Re: Cumbres Phone

One more thing on that Cumbres Pass office photo....
The rectangular object at the lower left corner of the wall mounted board was an Automatic-Electric fused protector mounting for the DS telephone drop. Under the black metal cover (held on by a battery nut in the center) was a porcelain block containing two line fuses in clips, and a toothed air-gap lightning protector.
It would have been wired to the DS telephone pair at the disconnect switch (center knife switch)for the office drop. These compact lightning protector mountings were used all over the D&RGW in offices, and in wayside telephone booths as well.