TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Remembering the Great Telco Fire, May, 1988

Re: Remembering the Great Telco Fire, May, 1988

T (nospam.kd1s@cox.nospam.net)
Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:18:00 -0400

In article <telecom26.170.10@telecom-digest.org>, gsthurman@gmail.com
says:

> Very interesting reading this. I was living in Chicago at the time,
> so I remember it very well. One question is how long did it ACTUALLY
> take to replace the switch and restore full service to the area.

> George "Skip" Thurman

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Illinois Bell stated that the
> restoration was about 90 percent finished within a month, in mid-June,
> 1988. It was about 95 percent finished within a month or two after
> that. A couple telco repair technicians in the area noted to me that
> the restoration was never _totally_ i.e. 100 percent (as in things
> operated _exactly_ as they had before the fire). It got to be 'the
> equivilent of' 100 percent during August of that year, but trained and
> experienced ears which listened _closely_ said the 'action' (if you want
> to call it that) was never completely replicated.

> I do not know if you recall this or not, Skip, but _you_ were the
> person who tipped me off to the fire in progress that Sunday afternoon
> in a phone call to my home. PAT]

Of course -- there was probably some newer gear placed into service at
the time.

By 1982 I believe the #5 ESS was available. I'd imagine much of the gear
in that office at the time of the fire was probably #1A ESS and #4 ESS
for toll switching. A #5 ESS can handle both functions.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: John Mayson: "EIA Address "Correction""
Go to Previous message: T: "Re: Need Power Connector for Millenium Payphone"
May be in reply to: TELECOM Digest Editor: "Remembering the Great Telco Fire, May, 1988"
Next in thread: Ken Abrams: "Re: Remembering the Great Telco Fire, May, 1988"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page