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First Automatic Telephone Exchange


peterwarr

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I’m trying to learn about Sheffield’s first automatic telephone exchange. I’ve seen a suggestion that this was opened in the mid-1920s, but can’t locate details. (Several Forum threads deal with telephones, but nothing seems to cover the first automatic exchange.)

Can anyone help, please? Where was it? When? Did it cover all of Sheffield? Etc!

Peter Warr

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I’m trying to learn about Sheffield’s first automatic telephone exchange. I’ve seen a suggestion that this was opened in the mid-1920s, but can’t locate details. (Several Forum threads deal with telephones, but nothing seems to cover the first automatic exchange.)

Can anyone help, please? Where was it? When? Did it cover all of Sheffield? Etc!

Peter Warr

I think Stuart0742 may be the best person to answer this one!

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It could have been the one in Telephone Building. I remember it was one of the first Siemens 2 motion Selector Exchanges. It was closed after Eldon House was opened.

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Telephone Buildings on West Street ( Steel City House) was the 1st automatic exchange to cover central Sheffield as Ianb say a Siemens exchange.

There were other early Siemens exchanges all around the same era

Broomhill on Peel Street

Sharrow on Aizelwood Road

Attercliffe on Titterton Street

Owlerton on Bradfield Road

These would have covered most of the suburbs at that time

The 1st 3 are still Telephone exchanges, Bradfield Road building has been sold.

I am not sure of the dates of these buildings, but could be 1920's/30's

Buildings at Beauchief, Ranmoor, Firth Park, Park (Long since gone at Manor Top) and Woodseats were built later.

Park was replaced by Intake on Foxwood Road in the 1960's

I probably have forgot the odd one.

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I knew Stuart would have known, I should have gone down Ladbrooks and bet money on it.

It would have been interesting to hear the conversation when you tried to place the bet!

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It would have been interesting to hear the conversation when you tried to place the bet!

As you probably know Bayleaf me and Stuart have known each other over 45 years, since our first day at secondary school and have long shared a common sense of humour and fun.

I'm sure that the conversion in the bookies would be very interesting, - even more so as I am not a gambling man and know very little, if anything, about placing bets in a bookies.

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The coincidence is that Eldon House, which replaced the Central Telephone Exchange, was the first fully electronic exchange.

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I was told many years ago that the exchange on the top floor of what was Telephone Buildings on West Street was brought into service in 1927. As other contributors have stated, it was a Siemens 16 exchange. The exchange was closed in October 1966 when all Sheffield Central lines were transferred to the new exchange in Charter Row. Sheffield was one of the first to cities to adopt automatic working along with Leicester, Briighton & others. However, the Siemens 16 system of metering was incompatible with more modern systems This necessitated the replacement of the Siemens exchanges before STD could be introduced.

The first automatic exchange in the UK was at Epsom which opened in 1912.

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Many thanks for all the information; I think we’re getting close!

I’ve recently come upon this sentence in the Sheffield Yearbook of 1924 (page 6): “We have got our own wireless station opened during the year [i.e., 1923], and the erection of the new Central Automatic Telephone Exchange is making progress”.

But there is no indication where it is, and we still have to learn about its opening. 1927 certainly sounds probable.

As for the “wireless station” . . . . . . .

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Many thanks for all the information; I think we’re getting close!

I’ve recently come upon this sentence in the Sheffield Yearbook of 1924 (page 6): “We have got our own wireless station opened during the year [i.e., 1923], and the erection of the new Central Automatic Telephone Exchange is making progress”.

But there is no indication where it is, and we still have to learn about its opening. 1927 certainly sounds probable.

As for the “wireless station” . . . . . . .

The wireless station was in Corporation Street I understand. Apparently my mother who was born in 1920 recited a poem over the air as a child.

I can't recall the call-sign but there is a photo of the transmitter in one of the books about Sheffield. It's all directly-heated triodes and open high voltage wiring.

HD

P.S.

Found it !

