As can be seen we have been kept fairly busy. During 1992 over 27,000 calls were made between the four stations. The busiest route was between Alresford and
Ropley, the least being Ropley to Alton, more people called from Alton to Alresford than the other direction.

Issue 76 Spring 1993 TELECOM TOPICS

This issue’s ramblings concern clocks.
Mention was made in an earlier Mid-Hoots News of the system installed on the railway were several weaknesses in the original design. The master clock at Alresford pulses every 30 seconds to all the slave clocks and initial problems with accuracy were overcome when an electronic clock was installed. Another difficulty involved incompatibility of the many different styles and ages of the second-hand clocks we had been using. This problem was solved by British Rail, thanks to Dudley Corney of their telecoms section. We were offered various items being cleared out of a store and amongst these were a number of new clocks. They were all to an identical design and these are now being used to replace existing clocks.
Another complication is the length of cable (10 miles) supplying the clock pulses. Assume that the clock circuit between Ropley and Medstead & Four Marks became disconnected, possibly due to a damaged cable, the clocks at M&FM and Alton would stop. When the fault was repaired the clocks would again start operating but could now be many hours different from the rest of the system. Provision of additional equipment at Ropley and Alton (again Medstead & Four Marks must wait for the installation of its new exchange) has resolved this difficulty. With the new arrangements the incoming clock pulse, besides stopping the station clocks, resets a timer. Should the pulse fail to arrive the timer matures and a local electronic standby clock takes over nod now controls that station’s clocks. Instead of running at Alresford time they now run at local time and there should be no more than one minute difference between the two times. When the fault is repaired the local clock continues to provide service until a site visit is made to the local exchange to manually reset the equipment nod make any adjustments required.
While undertaking work concerned with the carrier equipment and upgrading of the clock system, several jobs involving welding were beyond our capabilities. Mark Walden of the Building Group undertook these tasks for us and our grateful thanks go to him. Mark is also kindly undertaking modifications to our requirements of the lineside route boxes which we hope to start installing soon.

INTEROSCITOR

After the article on Telephone Topics appeared in the last issue of Mid-Hants News about our intention to install route boxes along the line to provide emergency telephone and test points, the Railway was approached by Mr Exeter of Metaluna. He asked if we would like to try out a communication system which he had developed.
A trial took place at the beginning of April, using the equipment called an Interoscitor. It could not be shown to work; it appears that the trouble lay with the miniature condensers used. We reserve judgement on the benefits of this equipment and believe that the installation of the planned route boxes is the answer to our requirements.

