SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Anybody remember the GPO telex machines ?After dialling the number you could then have ' live'converations with the other person.They were also equipped with a punch tape system.The tape could be prepared 'off line' for later transmisson and incoming messages could be taped to copy later.On BR in the 70's we used to prepare a report for London on tapeand would 'curse' when interupted by an incoming call which wrecked the tape because it had to be properly set out.

Yes I remember them.In one office I worked in I used to have what would now be regarded as internet message chats with a girl in an office in Orrell. Only trouble was if the boss came in he could see what you'd been chatting about on the print out!News used to come over by Telex to the Yorkshire Post and YEP via the Wire Room from the likes of the Press Association and Associated Press. I believe this was a subscription service. Otherwise they relied on reporters phoning in their reports. All the stuff that came in on these huge print outs could probably today be conveyed by a minimal text message. The computer room was huge but likewise, I imagine the technology involved would be covered by a single chip now.    

The Telex machine is kept so cleanAnd it types to a waiting worldAnd mother feels so shockedFather’s world is rockedAnd their thoughts turn to their own little girlSweet 16 ain’t that peachy keenNow that ain’t so neat to admit defeatThey can see no reasons'Cos there are no reasonsWhat reasons do you need?Oh Oh Oh OhThanks bob- as if double maths first thing on Monday morning followed by double geography wasn't bad enough eh? lolWhen ever i hear the word 'Telex' it always reminds me of this song.

Brandy wrote: Thanks bob- as if double maths first thing on Monday morning followed by double geography wasn't bad enough eh? lolWhen ever i hear the word 'Telex' it always reminds me of this song. It reminds me of this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyUBuQYy ... re=related

Brandy wrote: The Telex machine is kept so cleanAnd it types to a waiting worldAnd mother feels so shockedFather’s world is rockedAnd their thoughts turn to their own little girlSweet 16 ain’t that peachy keenNow that ain’t so neat to admit defeatThey can see no reasons'Cos there are no reasonsWhat reasons do you need?Oh Oh Oh OhThanks bob- as if double maths first thing on Monday morning followed by double geography wasn't bad enough eh? lolWhen ever i hear the word 'Telex' it always reminds me of this song. THATS UNFAIR..I WANTED TO SAY THAT!

I remember the telex machine well. In the early 80's I used it whilst in the Navy and stationed at Whitehall. We used to cut the tape then run it through the telex. To ensure we were sending the correct messages we had to be able to read the tape itself. I knew exactly what letters were represented by differing hole combinations.    

Tyke_bhoys wife wrote: I remember the telex machine well. In the early 80's I used it whilst in the Navy and stationed at Whitehall. We used to cut the tape then run it through the telex. To ensure we were sending the correct messages we had to be able to read the tape itself. I knew exactly what letters were represented by differing hole combinations.     I worked with a guy on BR - ex forces,he could read the punched tape.to make it easier to edit. they ended each line with a'carriage return','line feed','carriage reurn'.that generatd a pattern in the punched tape to identify a fresh line.In the early days of conversion to a fully computerised system for freight in the 70's,punch tape was converted into 80 column punch cards.The extra 'carriage return'produced a spolit card and you knew the sender was ex forces,or possibly GPO trained.

Brandy wrote: The Telex machine is kept so cleanAnd it types to a waiting worldAnd mother feels so shockedFather’s world is rockedAnd their thoughts turn to their own little girlSweet 16 ain’t that peachy keenNow that ain’t so neat to admit defeatThey can see no reasons'Cos there are no reasonsWhat reasons do you need?Oh Oh Oh OhThanks bob- as if double maths first thing on Monday morning followed by double geography wasn't bad enough eh? lolWhen ever i hear the word 'Telex' it always reminds me of this song. Kin double games on a Monday afternoon if yer a fat kid.thats worse!

When I worked at Levertons in Gildersom in the sixties, we had two machines, they were electro mechanical and made a hell of a racket - a bit like the looms in the mills around Morley. When I worked in Cas we got one and it was entirely electronic and almost silent, what a wonderful thing technology is

Trojan wrote: When I worked at Levertons in Gildersom in the sixties, we had two machines, they were electro mechanical and made a hell of a racket - a bit like the looms in the mills around Morley. When I worked in Cas we got one and it was entirely electronic and almost silent, what a wonderful thing technology is Nah then you young 'uns! I was operating Creed(Croydon),Telex,Teleprinters and Tape Relay equipment from the start when I was inRAF Signals. I started learning the servicing side at RAF Compton Bassett Wilts, in May 1947. We were the first to train on the TapeRelay systems Using the Murray 5-unit punched tapes. I foundreading the holes very difficult but they then found a means ofprinting the messages alongside the holes, so much better.We had what was known as a Perf.Pool with banks of perforators and the message tapes were stored readyto transmit to their destination stations. This was a much faster system,than each teleprinter calling up a switchboard to beput thru to the addressee. As previously mentioned,the Perf/poolwas a very noisy room to be working in!The tapes were fed directly in to an auto-head transmitter and could be routed to anywhere there was a RAF unit world wide.the overseas stuff was tranmitted direct by radio link (RTP).All obsolete long since due to the evolvement of the world wide web!If the picture upload system hasn't changed since I last posteda piccy on here, I will try and fwd a pic of yours truly undergoingTP Training in 1947 (GET SUM IN!) fingers twisted!I am on the RH side trying to look intelligent!