I looked through the Frisco dot Org to see if there was already any information on this topic posted. I am also not certain if this forum is a good spot for this subject. John Grady was one of my dad’s Frisco buddies, who got his start as an agent/operator and who knew his dots and dashes. I asked him about telegraphy and dispatching on the Frisco, and he offered these remarks and this URL. "We, Amory, moved to the new office building in Springfield in February 1965. At that time the only territory that used telegraphy for the dispatching was the old KD (Kansas Division) that was Pierce City MO to Ellsworth KS and I know there was a telephone line as far as Wichita. I think the telegraph was used on that extreme west end. And there may have been some on the old Western Division, Enid OK north, south and west, possibly east to Cherokee Yard. I did not get into working anything except the Southern Division/River Division until about the first of 1966 and did not do any work on that territory while on the extra board. I was promoted to Assistant Trainmaster on the AT&N in Mobile in March of 1967. I have a friend in Springfield who might know when it was discontinued; will check with him to see what he might know. Karl, if you have not read this it is a very interesting story by Jim Thompson who was 3rd trick telegrapher in Birmingham at East Thomas Yard when I hired out in 1957. This link should give you the story. Enjoy. OzarksWatch https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/ozarkswatch/ow702h.htm In 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first telegraph message from Baltimore to Washington, reading, "What hath God wrought". The dot and dash signals made from the sound of a clacking armature were easily read, and a new craft was born--telegraphy.
I've still got my Vibroplex Champion bug (1957). They were still being manufactured by Vibroplex here in Knoxville last time I checked.
Karl, I think the Operations forum is as good of a place as any. And, that is a fascinating article. I have an early 1940s Frisco Telegrapher's schedule. I'm going to have to go back through and look at it more carefully, with this article as context.
