On 11-07-2012 20:37, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
Wes Groleau wrote:
I operated a pull-out-out-the-cord-and-plug-it-in switchboard for a few
days in 1973.

Not many were left by then.

Like http://www.telephonetribute.com/images/fig3-2.gif
but much smaller. Just served one building.

On Navy ships in the late 1970s, we still had click-click-click rotating
stepper switches.

Strowger stepper.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1YMkG7qiygjslORZGAFHqGQzJE-4-IEcMxudCY1Nftoo6TKolEKcXApy8

Well, same principle, I think, though it doesn't look the same. I
wasn't trained on it, but by watching it work, I think I figured it out.
I think we had two-digit numbers. Pick up a phone and a one-axis rotor
would step to the correct line of ten. Another would then select the
first rotor out of ten. Then one or two would connect that phone to
one of ten or a hundred lines to the other side, and the process in
reverse would select the right destination phone.

--
Wes Groleau

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which
the only specification is that it should run noiselessly.
€” unknown