NEW TELEPHONE SUBEXCHANGE IN DUBLIN STREET

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1946, Page 4

NEW TELEPHONE SUBEXCHANGE IN DUBLIN STREET

CHANGE-OVER , ACCOMPLISHED

Promptly at midnight on Saturday the Dublin Street telephone sub-ex-change was switched in and the first call put through. The change-over and the subsequent execution of the new manual system has been carried out smoothly. The new exchange means that the plans to provide 'phones connections for a greater number of people have come into operation. Interest in the change-over was considerable and some of the subscribers with new connections quickly learnt 'that there are some disadvantages in having a ’phone when frivolous friends rai\g them at midnight to see how their phones were working. "The change-over was 100 per cent, perfact technically," stated the chief postmaster, Mr. D. J. B. Walker, to the "Chronicle" last night. "The public was rather curious and seemed inclined to use their 'phones just to tty out the new system, which meant the loading-up of the work at the exchange. “If we have one appeal to the public to make, it is to be tolerant during the next few days while we settle in," he continued. "Mistakes are bound to occur, so we ask subscribers to give us time to get into the running of the new sub-exchange." Reason for the opening of the Dublin Street sub-exenange, which wiil serve most of Wanganui East and Aramoho, is to relieve the already overcrowded automatic exchange in St. Hill Street and provides the only means of linking new subscribers, some of whom have had to wait years to be connected. The 400 subscribers had earlier been advised of the new procedure. The telephones in the two areas have been given new numbers, which came into effect at midnight on Saturday, all of which have "S" as the first figure. To call another "S" number the subscriber lifts the received and asks the operator lor the required connection. If a number is required outside the exchange, the subscriber will ask for "automatic” and then dial the number.

Into the new network has gone more than 240 special wiring joints, more than 16,000 feet of new wiring, Special interlocking equipment has been installed in the main exchange in the centre of the city so that the two exchanges can be linked. For many weeks, carpenters, painters and plumbers have been working to effect alterations to the new exchange building and considerable lengths of underground cable have been removed for inspection and alteration. Cable jointers worked for two weens splicing in the new connectipns and technicians were more than a month wiring the switchboards and adjusting the hundreds of relays, lamps and other equipment that form the new exchange. To carry the traffic on the new exchange, nine operators were trained. Not the least of the work involved in the change-over has been the reprinting of the city's 10,000 telephone books. With a substantial alteration in numbers caused by the new service, careful checking was involved. Numbers previously held by Wanganui East and Aramoho subscribers have been issued to subscribers in other parts of the city, while the former holders have gone on to numbers commencing with an "8." Not all of Wanganui East is on the manual sub-exchange, those residing near the town bridge end of the suburb still being on automatic, being connected’ with the main exchange by cable over the town bridge.

. i _-.ua oi tne rxtblin Street exchange marks an interim stage in the department's plans for an improved telephone service for the city, it is intended ultimately to install fully automatic equipment to serve Wanganui East and Aramoho, but this equipment is in extremely short supply turougnout the world and the new exchange will serve as an interim measure to release numbers for other subscribers. Also planned is the •installation of a suo-exchange at

Castlecliff. The effect of both these exchanges will be to decrease pressure on the over-loaded city exchange and permit an expansion of Wanganui"s telephone service to many of the applicants on the long waiting list. The Post and Telegraph Department has given an assurance to all subscribers affected by the new exchange that, when equipment becomes available they will be restore” to fully-automatic service without delay.