Issue 77 Summer 1993 TAKE MY PULSE

Oh dear, oh dear, what a difference a vowel makes. The item in the last MHN ended up with a clock pulse stopping instead of stepping the railway clocks! Since that article was written the equipment has been used in anger; a thunder-storm in the close vicinity of Ropley destroyed several electronic devices around the station including some in the telephone exchange, one of these being associated with the in-coming clock pulse from Alresford rendering it ineffective. The new clock control relay sets at Ropley and Alton, detecting the absence of 30 second clock pulses, then ran their own stations clocks until the faulty component was replaced.
We have now installed and connected our first route box. This, as well as containing a test point for the underground cables, has a connection for an emergency plug-in telephone. Box number 1 has been installed at Sun Lane bridge, Alresford, this location being chosen as the prototype for two reasons. To replace a decrepit trackside cabinet and its close proximity to the station, it being deemed better to discover any problems there than in the middle of nowhere.
A total of 15 route boxes are planned and, at the time of writing (beginning of July) 15 posts had been erected, five boxes fitted and the first box completed. When the project is finished emergency telephone points will be no further than a 900 yards walk along the track. Plug-in phones will be carried on the trains and also by any staff working on the line.
Installing the metal posts has kept the author busy digging holes, an activity he normally steers well clear of.
It has also partly curtailed a favourite past-time, finding discarded items which can be put to further use on the Railway. However, time has been found to provide in three exchanges equipment that gives a verbal announcement if all the outgoing circuits are engaged in place of the previous busy tone. Now users will have an indication if there is congestion between exchanges or an extension is engaged.
A telephone answering machine has been provided at Alresford exchange, which, as well as being used to make new tapes for the talking timetable, is providing recorded information services on the internal phone system. The first use was to inform staff of the introduction of an intruder alarm system, by dialling 2211 users received a 30- second pre-recorded message, giving details of locations covered.
Last year the duty controller had new equipment installed at Ropley to allow for the automatic diversion of calls to upwards of 10 different phones on the system. As this required a change of telephone number it was arranged that calls to the old number were re-directed to the announcement equipment at Alresford which gave details of the new number, an arrangement left in operation for three months. The next use of the announcer will be to give details of which route boxes have emergency phone points working. Again by dialling 2211 callers will get an up-dated message, changed as new boxes are connected.
Last year we installed an approach treadle at Butts junction which gives Alton station staff warning of approaching trains. Earlier this year a request was made was it possible to extend the warning signal to Medstead signal box as well?
A circuit was needed which did not require a dedicated pair of wires between Alton and Medstead. The following system was devised which has been working successfully now for several months. At Alton an electronic dialler is fitted to a line on the exchange. When the treadle is activated the Alton equipment, via the normal telephone system, dials a number connected to the exchange at Medstead which in turn sends a signal to a relay set in the signal box to sound a warning bell. An indication is then returned to Alton which releases the call allowing the junction circuit to be used by other callers, the whole cycle taking less than 15 seconds after the treadle is depressed. The warning bell continues to ring until acknowledged by the signalman or is reset after a delay by a timer.
The 20th anniversary gala required the usual plethora of temporary phones around the Railway and this year, with the use of the Alton loop, there were additional phones needed. The main points of Alton operations were located at the east end of the new loop, three direct phone links were installed from this location.
One to Medstead signal box, a second to the ground frame at the west end of the loop and a third to the existing signal box; these locations also were provided with dial phones. These phones were installed the weekend before the gala. However, on the Tuesday before the event the powers that be decided that the locations at Alton needed to be changed, creating a lot of additional last-minute work.
Our priority at present is the connection of the route boxes and another job in urgent need of completion is the replacement of the exchange at Medstead. Unfortunately the new S & T building where it is to be installed is as far away as ever.

Issue 78 Winter 1993/4 FINDING FAULT

I am rather loath to write any further pieces for the Mid Hants News; it seems that the magazine is becoming detrimental to the health of the railway’s telephone system. Let me explain.
After an article in issue No.76 about the clock system, part of it was destroyed by lightning. The last edition mentioned the system devised to warn the Medstead signalman of the train leaving Alton, this equipment, after giving months of trusty service, then went into a permanent sulk and could not be coaxed back into activity. Its replacement is now in service.
It is now my intention to bring readers up to date on the progress of the trackside route boxes but if things are true to form no doubt the next edition of Mid-Hants News will record the trampling of these by a herd of migrating wildebeests.
When this article was prepared 9 boxes had been connected, a further 5 are in hand and we have identified the need for a further batch of boxes. These are mainly to replace buried joints and fill in several long sections, giving a maximum of 20 boxes. There has been some ill-informed comment on the close proximity to stations of some of the boxes. It should be again pointed out that their primary purpose is an aid to fault location and as a lot of digging and ancillary work takes place within station limits it makes sense to be able to prove faults in or out of station.
While on the subject of the trackside boxes special mention should be made of Bill Baggs, our chief cable jointer. Bill made the mistake in his early days as a volunteer by saying he knew how to joint telephone cables and over the last 10 years he has been solely responsible for jointing our communications cables. It is thanks to his skills that we have trouble-free links between stations (wild life excepted, more later). When not connecting cables he is involved in all areas of the telephone system and is well known for his mastery of tea drinking.
Recently Bill has connected all of the route boxes currently in service and this has been complicated by the fact that cables carrying all the railway’s communication and signalling circuits have to be diverted through the boxes. The majority of the work was undertaken during July and August when daily running was taking place. It was essential that work on the cables was completed before any loco movements took place, therefore jointing started very early in the morning. The Alresford - Ropley and Ropley-Medstead cables contain circuits running to the signalling block
instruments so only one cable of the two could be changed over each day but the Medstead-Alton cables could both be changed at the same time. As far as we are aware, only once did this procedure cause any disruption to service. Unexpected rain resulted in the jointing work already underway being delayed for an hour and if bad weather was forecast work would be postponed for that day.
Since the August Bank Holiday, service train brake coaches now carry emergency plug-in telephones. One department has put the system to good use; the PW gang walking the length first thing on Saturdays use the plug-in phones to call ahead to order their breakfasts from the Alresford buffet!
We have found our first cable fault using the boxes to locate the faulty section where again our little furry friends decided to have a chew. It is unfortunate how long it takes to track these faults down.

