1858 Railroad Tunnel Opens As a Hiking Trail
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Dots& Dashes •-- •••• •- - •••• •- - •••• --• • • -•• •-- • •• • • ••- --• •••• - What Hath God Wrought The Official Publication of the Morse Telegraph Club, Inc. Vol. 46, Issue No. 1 • Winter 2020-21 1858 Railroad Tunnel Opens as a Hiking Trail early two decades were required to restore the Blue Ridge Mountains. The mile-long tunnel Nan abandoned railroad tunnel in Crozet, was constructed between 1849 and 1859 using Virginia. Just opened to the public in November crude methods of that era. 2020, this project adds to a national network The tunnel maintains temperatures of about of former railroad rights-of-way turned into 50 degrees year-round. With no interior lighting, public hiking and biking trails. These innovative visitors must bring their own flashlights, preferably programs have found successful funding and have head band flashlights. Because of ecological proved popular with the public. concerns, there are no plans to light the tunnel. The Nelson County, Virginia Department of Rail traffic closed in 1944 when larger engines Parks & Recreation just opened the Claudius could not fit through the tunnel. Another tunnel Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail system to bicyclists was built next to this one and it is still used today at Rockfish Gap in Aton, Virginia. This newly by the CSX Railroad. In 2007, CSX donated the restored tunnel trail lies more than 700 feet below abandoned tunnel to Nelson County. continued on page 4 * IN THIS ISSUE Dots& Dashes Articles The official publication of 1858 Railroad Tunnel Opens The Morse Telegraph Club, Inc. as a Hiking Trail ..........................................1,4 Jim Wilson - Editor, Dots & Dashes Postal Telegraph Documentary Film 2742 Southern Hills Court • North Garden, VA 22959 By J. Chris Hausler ..................................... 5-6 (434) 245-7041 • [email protected] Comments from a New Member By Lloyd P Trainor ..........................................7 www.morsetelegraphclub.com Going to Chatham www.facebook.com/morsetelegraphclub By John Springer .....................................11-14 www.morsekob.org Tacoma Telegraph Operators Kept Trains On Track And On Time Dots & Dashes is published quarterly as a benefit of membership. By Craig Sailor ........................................ 15-16 Nonmembers may subscribe at prevailing membership dues rates. Articles in Dots & Dashes (unless copyrighted or are themselves reprinted from other sources) may be reprinted, provided proper credit In Every Issue is given. A copy of the publication would be appreciated. Sidewire ..............................................................3 MTC Contact Information President’s Line .............................................. 3-4 Chapter News .....................................................7 Jim Wades J. Chris Hausler International President International Vice President Letters To The Editor ................................... 8-10 16041 Brookside Drive 100 Citation Drive Buchanan, MI 49107 Henrietta, NY 14467-9747 (269) 650-0215 (585) 334-4445 Welcome Aboard ...............................................16 [email protected] [email protected] Silent Keys ................................................. 17-19 Lavina Shaw George J. Nixon, Jr. Past President Retired International Vice President Do You Know? ...................................................19 Mayfair Retirement Residence 19661 Woodside Drive Apartment 320 • 2267 Kelly Avenue New Lenox., IL 60451 Book & Movie Review ................................ 20-21 Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6N4 (708) 476-5896 (604) 942-2184 • [email protected] [email protected] House Track ......................................................22 If notifying MTC about a deceased Donations of telegraph instruments, member (Silent Key), please notify: telegraph ephemera, historical materials or requests for assistance Jim Wilson with museum exhibits, telegraph Editor, Dots & Dashes 2742 Southern Hills Ct. demonstrations, or other consultation North Garden, VA. 22959 should be directed to: [email protected] James Wades (434) 245-7041 International President, Note: If possible, please include a copy of Morse Telegraph Club, Inc. an obituary and other available information PO Box 192 about his/her career and relationship to Buchanan, MI. 49107 The next issue of Dots & Dashes is scheduled for th telegraphy and/or the telegraph industry. [email protected] publication on March 30 , with submission (269) 548-8219 deadline three weeks prior to that date. General correspondence, which doesn’t fall into the above categories, should be directed * This ad runs routinely in the World Radio News: to the International Secretary/Treasurer: Richard Williams International