forgot to buy you that stick of candy I promised.  I'll try to skirmish one for you in the morning."

Hi tucked his thin nose inside the collar of his coat as the wind whipped snowflakes into his face. "Mebby," he conjectured, "you're jealous 'cause I got me a date to take Sally to the dance and Christmas tree at the Elk's Hall tonight, which I can make, while you work."

The trainman was feeling very well about that setup.  He and Eddie had been feuding over a buxom blonde who worked in the millinery department of the Bon Ton.  Eddie's working hours didn't permit him to step Sally out except on his days off, while Hi was mostly on the road or at the other end of the division, so their rivalry had been sporadic.

Now Hi had maneuvered himself into a spot where he believed he had all the advantage on this festal night.  He'd worked it so he had been called to flag a light engine down to Hugo and help Thirty-three back up the hump, and he'd act as swing man coming back.  Thirty-three was a hotshot, due at Oberlin in the middle of the evening, usually on time; and this gave Hi the break he wanted.

"Sally told me she was going to wear all her pretties, just for me," he gloated.  "That gal is sure a hot sketch!  And can she dance!"  Hi whistled with satisfaction.

Eddie Sand glinted a brief, derisive smile.  His slim height matched Hi's ramshackle longitude. His hands were adept and sure, built to whip out clear Morse on the telegraph key.  Eddie and Hi were as incorrigible a pair as drifted the iron highway.  Firm friends on numberless escapades, they'd sympathetically cut each other's throat over a girl, and think it fun.

The wind was rising and its edge had been whetted.  A switch engine shoved Eighteen's train of day coaches under the long sheds.  George Nelson, her brakeman, came out of the station and stood beside them as he buttoned his overcoat.

"Mr. Nickerson's special is headed back this way," he said gloomily, "but there ain't no word that he's taken over the Prairie Central."  He looked at them as if he hoped they'd deny this.  "Guess the old boy didn't want us enough to buy," he muttered.  "Well, if the Big Six gets us___"   He ran an index finger around his throat from ear to ear and then walked dejectedly over to his train.

Most of the men of the Prairie Central would be feeling that way tonight.  They'd not be celebrating Christmas very much with prospects so grim. The caller trumpeted monotonously inside the waiting-room where a bulging stove glowed red in the afternoon dusk.  They'd put two extra coaches on Eighteen.  Passengers streamed from the swinging doors and across the platform through the curtain of sliding flakes___city folk going to the country for the holidays, shoppers returning home, commuters.  Most of them carried bundles;  all had the bright expectancy that comes at Yuletide.  They greeted George Nelson as he stood by the step helping the women with their packages.  Some paused an instant to bestow a gift.  George was gray and smiling.  He'd been on that local run for ten years, and everybody liked him.

Dan Cadagan, the conductor, came from the trainman's room as Eighteen's engine backed down from the roundhouse and tied on.  Big Dan was as blustering as a spring storm.  A ring of white hair showed around the edge of his cap.  Gold braid and buttons gleamed on his uniform.  He was proud of that uniform and the gold stripes of service, won in honest performance of duty. 

Tonight his broad, pink face wore a worried expression, the same look that haunted the PC these days, but it opened in a lengthwise grin as he saw Eddie and Hi.

"You two look like you'd lost your way in the storm,"  he said.  "Haven't you got any place to hang up your stockings?"

"Mister," Hi declared, "I got all my socks on; and believe you me, I'll likely need more before the evening gets late."

Read the rest of this tale here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

November Operator-Agent Post

H ere is the second in a series of posts from Calgary Chapter MTC Board member Larry Isenor.

Today Larry discussed the Timetable and why modifications for that were developed through the use of the Telegraph to adjust train operations.

You can start from the beginning of Larry's series with Part 1 here.

Enjoy
73

The job of the Train Order Operator 

and

Timetable and Train Order Operations

by Larry Isenor

Part 2

Timetables

The first part of timetable and train order operation is the timetable. If everything goes according to plan the timetable would provide the authority for train operation and no intervention by the dispatcher would be necessary. In the earliest days of railroading there may have only been one train on the line and no method of keeping trains apart was needed. Later as more traffic was offered most lines were double track with one track for each direction. Still no problem with more than one train on the line. It was soon seen that double track was not needed on the whole line but only at points where trains would meet each other. Single track lines with passing sidings were constructed as they were cheaper than double track.