Issue 80 Spring 1994 WE’RE IN THE MONEY?

First the good news. After reading the Chief Executive’s notes in Mid-Hants News issue No.79, I see we are now one of the Railway’s high spending departments; it is a great shame we had not been informed before. A great future beckons, no more recycling ether people’s cast-offs for us. I can now discard our faithful guide over the years — a very well thumbed copy of Acme Publications, best seller “Build your own telephone system for less than two shillings and six pence”. I shall miss rummaging, looking for discarded items. Only a fellow aficianado knows the thrill of finding a 1/SCO/441 or an AT 60068 and wondering what practical use, if any, they can be put to.
As I now knew that at least three people read my epistles I will bring them up to date with what activities have been going on, at the usual minimum of cost. This is to dispel unfounded rumours that certain individuals spend their days sitting in the telephone exchange at Alresford drinking tea.
All 20 trackside route boxes are now in position, painted and labelled, jointing of the final batch of boxes has commenced, with ever half new in service. To allow this work to take place during inclement weather we have again used the excellent services of Skip Recycling Services PLC and constructed a lightweight jointers tent. Very serious consideration is new being given to spending our colossal budget on a candle and a box of matches to give us the capability of a 24-hour, all-weather jointing service. The cable fault mentioned in the last issue of Mid-Hants News was finally located with the assistance of a new member of the team. As most things these days have an acronym, we call this creation of the make life easier for our selves department, ROSIE — Remote Oscillator Switching and Indication Equipment.
First, a basic guide to locating cable faults, to show what we use this new equipment for. Assume a fault develops between two stations; initially the fault is localised into a shorter section by using the route boxes, then by using a special tester, called a Mole, a measurement can be made giving a distant in metres to the fault. This gives a fairly accurate reading. An oscillator is next connected to the faulty pair and this connects a tone which can be tracked using a receiver. Although laid alongside the track, the cable tends to weave considerably. A hole is now dug to expose the cables at the distant given by the Mole and usually a second measurement is taken, however the oscillator which is connected affect the readings. In the good old days it meant a long walk to switch off the oscillator plus a second walk if it was necessary to switch it back on later. With our new equipment, which is connected between the oscillator and the faulty cable pair, all that one needs do is use the emergency phone line which now runs the length of the line and dial one number connected to ROSIE to switch the tone off, dialling a second number switches it
on. It is also possible to check whether the tone is on or off, all from the comfort of your own small hole in the ground beside the track, miles from anywhere.
Mention rabbits chewing cables and people usually find it highly amusing. One of the two cables between Alresford and Ropley developed a fault during 1993. Using the route boxes. we were able to prove the fault into the section between Northside Lane and Ropley station and eventually the damage was located near the Ropley up distant signal, the chewed section was around three inches long. Along the Railway there are over 20 miles of buried cable so one can see why we are not too fond of bunnies.
At the request of the traffic department, an additional Butts Junction treadle audible indication has been provided in the new signal box at Alton. This is being used on a more regular basis as a block post during special weekends (the lever frame next to the water tower is now known as the station ground frame). This treadle is taking on hydra-like tendencies with more and more extras being added. If the occasion arose when all buzzers connected went off together there is a good chance of the lights dimming all over Alton.
On completion of this job we were told it would be nice if the platform bell could also be operated from the signal box; this we duly did as we like to keep our customers happy.
The Butts treadle equipment warns the Medstead signalman by dialling a number using an electronic digit sender. This system has worked very successfully since it was placed in service last year so it was decided to use these senders in all other locations where digits need to be sent. It was a chance conversation with one of our members that we obtained these senders in the first place. Many thanks, John.
The design of the telephone network means that users only dial the required extension number, there being no dialling codes in use on the system. However, the exchanges at either end of the line need to insert additional digits in some cases to route the call, this being done automatically. Previously this was achieved by electro-mechanical means but as these items can suffer from wear and tear, they have been replaced by the electronic units. The junction relay sets at Alresford and Alton exchanges have been modified. The Alton sets have had a somewhat varied career; starting life in public service somewhere in southern England they were acquired by the Railway, modified and used initially at Alresford. Later they were altered again and moved to Alton when that exchange opened. After the carrier equipment is placed in service further changes will be needed.
I was given an ever-increasing list of temporary phones needed to be used in conjunction with the visit of a certain small blue engine to the Railway. I also had the honour of again being volunteered to install the PA system at the Ropley picnic area which involved the fun job of climbing trees. I sometimes feel I am getting too old for this sort of game; how does one take up stamp collecting?

