Re: Telegraph wires

Actually the RGS had two morse wires that extended from Ridgway to Durango, and both wires looped to Telluride from Vance Jct (four wires on that branch line).

Most of the line was built with just two side brackets on the poles, and crossarms at only certain locations.

I believe both wires were "cut in" at all the open depots on the line.

One was a railroad use wire, the other was a Western Union wire.
I believe the common blue enameled Western Union sign was on most of those depots.

I'm still trying to find out what that WU wire number was, it most likely took terminal battery at Durango WU on the southern end and probably Montrose WU on the northern end, according to usual WU
practices, since there were no other large WU offices near anywhere else on the RGS line.

The RGS railroad wire most likely took terminal battery at the same places. I don't believe the RGS maintained terminal telegraph battery at either terminal end...the line was most likely built initally by the Western Union just as the other lines in Colorado were, and the wires thereon, both Railroad use and Western Union use almost without exception took terminal battery at the nearest larger WU office.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2007 01:15PM by Etrump.