Telegraph call letters of all NYS&W stations

[erielackawanna]

Moving the topic to its own thread, I'm going to quote those of you who answered so that the information is also here --

SooLineRob wrote --

There was a list reproduced years ago of all the telegraph call letters of all NYS&W stations, from the days of timetable/train order (telegraph key) operations before telephones and radios were used. Instead of typing out (think Morse Code) a station's full name like S-P-A-R-T-A-J-C-T, train Dispatchers and Operators would use the approved "shorthand" call letters for the station.

I remember several of the call letters, but not how they got their letters. "BA" is Butler, but I don't recall how the "a" got in there. The ones I do remember off the top of my head:

WS=Little Ferry, as in the original "Little Ferry" station just west of Overpeck Creek Draw, "WS" stood for "West Shore" due to it's proximity to the New York Central.

PC=Passaic Jct, Passaic Jct due to it's proximity to the Passaic Branch and nearby yard

SA=Sparta

SJ=Sparta Jct

I haven't seen this list for awhile. If it surfaces, I'll forward it to this Forum.

Seacacus Junction wrote --

Isnt Butler- BA? And Oakland - DK? Figure that one out.

Now, my new questions


Great info... thanks to all.

It does lead me to ask what MC as in MC Yard stands for then.

Also, was WS the Little Ferry station and LF the Little Ferry Yard?

And finally, I'm assuming that the locals today are WS for the same reason (West Shore)?

[Otto Vondrak]

Found it:

http://69.116.129.56:8000/News/milepostlisting.htm


-otto-

[NaDspr]

A few that I remember from my NYS&W days that are missing from the list include:
DA = Lodi
DO = Lodi Jct, so we used to call the Lodi Branch the "Do-Da Branch"

FY = Little Ferry Jct, where the Edgewater Branch connected
VA = Vreeland Ave in Paterson (RS). I see that you show that at PAT, which was the Block Station sign for Paterson, which must be located at Vreeland Ave.

Note that Wortendyke is the only location with just one letter (W).
Corneilus Wortendyke was a very early president of the railroad.
===
I left the NYS&W in 1992 and dispatched for Conrail, working the "Delaware" desk (among others) until it went to the NS at Harrisburg.
The Conrail computer system accepted the telegraph codes for the Delaware stations. I remember some of them we used.

WX = Sparrowbush
PG = Parkers Glen
SH = Shohola
BQ = Lackawaxen
SB = Narrowsburg
NO = Nobody
RD = Lordville
UB = Eddy
HK or HX = Hancock
MX = Deposit
GF = Gulf Summit
JA = Lanesboro
SR = SR
DH = Coles
BD = BD

There were others but these were off the top of my head.
I have them somewhere around the house if I could find the right box.

[Otto Vondrak]

That is some cool information, thanks! You mention the Conrail computer accepting telegraph codes, how would you use or enter these codes in the course of your work?

-otto-

[NaDspr]

Otto,
A dispatcher could arrive and depart a train in the Conrail computer system at a certain location. You would do this when a train had to work at an industry or was delayed for meeting a train coming in the opposite direction. Another time it was used was when a train had to get recrewed at a location other than a normal crew on duty point. The dispatcher would arrive the train in the computer, show the on duty time of the next crew, then depart the train when the recrew was ready to go. This helped management capture that type of information.
The Conrail computer system also knew about how long it took to get between OS points. If a train was between OS points longer than normal, the computer system asked the dispatcher for the reason and an explanation.

[Otto Vondrak]

Cool, thanks for the info!

-otto-

[NJ Vike]

Here's some additional information:

http://mp72franklin.tripod.com/NYSW/mile_posts.html

[NaDspr]

MC is located between Mt. Vernon St and Cross St., hence the "MC" designation.

[NaDspr]

Here are the call letters we used on the Northern Division:

BH = Binghamton
PD = Port Dickenson
NG = Chenango Bridge
CF = Chenango Forks (where Utica and Syracuse mains meet)
Utica main continuing north:
GN = Greene
BB = Brisben
OX = Oxford
NW = Norwich
SH = Sherburne
EV = Earlville
HV = Hubbardsville
NB = North Brooksield
SF = Sangerfield
WV = Waterville
PS = Paris
CS = Cassville
RJ = Richfield Jct
CV = Clayville
SQ = Sauquoit
CW = Chadwicks
WM = Washington Mills
NH = New Hartford
UT = Utica
Syracuse Line going north from Chenango Forks
IT = Itaska
WP = Whitney Point
LI = Lisle
KW = Killawog
SV = Messengerville
CL = Cortland
HR = Homer
PB = Preble
TU = Tully
AP = Apulia
ON = Onatavia
JV = Jamesville
SY = Syracuse

[QQMoose]

I was the train dispatcher for the NYS&W 1976-1979. I have a list of all the station designations. This list was a supplement to Time Table 42, and was to replace page 21. Actually I have about 20 of these pink listings. If anyone wants one for free, let me know. [email protected] (Bob Miller)

[Steve F45]

i'll definitely take one. Add it to my NYSW collection of older items.


And here is a link posted on the yahoo groups about 2 weeks ago of time table 50 showing the authorized abreviations. Are these the same used as telegraph call letters?

Authorized abbreviations

[FullScale4Me]

Thanks for that link Steve!

It will definitely come in handy for a personal project I'm working on.