[GreenKeys] OT: Teletypes, Telephone & Railroads

[Sam Hallas]

Michael O'Day wrote:
>  Back in the 80's I serviced part of the Chessie System network. They
>  sent consist info from Baltimore via dedicated phone lines at 12-1800
>  baud (Burroughs OEM modems) to the three yards in Chicago. They would
>  punch one 80-column card for each train on our equipment, and sort
>  them on an IBM model 36. Cards were relayed to the switch tower on
>  the 'hump" in Barr Yard (Riverdale).

Which reminds me:

Does anyone on this list have knowledge of TOPS, developed by Southern 
Pacific for freight control? This used IBM cards to store the train 
consist. Initially 80-column but later the newer, smaller 96-column cards.

I've written some stuff up about the UK implementation of it on behalf 
of former colleagues who workede on the system. I can't find any 
information about how it was used in its original home in the US.

http://www.samhallas.co.uk/railway/bbb.htm

Cheers,
Sam