A way of keeping opposing trains apart was needed so the timetable was invented. In order for the timetable to work some standard time was needed as most towns set noon when the sun was directly overhead. The Baltimore and Ohio, one of the earliest railroads in North America operated all its trains on Baltimore time. Other railways operated on the time at their headquarters city. This became very cumbersome and Sir Sanford Fleming who surveyed a number of early railways in Canada developed the system of standard time we use today where most clocks are changed only when we have travelled far enough to be 1 hour different from the adjacent time zone.

The timetable showed the points at which each train would meet another. This was no problem if trains ran on time but of course delays often occurred which resulted in trains waiting for hours for the opposing train to arrive. Because some trains were more important than others (For example passenger trains were more important than freight trains and through freights were more important than local freights), a system of train superiority was developed. Canadian Pacific used 4 classes of train. Since trains of the same class would operate in both directions one direction was made superior to the other direction. In Canada usually Eastbound and Southbound trains are superior by direction. If you are an Eastbound First Class train you never have to wait for another train.

Of course this helped Superior trains but the less important trains could still be left waiting for superior trains to arrive. Even First class trains of inferior direction could be left waiting if the superior train was late. On September 22, 1851 this was the situation when Charles Minot the Superintendent of the Erie Railroad was left waiting for a superior Eastbound train in upstate New York. He telegraphed ahead to the next station and inquired if the superior train had left.

When he was informed no he told the agent to hold the train. He instructed the crew to proceed and under the rules they refused. He took the throttle himself and ran the train to the next station. He then repeated the procedure until he arrived at a station where the superior train had left the next station. This was the beginning of train orders. Over the next few years procedures were put in place to allow the use of train orders to modify schedules. The officials of the major U.S. railroads met in 1889 to standardize the rules for operation by train orders and this system continued with some modifications until the late 1970's. The last train order operations were on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1984 when it was ruled that persons other than operators (usually the train crew) could copy orders and instructions to trains.

The system used dispatchers to issue the orders and operators at lineside stations to deliver the order to the crews and notify the dispatcher as the trains passed their stations.

Train Order Operations

Three major players are involved in train order operations. These are the dispatcher, the train order operators, and the train crews.

The dispatcher is responsible for the smooth operation of the railway and for ensuring that train orders do not compromise safety. The main tools of the dispatcher are a large trainsheet (very similar to a timetable) on which to record the times and locations of trains, A train order book, and the telegraph (later telephone) line to the operators.

The operator is responsible for relaying train orders to the passing trains and relaying train passing times to the dispatcher (OSing trains). Train orders are copied from the dispatcher and repeated back before delivery. In most cases the order can be relayed by train order hoop to the passing trains but in some cases they had to be signed for by the crew (We do not do this at Heritage Park.) When a train has passed it should be recorded on the train register and an OS should be sent promptly by the operator.

The tools used by the operator are the telegraph, the train order signal, the train register, train order and clearance forms and the train order hoops for delivering the orders. Currently we are making up train orders at Midnapore and delivering them to trains but in the future we may try to transmit them by telegram. We have also been sending an OS when the train has passed although it goes to no one at the current time.

The train order signal is used to notify the trains that we have orders for them. Some stations have a 3 aspect signal (red, yellow, and green) but our stations only have 2 aspect signals (red and green) The red signal indicates stop for orders so we modify the aspect with a yellow flag to indicate orders may be picked up on the fly.

===================

Next month Larry will show some examples of actual Train orders and clearances.
For all of Larry's Operator-Agent posts click Operator-Agent in the labels box on the left.

They heard it first!

 

Why a Cape Breton town knew about the end of WW I before the rest of North America

North Sydney, N.S., was the site of a bustling Western Union telegraph office
CBC Article

Yvonne LeBlanc-Smith · CBC News · Posted: Nov 07, 2018 3:00 AM MST | Last Updated: November 7, 2018

Listen to this article

Estimated 3 minutes

The North Sydney Historical Museum houses the telegraph machine that received the oversea message announcing an armistice would be signed on Nov. 11, 1918.

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After four harrowing years, the message trickled in via Morse code on the morning of Nov. 10, 1918 at a telegraph office in North Sydney, N.S.

And before anyone else in North America knew, people in the small Cape Breton town had already begun to celebrate the joyous news direct from the War Office in London: an armistice would be signed the next day.