Issue 81 Summer 1994 THE TIMES ARE A-CHANGING

As the song goes, for us the times certainly are a-changing. First, our position as a high spending department, mentioned in MHN No.79. It appears this was an error, we are not going to get a huge budget after all. In any case, what is a budget? Up to now we have not had one so why break the habits of a lifetime? You won’t be going to the ball, Cinderella.
Second, changes to Medstead Exchange. When the replacement exchange was planned over 3 years ago, certain items of equipment were then difficult to obtain so a very simple no-frills system was devised. Over the intervening years different facilities have been added to the other three exchanges which the new Medstead would not have had space for, making it non-standard. This problem, along with the availability now of the items we had trouble getting previously, means slight alterations to the original plan and by the time this is read it is hoped installation work will have commenced. While installing the exchange will cause no problems, the planned alterations to the external cable network at the station will take a great deal of thought.
Third, we propose changes to the carrier equipment we are intending to install. Some while ago mention was made in Mid-Hants News of the 4-channel carrier equipment we acquired. Its installation has been delayed by work being undertaken on the route boxes. There has been thought for some time by the administration staff of a computerised ticket booking system. Originally this was believed to involve the Alresford site only, but during a conversation with the General Manager it emerged that there could be an eventual requirement for a terminal at Alton. There are, two ways of achieving this: one, rent an external private circuit between the two points which would be very expensive; two, use our existing cables to provide the service. Unfortunately the distance is too great without some form of amplification, therefore it would need to run via the carrier which then reduces the number of available circuits for our original intentions. To cut a long story short we have acquired, after many phone calls, some 12-channel carrier equipment which permits 12 circuits to be connected over two pairs of wire. When we get it working this will allow us to have data circuits as well as telephony ones. It is intended to install a carrier terminal at Medstead which, under the original 4-channel scheme, would not have been provided there.
The task of connecting the route boxes has been completed and all 20 are now in service. It should be remembered that apart from initial modifications to the boxes, this work was undertaken by only two people and the bulk of the task, the cable jointing, was done by one person.
There is not a great deal else to report, apart from the phone calls regarding carrier equipment and digging holes then filling them in for route box joints; the only item remembered of interest is the fitting of an extension phone bell at Alton station ground frame.
Finally, some detail, as I know some of you like detail! During the provision of the route boxes 20 boxes were modified, installed, painted and labelled, 20 post holes dug, 22 holes dug for cable joints, 2,200 soldered connections made plus 800 screw connections, 75 jointing sleeves used, 14 plug-in telephones with adaptors supplied. What is undetermined and remains a mystery is the number of cups of tea drunk during this exercise.