The book is "Sheffield Since 1900" by Peter Harvey and published by The Star. Page 41.

According to this book the station started transmissions in 1923 as call sign 6FL of the British Broadcasting Company.

It closed down in 1931.

It didn't last long did it ? Perhaps they thought a bolshy lot like Sheffielders were too free thinking to have their own station, or perhaps they got tired of programmes featuring schoolgirls reciting poetry. :)

HD

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That's intriguing. Perhaps the public Corporation from 1926 didn't like that sort of thing?

From Wikipedia:

"The first experimental broadcasts, from Marconi's factory in Chelmsford, began in 1920.

Two years later, a consortium of radio manufacturers formed the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This broadcast continued until its licence expired at the end of 1926. The company then became the British Broadcasting Corporation, a non-commercial organisation."

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A visit to the local studies section of the Central Library may be worthwhile; they have microfiche copies of old Sheffield newspapers there. The opening of the new exchange in Charter Row in 1966 was definitely covered by the Sheffield Star. I did work briefly in the Siemens 16 exchange in Telephone Buildings in the summer of 1966. The equipment was on its last legs by that time. The other Siemens 16 exchanges in Sheffield were phased out from the mid-1950s onward. The last one to go was Woodseats in 1970.

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A visit to the local studies section of the Central Library may be worthwhile; they have microfiche copies of old Sheffield newspapers there. The opening of the new exchange in Charter Row in 1966 was definitely covered by the Sheffield Star. I did work briefly in the Siemens 16 exchange in Telephone Buildings in the summer of 1966. The equipment was on its last legs by that time. The other Siemens 16 exchanges in Sheffield were phased out from the mid-1950s onward. The last one to go was Woodseats in 1970.

I did think about Woodseats whilst making my earlier post, but could not remember, if the Siemens Exchange closed in 1970 that was just before my time, after the Siemens exchange it was straight to the TXK1 exchange then, did not realise that

I started at Post Office Telephones in 1972.

sovrappeso, you say you worked in Telephone buildings in 1966, did you later work in Eldon House, I worked in Eldon 1976 to 1994.

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I did think about Woodseats whilst making my earlier post, but could not remember, if the Siemens Exchange closed in 1970 that was just before my time, after the Siemens exchange it was straight to the TXK1 exchange then, did not realise that

I started at Post Office Telephones in 1972.

sovrappeso, you say you worked in Telephone buildings in 1966, did you later work in Eldon House, I worked in Eldon 1976 to 1994.

I worked as a TT(A) on exchange maintenance in Local Auto in 1967 then as T2A on exchange construction/ clerk of works from 1969 to 1971 in Local Auto, Junction Tandem & Trunk Auto. After that I spent 18 years on exchange maintenance including 5 years as TO(A) at Chesterfield GSC. In 1989 I had the misfortune to move back to Eldon where I did a succession of dire jobs until 1996 when I took EVR.
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From 1976 I was in Junction Tandem, moving upto 3rd Trunks, then Charter TXK1, down to the 2nd floor Trunk Rota then Local Auto Rota.

After the strike I moved upto the NMCC on the 24 hour rota, then as the rota's moved away I ended up at Barnsley Control, I also left on EVR in 1996.

Our paths must have crossed :)

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I joined the PO Telephones in 1979 as a TT(A) in Local Auto (with Frank Nortcliffe), then T2A in Junction Tandem (with Les Atkin), followed by a couple of years at Broomhill ATE (with Richard Campos). I left to go to Sheffield University in 1985 when I thought that manning levels might decrease with widespread computerised telehone equipment.

Dave Milner's flickr account has lots of photos of telephone equipment/buildings/people here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheffdave/sets/?&page=4

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What a small world, I must know you, In 1979 I would have been a TO in Sheffield Charter, worked with all 3 of the above, Les was a character, you either got on with him or you didn't, I did luckily, he sadly died a few years ago.

Frank always claimed he drove the Flying Scotsman <_< not sure about that. I worked shifts with Richard on the 2nd floor trunks.