There had never been a known leak from the Western Union telegraph office on Court Street before that day, but this news was simply "too good to keep quiet," said Richard Rose, chair of the Nov. 10 commemoration committee with the North Sydney Historical Society.

"As you might guess, they were overjoyed, so that word very quickly leaked into the community and the party was on," he said. 

"From what we can find in our research, it was just pandemonium​. People came out banging pots and pans."

Richard Rose, chair of the Nov. 10 commemoration committee with the North Sydney Historical Society, says celebrations broke out soon after the local Western Union telegraph office received word of an armistice. (Yvonne LeBlanc-Smith/CBC)

More than 300 U.S. personnel who were in North Sydney joined off-duty military personnel in a spontaneous parade around the town as part of a celebration that lasted all day.

In the evening, bonfires were lit and the festivities continued. Bars that would normally be closed on Sunday were opened, but they had to close early when they ran out of liquor.

"So effectively, by the time the rest of North America found out about the war being over, North Sydney was nursing a giant hangover," said Rose.

Tens of thousands of messages

The telegrapher that received the momentous message was Annie Butler Smith.

The key she used that day is part of a display at the North Sydney Historical Museum.

"Of the more than 600 Western Union telegraph centres around the world, North Sydney was by far the busiest," said Rose.

"In 1913, before the war started, that centre processed over 30,000 messages a day."

A new building opened near the beginning of the war in December 1914, employing 325 people. Soon, the number of messages doubled or even tripled as all messages between North America and Western Europe came through North Sydney.

Rogers Pass Station

 I previously posted a photo of the original CPR Station in Rogers Pass.

Here is another photo I just saw on the Vintage railwaystations,Round houses,Locomotives,coaches,cabooses of Canada Facebook group.

Old Rogers Pass Station in the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia. This card shows the original CPR Rogers Pass station which was east of the summit. Sadly, it was destroyed by an avalanche in 1899, and 7 people died in the tragedy. Snow shed number 15 can be seen behind the water tower. After the destruction a new station was built further west where the present visitor centre is located.

It is hard to imagine just how isolated that station was back in the day.

Railway Days 2025

Today we have a report on the 2025 Railway Days event at Heritage Park which was held on Sep.13-14 this year.
The report comes courtesy of Calgary Chapter of the MTC Treasurer and MTC board member Marilyn Maguire.

It was a great event and very well attended, much lightning was slung! 

This article is scheduled to be included in the Fall 2025 edition of the Internation Morse Telegraph Clubs "Dots and Dashes" magazine.

Enjoy
73

Heritage Park’s 2025 Railway Days

by Marilyn Maguire

Since 1987 Calgary’s Heritage Park has hosted Railway Days, a weekend event dedicated to all things train.

This year the extravaganza began on Friday evening, September 12th. Ben Brown, chief engineer, hosted a behind the scenes open house of the Round House. Guests could get up close and personal with all the equipment and tools. They could climb aboard the steam engines and the new diesel SW9#136, go into the cabs and even ring the bells. The train crew and the “extra gang” volunteers were there to answer any and all questions that the enthusiastic guests asked.

Then on Saturday and Sunday there were telegraphy demonstrations in the three park stations, as well as Kevin Jepson’s MTC display at Shepard station, where he explained the exciting Alberta MTC Line project, which connects Western Canadian museums with live Morse. There were connections from: Chris Hausler, at the American Wireless Museum in NY state, John Springer, at the SONO Switch Tower, in Connecticut, Ed Silky in Washington state, Steve in Cape Cod, Ted Chmilar in Kelowna, BC, as well as the museum in Summerland, BC.

Edmonton MTC Chapter member, Bill Wilson, manned the wire at Midnapore station entertaining guests with his prowess on the key as well as stories from “back in the day”. Both regular and junior Calgary MTC Chapter members entertained guests all day long with children being taught how to send Morse, telegrams were being sent, children were learning about and then trying conductor’s lantern signals, train orders were hooped, hobos shared their camp beside Midnapore station and encouraged children to search the park for hobo “code” signs on large rocks at various locations. 

Members of the Victorian Society of Alberta and the 10^th Battalion CEF Commemorative Association (a WWI living history group) added colour to the event. There were various musical groups providing old time music on the train and around the park all through the day.

