[GreenKeys] Teletypes round 2

[Jim Cooper]

On 31 Mar 2019 at 13:32, Jim Haynes wrote:

> Western Union developed a special
> paper they called Teledeltos which had
> a white coating over a black
> conductive core.  It was possible
> with fairly high voltage to spark
> through the white coating to make
> black marks.  There was some concern
> over whether toxic fumes were
> released in the process. 

Can't say for sure if they were toxic, but
lots of ozone in the air around the DeskFax 
units ...  I worked at the WU Phila. area office 
in the early 60s and many of the outlying agencies 
had racks of DeskFax machines with Teledeltos 
paper on their drums ...  these units replaced the 
Model 14 strip printers that had the famous 
gummed paper tape that then got glued onto the 
Western Union Telegram paper forms and delivered 
by messengers on bicycles !!   Things have REALLY 
changed since then !! 

The deskfax units were later replaced by Telex 
printers, usually either Model 32 or some of the 
European models like Siemens ...  and of course 
as time went on, those printers were leased to the 
customers for their offices so they got the 
telegrams right away, without waiting for the 
bicycle boy to deliver them ... 

Wow... that was 55 years ago and I can still 
picture the WU office and the agency offices 
in my mind.   ;))

btw, as a side note, I went to work for WU 
after college because I had gotten involved with 
RTTY and Teleype equipment while in high school 
and a member of Army MARS!   The job interview 
was a no-brainer.

Jim  W2JC   (ex W2BVE)