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sparkymike · 29th Feb 2020, 8:13 am

Were they lightning arresters on those poles ?
Did they carry on using the large battery banks in the exchanges or were these scaled down ?
I suppose all those racks and equipment we put up is now around the size of a suit case !!
I did get the chance to have a tour round a Dutch exchange as my Dutch friend's father was a telecom engineer in Baarn. This was a Strowger system.
I worked on Bildeston exchange in Suffolk. That was close to Wattisham air field and the roof of that exchange had an extra thick concrete roof to prevent and damage to the equipment in the remote case of a plane hitting it.I guess that any RAF station had to have a phone system that operated under any circumstances.
How high were the normal TXE2 racks ? I know we spent most of the time working off high trestle ladders. One day a wireman, working on cable lacing on the top grid, lost his footing and me and another fitter, both on ladders grabbed him on his way down !!
Lots of good memories.
Mike.

29th Feb 2020, 8:13 am	#11
sparkymike Octode Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Colchester, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,076	Re: TXE2 Exchanges Were they lightning arresters on those poles ? Did they carry on using the large battery banks in the exchanges or were these scaled down ? I suppose all those racks and equipment we put up is now around the size of a suit case !! I did get the chance to have a tour round a Dutch exchange as my Dutch friend's father was a telecom engineer in Baarn. This was a Strowger system. I worked on Bildeston exchange in Suffolk. That was close to Wattisham air field and the roof of that exchange had an extra thick concrete roof to prevent and damage to the equipment in the remote case of a plane hitting it.I guess that any RAF station had to have a phone system that operated under any circumstances. How high were the normal TXE2 racks ? I know we spent most of the time working off high trestle ladders. One day a wireman, working on cable lacing on the top grid, lost his footing and me and another fitter, both on ladders grabbed him on his way down !! Lots of good memories. Mike.