Other exciting events included: trying out the hand car, viewing water tower and turntable demonstrations, touring the car shop, listening to talks by prominent authors and railroad historians. Railroad pocket watch enthusiasts had an opportunity to view exquisite watch examples and chat with the watch experts. There were opportunities to view and purchase books, memorabilia and railroad antiques. In multiple locations several model train clubs, as well as the LEGO club had beautiful railway displays for all to enjoy. At the Pin Club’s display I met Jeanette, who’s father was a telegrapher many years ago and I hope to get more information about him soon.

All in all it was a very successful, exciting event with approximately 8,000 guests in attendance.

October Operator-Agent Post

This is the first Operator-Agent post from Calgary Chapter MTC board member Larry Isenor.
Produced as a guide for members of the Heritage Park Morse Telegraph club. Larry has kindly permitted us to serialize it here and we will try to post each segment on the third Wednesday of a month.

You can see all the Operator-Agents posts by clicking the Operator-Agent label in the Labels box on the left side of this page.

Enjoy
73

The job of the Train Order Operator 

and

Timetable and Train Order Operations

by Larry Isenor

Part 1

What we are demonstrating

As we are a telegraph club we will concentrate on the use of the telegraph and the job of the telegraph operator/station agent. We are currently building skills to be able to send and receive messages between stations by telegraph.

As part of our interpretation of the telegraph system we will demonstrate the following as our skills improve:

1. Telegraph -commercial service by sending telegrams between stations.
2. Train Order operations and hooping of train orders to the trains.
3. Train Reports OS by telegraph.
4. Transmission of Train Orders and Clearances by telegraph.

Because of the short distances involved between stations at Heritage Park and the lack of time we will need to work out procedures to allow greater use of the telegraph for train orders and messages.

One of the jobs of the station agent included handling of express and LCL (less than carload lot) freight.

We may be able to demonstrate this and the handling of mail by train sometime in the future.

Station Agent/Train Order Operators were the main contact with the railway company in hundreds of small towns across Canada. Although the job could be split into two separate functions, in most small towns one person served both functions.

The agent was responsible for the handling of freight both full carloads and smaller packages. He was also responsible for ticketing passengers and handling their baggage. In addition he handled express shipments (small packages handled on passenger trains) telegrams, and sometimes mail.

The train order operator worked under the instructions of the train dispatcher and received messages (including train orders) for the trains and informed the dispatcher of the passing of all trains at his station.

Duties of Agents and Operators

The stations at Heritage Park were small combination stations that served local communities. The train order operators at these stations also served as the local station agent and had a number of duties in addition to copying and relaying train orders. At the busier stations that operated 24 hours a day (Shepard and Laggan) additional operators would work the other tricks (shifts).

The operator copied and delivered train orders and relayed train reports (OS) to the dispatcher.

The telegraph operator handled messages for the company and the public. Different rates applied depending on urgency (overnight rates allowed longer messages for the same price as short immediate messages). Wire transfers of money were also handled at designated stations.

The local freight agent handled freight, both carload freight and smaller packages. If a local shipper needed a car it was requested by the agent and any billing for freight service was handled by the agent. It was fairly common for freight to be shipped collect or COD and the agent would collect freight charges before delivering the freight. Less Carload freight consists of smaller shipment that were handled in boxcars on a local freight train. These were loaded and unloaded by the agent and train crew. Some of these were boxes for local merchants and even larger items such as furniture, stoves, and even disassembled houses.

These could be ordered from mail order shippers such as Eaton’s and shipped to local residents.

The freight agent also handled express shipments which were urgent packages shipped in passenger trains. Common shipments included merchandise, produce such as strawberries and flowers, livestock including baby chicks, bees, and even horses and circus animals, beer and any urgent parts. Express service also handled valuable such as currency, securities, and jewelry. As with freight these could be shipped collect or COD and charges were collected by the agent before delivery.

The local passenger agent handled sale of tickets to passengers. They also would request sleeping car space by telegraph from a reservation centre. They also handled passenger baggage on trains providing this service. Passenger agents were the travel agent of the day and could sell tickets to most points in North America and also Steamship tickets to overseas destinations.

====================

Next Month we will delve into the "Time Table" the master list of how things were supposed to work and how things could be adjusted for changes through the use of Train Orders sent to the agents by the telegraph.