Posted by Rob Small on February 14, 2007, 10:18 pm, in reply to "Step by Step Manufacturing" --Previous Message--
Hello Paul, I worked for General Tel. as a switchman in 1980. Everything was still step by step! I worked in some pretty big c.o's. West LA,Santa Monica, Malibu and Topanga Canyon which was my favorite!! Only 3000 subscribers!!! I worked the second shift by myself. Re-hab routines, cleaning banks, replacing wipers and cords. Bench work the switches. Adjusting relays.The Ticketers were a challenge! Liked working in carrier doing patches.
1985 the DMS-10 was installed. Construction cleaned out the good ol switches,and we went Digital!! Then my switchroom (Topanga) went remote 1 year later by the GTD-5... No where to go, so I transferred to cable splicer. I really enjoyed that. Learning the inside to the outside!! Loved getting up on the poles and working in the manholes!!! Seen some pretty big vaults underground in West L.A.!!!
Got Laid off in 1989..... My father started with GTE in 1958 as a switchman,Retired as a switchman in 1988!
I miss that smell and sounds of a step by step office!!! Rob Small
: In the mid 1950's (just out of the Navy) I
: worked at Intl Tel & Tel(ITT) in Nutley
: NJ. We manufactured Step by Step Equipment.
: Everything from the "switch bank"
: combs/assemblies and bank wiring" right
: on up thru relays assemblies and complete
: frames. I have many memories of that time
: which used "tremendous amounts of
: labor" to manufacture these items. I
: specifically remember being embarassed (only
: 21 at that time) by many of the
: "seasoned" manufacturing
: "ladies".
:
Message Thread:
« Back to thread