Comments on: The ubiquitous Telegrapher’s Bay a k a Operator’s desk at CP Rail G U , Guelph Junction, June 8, 1986 Kodachrome by S.Danko Noteworthy equipment & features for the benefit of those who maybe unfamiliar with The Eighties (& prior) and to remind some of us as to what was !, from right to left: extreme right is radio equipment receivers / transmitter boxes, radio microphone, analogue paper punch, analogue paper stapler, cigarette / cigar ashtray, small bottle paper white out, at centre top east – west track occupancy circuit indicator boxes, immediately below is an analogue radio speaker, hanging in front of the windows are completed train orders / train operational instructions forms – to be assembled as appropriate depending on the train direction and bound together by elastic / string prior to attachment to the train order hoop(s), left side of desk is an analogue intercom / wire line bell telephone with microphone, at top left is the east – west station signal indicator levers, at centre extreme left is an analogue combined keyboard & printer device – paper is inserted at the top of the device and rolled manually into the device by means of manually operated roller with handle turn knobs at each extreme end , the Operator would then manual press the appropriate QWERTY keys to record on the paper the required instructional information, and at top left is an analogue pencil sharpener, insert the pencil and turn the crank at an appropriate RPM. did I miss anything? What’s interesting: The NASA STS-1 a k a the Space Shuttle, first flight: April 12, 1981. Cheers ! sdfourty

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:45:31 +0000

RTCDave:

I used this to get the attention of my friends in class.

Ping. Lol.

By: RTCDave

RTCDave — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:06:33 +0000

When I worked at Lambton, elastic bands were also used to get the attention of the ‘Industrial Car Control Clerk’

By: MrDan

MrDan — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 02:47:27 +0000

A great look at a different era of railroading! Thanks for sharing!

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 18:29:03 +0000

The description of the mechanical pencil sharpener had me on the floor laughing.

By: bruce

bruce — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 03:20:06 +0000

The phone was mounted under the block signals..

By: Eric May

Eric May — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 01:49:31 +0000

This is awesome. Thanks for the detailed explanation. My younger co-workers could never fathom the fact that you could be working beside someone who smoked all day.

By: bruce

bruce — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 22:09:49 +0000

Arnold; When I started going to the JCT there was a scissor phone but was taken out . When I don’t remember.

By: Brundle

Brundle — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:53:30 +0000

Imagine how long that desk has been in use to have corner edges so rounded as seen on the drawer.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:37:26 +0000

What? No scissor phone? )

By: bruce

bruce — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 19:05:56 +0000

So who was the operator that day??Maybe it was the girl that you didn’t get the name of !!