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March 23, 2008
Memories of Ma Bell
An entry from Modern Mechanix that brings back memories: “Ever Seen Your Telephone Switchboard?” As it happens, I have. Way back I had the good fortune to tour Ma Bell’s switch in Dranesville, VA. All electro-mechanical relays at the time, a whole gymnasium sized room full of racks of ticking relays. Everything it did then probably now fits in a pizza box.
This was back when we were still planning on being nuked someday and as many of DC’s long lines came in through the Dranesville station, it was sunk twenty or so feet underground and accessed through double blast doors. The upper works were supposed to look like a farm house. The massive air intakes might have been a bit of a giveaway though.
I wonder what’s happened to all that space. I would guess that the same region could be served by a couple of rows of racks by now. They'd look awfully lonely in that room.
Filed under General.
Update: Hey, what do you know? Here it is, still trying to look like a farm house.
Posted by eric at March 23, 2008 07:19 PM