Re: On-board ship communications
The ship, on which I am presently working, has an automatic electronic switchboard with phones in each cabin and all working and recreation areas.
There is also a voice powered system connecting bridge, engine room, steering/propulsion compartment, bow thruster room and emergency generator room. The voice powered system has a hand cranked ringer on each extension.
I have attached some pictures of the phones in the engine control room and bow thruster room and a typical cabin telephone.
The story about rodents in voice pipes does seem a bit unlikely as they did have a plug in them which doubled as a whistle.
The first ships, which I sailed on, built in the 1950s, only had telephone connection between bridge and engine room and possibly steering compartment. I don't think that there was even a phone link between ER and C/E cabin. These were traditional mechanical telegraph communication between bridge and ER with no engine control room, simply engine manoeuvering controls at one side or end of the engine. Telephone or voice pipe communication was difficult due to the high background noise levels in the ER.
Rod
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