Operator's Personal Sines, Shenandoah Division

[NW Mailing List]

Frank,

Some years ago we talked about the men who worked the telegraph and 
tower jobs on the Shenandoah Valley, and I told you I once had a 
conversation with 1940-hire telegrapher Troy Humphries in which he 
gave me a listing of the operator's "personal sines" for as many of 
the Shenandoah Division telegraphers as he could remember.  This 
conversation occurred when I visited his home in 1978 and he gave me 
several pieces of telegraph equipment.  (A telegrapher's "personal 
sine" consists of one or two letters of his choice, which he uses in 
making a receipt for messages on the telegraph wire.  E.g. tapping 
out "OK SO" is much briefer than sending "OK O'Brien."  The only 
constraint is that it must not conflict with the personal sine used 
by other men on the Division.)

The conversation occurred on October 27, 1978.  I can be certain of 
that date because earlier that morning I had bought two tires at the 
Shenandoah Tire Service Co. in Roanoke, and on the back of that 
receipt I jotted some notes while talking with Troy, and stuck it in 
the back of N&W Official List #63, dated August 1, 1942, which I had 
taken along on the visit.  (I carried the 1942 List in my grip for 
most of my 15 years on the N&W, used it mainly to look up station 
numbers, and sometimes jotted notes in it.)

During our conversation, I opened the 1942 Official List and asked 
Troy to give me as many of the "personal sines" as he could remember 
for the telegraph employees listed in the Official List.  I wrote 
them next to the mens' names.  I am attaching a PDF document 
containing scans of those pages.

On the back of my tire receipt are these notes:

1.  The roll-back telegraph resonator he gave me is from Riverton 
Tower, closed 1941 or 1942 and torn down 1953 or 1955.

2.  The peg-type telegraph switchboard he gave is from Troutville 
station, closed Spring 1974.  He was the last agent there and took 
the switchboard when the depot was closed.

3.  Tower at Charlestown was BO;  QD Shenandoah Jct was in the depot, 
there was no tower there.

4. Telegraph Wires on the Shenandoah Div were:

Wire #1 (which he stated was "Really wire #5," and unfortunately I 
did not get a clarification) was dropped into every telegraph office 
and went to GM Office in Roanoke.

Wire #2 went from all stations to the DS (dispatcher) and UD (the 
Shenandoah Div message office.)

Wire #4 was dropped in only at Glasgow, Waynesboro, Elkton, 
Shenandoah, Shenandoah Jct, Vardo and went to UD.

Wire #202 was the Western Union wire into all telegraph offices.

4.  In response to my question as to when telegraph was discontinued, 
he said, "All Shenandoah Division wires were cut loose in 1955 or 1956."

Unfortunately, after all these years I have forgotten Troy's own 
"personal sine."  I think it may have been "UM," but perhaps some day 
I shall find a note clarifying the matter.

Troy believed that he was Winston Link's first contact on the 
N&W.  According to him, he was working at either Luray or Waynesboro 
(I can't remember which) when No. 1 rolled in and Mr. Link alighted 
from the train.  They struck up a conversation and Link said 
something like, "This railroad has some magnificent engines.  Wonder 
if they would let me take some photographs of them?"  Troy said he 
made a few calls the next morning, and Link was put in touch with the 
appropriate people in Roanoke, and the rest is history.

It is also unfortunate that I did not get a photograph of Troy at any 
of our several meetings.  All I have to remember him by is that 
wonderful Winston Link night photo taken in BC telegraph office, 
Waynesboro.  That's Troy sitting at the telegraph instruments, with 
his back to the camera.  I asked him for the identity of the old 
"Conductor" (with a  toothpick in his mouth) at the right of the 
photo.  Troy said that was not a Conductor, it was the Car Inspector 
that Link conscripted and posed in the photo.

--Abram Burnett

http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/StaListShenValley1942.pdf