Issue 82 Autumn 1994 GWIRION CLEP 0 RHEILFFORDD TELEFON POBL

Welcome changes at the top, a first for us and possibly for the Mid-Hants News, a title in Welsh. “Less of this frivolity,” you say, “what have they been up to since the last issue?” Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. We have been undertaking a number of jobs on behalf of those fine fellows of the S & T Department. For some time the signal box code phones had been giving such an unsatisfactory service they were rarely used by the signalmen as some instruments were not capable of communicating with others. On being asked to get the code phone system working again it was done on the understanding that the old phones would be replaced by a modern system.
We had a number of tone dialling Viscount telephones in store, a common model of phone in every day service. These, unfortunately, were unsuitable for our internal system but were ideal with a very simple modification to become the new code phones. This involved replacing the tone caller with a DC buzzer, the plug and socket arrangement being retained for future fault diagnostic purposes. At the same time the key pad was removed. The sole reason for this was to make them unsuitable for use elsewhere in case they developed nomadic tendencies!
Each phone has an associated relay set which lurks in the dark recesses of the signal box and as these are normally damp locations the relay set cans have a small heater circuit incorporated. The request was made on a Sunday afternoon and the new system was designed, built, installed and in service by the following Saturday morning, being fitted in five signalling installations at the four stations.
The transmission qualities have been found to be very good, being far better than the author’s expectations. In fact it puts the automatic telephone system to shame, a situation which will only be redressed when the carrier equipment is placed in service.
There were a few grumbles! It seems that some signalmen prefer a defective wooden phone that has bits of brass you can polish but does not function correctly to a modern one that can be used for its intended purpose. After investigation it was found that the old wooden phone cases could be modified to incorporate the circuit boards of a modern phone. These became our wooden electronic code phones, for the princely sum of less than £5 each. The prototype has been installed in the signal box at Alresford and the Viscount telephones, now termed the interim system, will be replaced with the wooden version in due course. Thanks go to Lucas Arter who refurbished the wooden cases prior to their modifications.
On the Railway there are six approach treadles to the stations. Two work via underground cables and four on wire running along the ground. The surface wiring had become a maintenance problem for the S & T Department and over the years the wiring has been patched up many times, so it is possible to see nearly every type of wire used in telecommunications cobbling the treadle circuits together. A spare pair has been used in the main underground cable to feed the treadles. The observant traveller may notice the small posts that have appeared alongside four of the trackside route boxes: these are the connection points for the treadle. There is only one disadvantage to this method — it does not allow efficient use of cable pairs. An example: one treadle is at route box 2 (near Alresford), the next at box 4 (outside Ropley), and the cable pair between these two points cannot be used for any other purpose.
At Ropley, work has been undertaken on the signal cables diverting them into the new signal box. Again all jointing has been in the capable hands of Gwilym, Pannaeth Asiedydd.

Issue 83 Winter 1994/5 TO UNIT B OR NOT TO UNIT B

I decided to bring a bit of culture into the magazine and base the title of this item on a bit of work like wot Bill thingy the Bard from Stratford wrote, not to be confused with Bill the jointer from Basingstoke who is slightly taller. Unit B refers to the replacement exchange presently being installed in the new S & T building at Medstead, unit A being the old equipment currently in service. Work commenced in September and is slowly progressing. As the old exchange is, due to some small miracle, still functioning, its replacement is not deemed to be urgent. Power was connected in November for the first time, so it is possible now to make bits of it do something and make noises so familiar to proper telephone exchanges.
As this is read the last Strowger exchange in public service in this part of the world will have closed and sent to the great switchboard in the sky. Here we are busy building a new one, albeit only for internal use; does BT know something we don’t?
The wooden electronic code phones mentioned in the last issue have now been fitted in the four signal boxes and a signalman has commented hew pleased he was with the improved service. “Thank you, kind Sir.” The prototype cede phone has been modified and fitted with a dial to allow its use en the automatic system, and it is intended for locations where an olde world looking phone would leek mere appropriate. If successful and if there is a requirement for mere they will be made in two versions, the basic model with black dial and the executive LX one with chrome dial.
During the later part of last year we had requirements for large amounts of material to be moved around the railway, a complete exchange from A to C, numerous batteries from B to C, B to A and A to D. These were transported by the works trains used during assembly of the Alresford feet bridge. Our grateful thanks to John Small for organising deliveries; one only had to make a request and hey-presto delivery was made, much easier than trying to get a fully equipped rack in the back of a Ford Fiesta.
As there is net a great deal else to report I thought some facts and figures would be fun; if statistics are net your forte just skip the next 14 pages.
During 1994 ever 36,000 phone calls were made between the four exchanges; again the greatest number of calls were from Alresford
route, again ever 6,200 calls, was Alton to Medstead. However just under 3,000 were due to the operation of the Butts Junction treadle circuit (Mid-Hants News issue No.77) used to inform the signalman at Medstead of the arrival and departure of trains at Alton. When this circuit was first installed several years age the traffic department was informed that 100% reliability could net be guaranteed as the equipment uses the telephone system along with all ether users and at very busy times may net be able to connect its calls. As a matter of interest two meters were connected to the equipment at Alton, one counts the number of times the treadle operates, the second to record the signal from the distant end indicating the call has been acknowledged; during the past year 98% reliability was recorded.
Finally, a readers’ special offer — your chance to own a genuine GEC 5100 PAX. With the closure of the old Medstead exchange later this year the opportunity arises to acquire this much sought after equipment, one careful owner (plus Mid-Hants Railway) only used seven days a week and which comes complete with cobwebs.

