[GreenKeys] When hobbies cross over...
steve.n4tty at gmail.com
steve.n4tty at gmail.com
Thu Nov 28 09:24:35 EST 2019
I remember it well! My grandfather work for the Atlanta office of REA for 41 years, retired and got his gold watch! That retirement was a railroad retirement which was a pretty good thing to have in its day. At least one, and it could have been both, of my grandfather’s brothers worked at REA as well. I know one of them retired from REA with at least 40 years. Don’t see that kind of tenure at many companies these days.
Steve G./N4TTY
From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net <greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Ralph Irish
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2019 8:56 AM
To: Greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [GreenKeys] When hobbies cross over...
Meant this for the group, and it initially just went to John, W9DDD.
Ralph - W8ROI
- - - - - - - -
From: "Ralph Irish" <w8roi at wowway.com <mailto:w8roi at wowway.com> >
To: "W9DDD John" <w9ddd at tapr.org <mailto:w9ddd at tapr.org> >
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2019 8:48:47 AM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] When hobbies cross over...
Does anyone remember a company known as the Railroad Express Agency, or REA? They shipped 'goods' from one
point to another, often using various railroads that were still operating. One unique thing about them was that they
charged you based on WHAT was being shipped in addition to the weight and size. A 25 pound box of screws and
washers would cost one amount, but if those screws and washers were fastened to something, then the price went up.
The John Meshna company, I think it was, back in the 60s, 70s and probably into the 80s, used to advertise most
interesting things. I saw their ads in mostly ham radio magazines. 73 Magazine, later Ham Radio Magazine, CQ
and maybe also QST, aka 'the big four'.
One thing that hooked me was a large box of electronics and relays which connected to a typewriter of some sort.
It is quite vague at this time. 55 years or so may have passed since that transaction. I might have to go through my
surviving issues of 73 to find a reference to this. Sadly, my ADD (short attention span!) will divert my attention to
most anything that catches my fancy.
Anyway, it was shipped to me by them via the Railroad Express Agency. It came on a wooden pallet, as I recall
and a separate, smaller box for the typewriter. REA wanted some kind of 'surcharge' on top of weight and volume,
since it contained electronics. I got into a 'pissing contest' with them, when I saw the shipping bill. That was another
thing about Meshna, (and shame on me for getting caught!) they often 'glossed over' what it might cost to ship something
to you, and you never knew, until the smoke cleared away, how much.
REA went out of business not long after that. They had some kind of Depot in the Metro Detroit area, and that is where
my packages were 'held ransom' until I paid that 'surcharge'.
One time Meshna had some illuminated push buttons in an ad. The ad photos were of products made by DIALCO a well-
known manufacturer. The price was right so I ordered 20 of them. The ad showed four contacts on the bottom, and a 'milk-
white' pushbutton on the top, with a star-washer and locknut to hold them to a panel.
When the package arrived I ended up with similar looking lamp holders. Each held a #327 or #328 lamp. The two contacts
on the bottom of each of them were identical to those in the ad photo. When I called them to cancel the order and return it,
I got a lot of crap from Mr. Meshna, himself. He figured what I really wanted was panel lights, so he just shipped what was
available, not what showed in his ads. When I pointed out the large difference, he became a bit defensive. "I can't take the
time to look everything over!"
Wonder if any other G/K people had 'less than satisfactory' business dealings with Meshna? It couldn't have been just me!
But, let me also say that there were a few instances where I got what what was advertised, and sometimes at a reasonable
cost. Many times, over the years, I wished I'd kept a Log, Journal or some kind of diary aboout my purchases. What great
reading it might have made, 50-some years later! (And an eye-opener for my widow!)
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Not yet certain how we will be celebrating today. Somehow, though, food will be involved!
Ralph - W8ROI
- - - - - - - -
From: "W9DDD John" <w9ddd at tapr.org <mailto:w9ddd at tapr.org> >
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2019 3:51:36 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] When hobbies cross over...
Friden Flexowriter became popular for punching tapes for early NC
machines. At least where I worked way back when.
John, W9DDD
On 11/27/2019 2:32 PM, Ralph Irish wrote:
> Jeff
>
> Friden made a typewriter with tape gear that could do what you
> described. A friend of mine found one and put it to
> use making Resumes for his job hunting. Someone made a machine called
> a, "Flex-I-Writer" or maybe "Flex-O-Writer",
> It might have been Frieden, not sure.
>
> I think that it had "STOP"codes one could punch into the tape so that
> manual entry of a name or company name could
> be inserted, making each letter appear to be unique, when it might have
> been one of fifty, going out for business purposes.
>
> These had their own unique codes. My friend's was an 8-Level thing, but
> I never had a chance to play with it or make a
> test tape to run on a 33ASR, for comparison, etc.
>
> Ralph - W8ROI
>
> - - - - - - - -
>
> *From: *"Jeff G" <jeffg at junknet.net <mailto:jeffg at junknet.net> >
> *To: *greenkeys at mailman.qth.net <mailto:*greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> *Sent: *Wednesday, November 27, 2019 3:21:32 PM
> *Subject: *[GreenKeys] When hobbies cross over...
>
> Figured you guys and gals would enjoy this - this is an excerpt of an
> email from a long-time vendor in my car hobby who often tells stories in
> his emails, and I thought it was ironic that one hobby would mention
> another:
>
> "In the 1960s and 1970s my Dad did a lot of marketing for major
> insurance companies. Most people would call this “junk mail.” I would
> agree with that assumption. At one time, my Dad had 3 automatic
> typewriters that would auto-type full-page letters for mailings. They
> looked like they were personally typed letters to individuals. These
> typewriters worked similar to a player piano working off a roll with
> holes it. One person could run 3 machines at once. He also had a machine
> (not sure what it was called) that using a fountain pen and could
> duplicate a hand-signed signature of a person. This was pretty advanced
> stuff for the 1970s. I worked with this equipment as well as ran
> inserting machines back in the day."
>
> While I'm sure there were a bunch non-teletype typewriters that fed on
> paper tape, you never know.
>
> Jeff aka "Bags"
> KC3GJX
>
>
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