Re: Telegraph wires

Jim...

Yes...that is consistent with what we've determined so far.

Now to somehow find out what those wires were.....

The photos pretty much show WHAT was there, but of course we
can't tell much about wire numbers, wire type or size from the photos.

We would need pole head drawings of the various sections for that.

I'm sure the Western Union had them, but finding any of them might be a real problem at this late date.

I'm thinking the three big No.8 coppers I'm tracking were originally used by The Western Union for transcontinental Duplex or Quadruplex circuits circa 1890 or 1900 until those kinds of circuits were discontinued and replaced by later technology on other routes, probably sometime just prior to WW2.

I believe now they were indeed on the C&S line from Denver and joined the D&RG line for their subsequent run all the way to Ogden, Utah somewhere near Buena Vista.

Perhaps some documentation will eventually come to light that
will prove all this out.

After the Western Union released them, the D&RGW used the three big copper wires over various parts of their territory for high quality teleprinter circuits for many years until more modern carrier telegraph systems were installed in the 1960's

These three wires survived more or less intact over the D&RGW route until all the excess wires were removed from all pole lines for salvage in the mid-1970's


Thanks to all of you for all the help in digging up what we do have.

It's been enjoyable looking at all the pictures that were found.

I'll keep digging. Anyone comes up with anything else, let me know, please.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!