Issue 84 Spring 1995 Ten Years Hence This Weather
(Apologies to the Eton boating song)

Ten years ago, to celebrate the opening of the line to Alton, the Railway produced a magazine called Over the Alps and I thought it might he interesting to delve back into the past and see what was written at that time about the telecoms section. It gave details of how the system evolved, how the recently installed cables were transforming the reliability of the network (obviously written before the rabbit was invented!) but what I found of great interest was how the article finished. It said that as the system was nearing completion no further work was planned, the only activities being envisaged in the future were routine maintenance and shifting the odd phone.
The question is — who wrote that garbage? If that was the best the author’s clairvoyant powers could stretch to, it is little wonder he never gets the correct lottery numbers.

Medstead exchange

The nettle has been finally grasped and plans made to bring the new Medstead exchange into service. Usually in the big outside world these changes are a big bang event but we, however, are going for the damp squib approach. The cables will be diverted in three stages so as not to cause disruption to service, followed by the change over at a future undecided date. This will be a secret ceremony undertaken early in the morning when very few are about, attended only by the chief jointer and myself. This will give the rest of the day to sort out any problems and less people to bribe to say it was a trouble-free operation. Cable laying was due to be undertaken in April and at the same time the local distribution network up-graded. When the old exchange was built, lack of space meant some equipment was fitted at Ropley which is not required in the new arrangements. To allow for its removal it will be necessary for a short time for users to prefix their calls to Alresford and Ropley with 8 until the next exchange is brought into service. An announcement will be given to those who mis-dial.

Phoneday

Phoneday has passed and those who use the Railway’s internal phone system may be feeling glad that our small system was not affected. Now for the bad news. Following a European Commission directive (18a194-8) OffCom are looking into the harmonisation of private network numbering schemes and it is unfortunate that the Mid-Rants network would be affected. Under regulation C, section 7.3, systems having one of the three following criteria: more than three nodes (exchanges), in use more than six days a week or handling more than a specified number of inter-nodal calls per week based on Erlangs formula, would have to comply with the new regulations. There are several ways we could change the system so that we would not be affected; shut the entire network down for one day of the week, prevent further calls when the day’s quota has been reached (further quota could be purchased from another underused operator) or close one of the exchanges. The thoughts at present are to recover the equipment at Alton as Alresford and Ropley are the two busiest sites and Medstead has just been installed.
Alton phones to be removed Unfortunately under clause 3.4. id it will not be possible to run the existing Alton phones from another exchange so all telephones will have to be removed from the site. We believe that code phones are not covered under the regulations so hopefully station staff would be able to share the one in the signal box.
Although the proposals are only at a draft stage we understand that the following would apply: private systems would be given the prefix digits 04, next digit 8 means a preserved railway, a further couple of numbers would denote the particular railway. At the present time we do not know what our identity number would be but let us assume, for example, that we are allocated 45 then up to four padding digits. In our case we need two followed by the four digit extension number. For a call to the Alresford booking office at present a person need only dial 2252 from any phone. Under the new plan, if it goes ahead, one would have to dial 04845112252! Nothing definite has been decided but if the scheme is introduced we would have until 1st April next year to implement it.