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From 1976 I was in Junction Tandem, moving upto 3rd Trunks, then Charter TXK1, down to the 2nd floor Trunk Rota then Local Auto Rota.

After the strike I moved upto the NMCC on the 24 hour rota, then as the rota's moved away I ended up at Barnsley Control, I also left on EVR in 1996.

Our paths must have crossed :)

I never worked with anyone called Stuart. However, I remember the name Stuart Reeves in connection with Sheffield Charter. I think Jim Harrison & Mick Caudle(?) worked there too. I remember them from their days as testers for GEC/AEI.

Regarding Frank Nortcliffe: I was told he was a fireman for British Railways before he joined GPO Telephones. I never knew about him driving the Flying Scotsman.

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I never worked with anyone called Stuart. However, I remember the name Stuart Reeves in connection with Sheffield Charter. I think Jim Harrison & Mick Caudle(?) worked there too. I remember them from their days as testers for GEC/AEI.

Regarding Frank Nortcliffe: I was told he was a fireman for British Railways before he joined GPO Telephones. I never knew about him driving the Flying Scotsman.

Yes thats me

I worked there the same time as Jim and Mick, I believe Jim has passed away also.

I think as you say Frank was a fireman with British Railways, I suppose it would sound impressive to us young lads to say he drove the Flying Scotsman, nice bloke Frank.

Still cant remember who was TOA at Chesterfield and then moved into Eldon,

I never worked with anyone called Stuart. However, I remember the name Stuart Reeves in connection with Sheffield Charter. I think Jim Harrison & Mick Caudle(?) worked there too. I remember them from their days as testers for GEC/AEI.

Regarding Frank Nortcliffe: I was told he was a fireman for British Railways before he joined GPO Telephones. I never knew about him driving the Flying Scotsman.

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Stuart0742, on 09 May 2013 - 13:38, said:

Yes thats me

I worked there the same time as Jim and Mick, I believe Jim has passed away also.

I think as you say Frank was a fireman with British Railways, I suppose it would sound impressive to us young lads to say he drove the Flying Scotsman, nice bloke Frank.

Still cant remember who was TOA at Chesterfield and then moved into Eldon,

Hello Stuart, my name is Roger Wells. I worked on the 6th floor in the same office as the NMCC. I worked there briefly in the JNMC for a level 1 whom I cannot adequately describe without the use of 4-letter words. After that I worked in digital PABX diagnostics, which was a slight improvement.

I'm afraid I still can't put a face to your name, though. I'm sorry to hear that Jim Harrison has passed away. He was a decent bloke.

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Hello Stuart, my name is Roger Wells. I worked on the 6th floor in the same office as the NMCC. I worked there briefly in the JNMC for a level 1 whom I cannot adequately describe without the use of 4-letter words. After that I worked in digital PABX diagnostics, which was a slight improvement.

I'm afraid I still can't put a face to your name, though. I'm sorry to hear that Jim Harrison has passed away. He was a decent bloke.

Me and Pete Jones

Photo by Dave Milner

Early 1990's whilst on the OOH's control

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Me and Pete Jones

attachicon.gifMe and PLJ.jpg

Photo by Dave Milner

Early 1990's whilst on the OOH's control

Not very often Stuart puts a photo of himself on the forum.

When was it taken Stuart? Early 1990's?

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Just as an aside I knew a bloke who worked as a steam locomotive fireman for many years.

He told me that drivers often used to let the fireman have a go at the controls when the journey was quiet. All completely unofficial of course and under the supervision of the proper driver.

I suppose it was quite possible that the bloke did at some point have a go at the controls of the Flying Scotsman if he was a fireman on that loco.

Just a thought.

HD

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Hello Stuart, I remember you now. I don't rememember seeing all that often though. I suppose that's because you were on the 24 hour rota. I remember Pete jones quite well. I particularly remember that very soft voice of his which nevertheless was clearly audible from the other end of the office. I imagine everybody who worked in that office has now retired.

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