Secretary-Treasurer PO Box 181591, Coronado, CA 92178 [email protected] Morse Telegraph Club (619) 818-9017 Landline Morse is Alive and well! Local Chapter Members: Members of local chapters should send all correspondence regarding address changes, membership renewals and Dots & Dashes newsletter similar information to their local Chapter Secretary/Treasurer. If you do not know your Chapter Secretary/Treasurer, please inquire with The Ace Holman national telegraph office & hub the International Secretary/Treasurer to obtain the necessary contact Internet Telegraphy Railroad Telegraphy information. Your Articles and Stories: MTC is always looking for original Morse Telegraph demonstration photographs, stories and articles about your experiences in telegraphy or Learn more about the history of the telegraph or radiotelegraphy. Please send articles and news stories to the Editor of Dots & Dashes. simply enjoy using American Morse Code and Telegraph Talks and Demonstrations: If you or your local chapter authentic telegraph equipment. should schedule any demonstrations, talks or other special events, please notify the International President so he can publish your event in our on-line calendar. www.morsetelegraphclub.com Dots & Dashes • Winter-2020-2021 • Page 2 Sidewire President’s Line Comments from the Jim Wades, President Editor of Dots & Dashes Morse Telegraph Club, Inc. By Jim Wilson The year 2020 will go down in Holding our Own history as one of the worst years he world is not creating new Morse during our lifetimes. During 2020, Ttelegraph operators, but it is creating new the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic radiotelegraph operators, at least within the killed more than a million people Amateur Radio Service. worldwide, more than 300,000 When the various regulatory agencies began Americans and Canadians. Every day, eliminating the CW proficiency requirement more people are dying. for Amateur Radio licensing, many assumed Although several vaccines were developed, “CW” would quickly die away. Interestingly, tested and approved, the pandemic will remain the opposite appears to be happening. Amateur a threat well into the year 2021. So, let’s all Radio organizations that promote CW are continue to stay at home and wear masks when growing. The “CW Ops” organization is running we venture out into public spaces. And be sure a successful series of training classes for to get your coronavirus vaccination when it new operators. The demand for their classes becomes available. Most of us qualify as high remains consistently high and an extensive priority for the COVID-19 vaccinations due to mentorship program has been developed. our ages, above age 65. Organizations such as the “Straight Key Current challenges also include political Century Club” (SKCC) continue to grow with divisiveness, economic collapse, and permanent a current roster of 23,574 members as of damage to our global weather. December 2020! “FISTS” and other CW groups This issue of Dots & Dashes contains many are also holding their own. interesting Letters for your review. I am often During the “Cascadia Rising” disaster amazed at the variety of experiences and exercise conducted during June 2016, which valuable information offered by our readers as simulated a major earthquake and tsunami described in the Letters. If you have something affecting the Northwestern United States, you want to mention to D&D readers, please the Federal Government tested various send your own letter for publication. telecommunications networks. Much to Thanks to the 59 MTC members who the chagrin of the then leadership of the donated extra cash along with their American Radio Relay League, the CW circuits 2021 dues. outperformed other modes of communications. Radio Relay International volunteers, then These amounts ranged from three to operating under the auspices of the former one hundred dollars. Your generosity “National Traffic System,” scored a 99.998 helps keep the Morse Telegraph Club percent accuracy rate against 10,220 data operating. points in simulated five-letter cipher group messages. The CW networks also scored a superior average message propagation time as measured from when a message was tendered for origination in Alaska, Idaho, Northern California, Oregon, Washington State to when the same message appeared in data stream at the FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. The average message propagation time for the CW circuits continued on next page * Page 3 • Dots & Dashes • Winter 2020-2021 President’s Line continued from previous page ranged from approximately 10 to 13 minutes! always challenged to improve. For a certain core The Cascadia Rising event (and some of the group of people, this on-going opportunity for ugly politics that resulted in response to the high- growth and improvement