NYC station telegraph office call? Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley

Can anyone direct me to or provide a list of telegraph call signs for the NYC? I'm particularly interested in the Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley & Pittsburgh line (Valley Division). I've tried searching on line but have come up empty handed.

1943

Dunkirk X
Fredonia FD
Cassadaga G
Sinclairville V
Gerry UK
Falconer H
Falconer Jct DV
Frewsburg B
Russell R
North Warren NW
Warren W
Irvineton NE
Youngsville VI
Garland GI
Titusville Z

Thank you very much! Appreciate your efforts and the quick response.

You're quite welcome! Once in a while I screw up and do something right!

I saw a draft of a book of memoirs from a guy who used to work that line, I don't think he ever got it published. Interesting stuff!

Does anyone have a clue on why "Z" for Titusville? Millerton on the Harlem Division was also "Z" and there were others. Thanks, Jack

Jack,

I believe the purpose of the call sign, originating in the time of Morse telegraphy, would be to have a unique "sign" for each station on a given dispatcher's line, at the minimum. It would seem that, in the planning for such call sign assignments, it would be prudent to avoid duplicate assignments on adjacent dispatchers' territories, as well.

Perhaps some others with experience in dispatching and/or telegraphy can add to this. Happy New Year!

Paul.

A little bit before my time, but the telegraphic call signs would be unique within a division. A division could, and most likely would, have more than one dispatcher territory.

Just to be a real pain and a nit picker, in railroad and telegraph terminology the offices were designated by symbols of one or two letters termed "office calls" or "telegraphic office calls." The term "call sign" generally represents a radio station, either for broadcasting or communication. The term "call sign" was not officially used in railroad service.

It was necessary that each station on a dispatcher's circuit should have its unique office call, to avoid ambiguity. As divisions grew and the telegraph fell into disuse, it was possible to have more than one office with the same office call on the same division. One instance was the NYC River Division, after NYC acquired the Ulster and Delaware Railroad on February 1, 1932. Davenport Center was a train order office on the U&D and then the Catskill Mountain Branch, and Willow Avenue was an interlocking station and train order office on the New Jersey Junction RR east of Weehawken. Both had the same office call of "AV," and that continued until Davenport Center was closed, ca. 1954. I believe that the telegraph circuit was not used very much between the dispatchers at Weehawken and Willow Ave AV, but the Catskill Mountain Branch relied on telegraph until 1954. There was a telephone circuit up there, too, but it was not totally reliable. The CMB had its own dispatcher at Weehawken on first trick until 1954, but second and third tricks were handled by the regular River Division dispatcher.

Sort of like how highways have mile markers, but railroads have mile posts. And intersections at grade between highways and railroads are called railroad crossings by highway engineers, and highway crossings by railroad engineers. We drive on parkways and we park in driveways. Go figure.

73, Gordon Davids (call sign WJ3K, but not on the railroad)

ChiefTroll wrote:Just to be a real pain and a nit picker, in railroad and telegraph terminology the offices were designated by symbols of one or two letters termed "office calls" or "telegraphic office calls." The term "call sign" generally represents a radio station, either for broadcasting or communication. The term "call sign" was not officially used in railroad service...

Sort of like how highways have mile markers, but railroads have mile posts. And intersections at grade between highways and railroads are called railroad crossings by highway engineers, and highway crossings by railroad engineers. We drive on parkways and we park in driveways. Go figure.

73, Gordon Davids (call sign WJ3K, but not on the railroad)

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for checking in and also for the terminology lesson. I appreciate the input.

For the benefit of anyone who may be following this thread, my original query was prompted by a Facebook page done by the "Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroad Telegraph Company". The name should give you a clue as to the geographic area they're focused on and they appear to be associated with the Lakeshore Railway Museum, headquartered in the former NYC depot in Northeast, (Erie County) PA.

(Even though I've been pretty well entrenched in southern Maryland for the last 30+ years, northwest Pennsylvania, and neighboring western New York State, are still "home" and where most of my railway interests lie.)

73, Art Audley (AA3RT)

Gordon, THANKS for the clarification, i.e.: It's "Office Calls"!

Precision in our use of terminology matters.

Paul.

For those who might be interested, I have a mostly complete list if NYC telegraph calls. Use that as subject, and email me at [email protected].

If my father’s right, then John Ward was operator, station agent, master, whatever in 1943.

roc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:04 pm If my father’s right, then John Ward was operator, station agent, master, whatever in 1943.

At which station?