Wind_Level t1_irkxz37 wrote
My dad started as a sweeper in a long distance switching office in 1954. He told me that they were incredibly strict on the process because dust that became airborne would be picked up by the fans and could then get into the mechanical relays. I remember walking through the 24' high racks of mechanical switches as a kid, whole floors of nothing but racks.
AnthillOmbudsman t1_irmssa1 wrote
My dad worked in a facility like that. Holy crap, the smell... ozone, coffee, and cigarettes, nothing like it (yeah, smoking was allowed, it wasn't a Bell facility). I doubt I'll ever smell that again.
trucorsair t1_iu2g26p wrote
For those that don’t know what mechanical relays mean for telephones:
Wind_Level t1_iubnyqk wrote
Very nice. I saw equipment like this in an old local exchange on a tour. My dad's 4A office looked a bit like the 1960's "country office" inset.
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