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From: jimmy@denwa.uucp (Jim Gottlieb)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Toll Stations...One More Time!
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Date: 13 Aug 89 07:01:56 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 294, message 7 of 10

In article  gmw1@cunixd.cc.columbia.
edu (Gabe M Wiener) writes:

>And, of course, the one I've been asking about all week!

>2)  If they're running a cable out there to hook up a toll station, why not
>    just wire them right into the switch and assign them a telephone number
>    like any other telephone subscriber?

There are others who know more about this than I (i.e. joe@mojave.cts.com),
but since they have not spoken up, I'll pretend that I know what I'm
talking about.

Many toll station lines are in fact not a pair of wires or even a
cable.  They are run on what are called "open wire" lines.  It is a
single thick piece of wire.  Ground is used as the second conductor.
These wires may often serve several toll stations in the area, with
different ring patterns for each station.

So to start serving an area with a real switch, a real cable must often
be run (if only for the few pairs necessary to set up a remote switch)
a distance of 50 to 100 miles.

I have a tape recording of a call made on one such phone shortly before
it was replaced with automatic service.  If I can find the tape, I will
put it up on a number that people can call to hear how wretched these
things sound(ed).
--
                              Jim Gottlieb
  E-Mail:  or  or 
         V-Mail: (213) 551-7702  Fax: 478-3060  The-Real-Me: 824-5454