Tools on telephone truck

[Rokumoncat]

Hi All,

I was wondering what the telephone trucks carried in the way of tools in the sixties, during what I call the 'classic' modern telephone era. Was there an 'official' packing list that specified what tool went where?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

[G-Man]

There was a standard layout for tools and supplies for telephone trucks and vans for the standard I&R man but those used by others such as special services, PBX, coinphone installers and splicers could customize their own trucks.

The local garage foremen and storekeepers also fine-tuned what tools and inventories were supplied in their territory.

For instance, there would be little need for snow-chains in an arid region as would the old Desert water bags be of use in the snow.

In the cities a repairman's truck would not be stocked with splicing sleeves for open-wire, tree-saws nor would replacement magneto cranks kept on board.

A number of years ago someone uploaded BSPs on the TCI list showing recommended layouts for the 1950-60s L-series truck bodies so you may want to visit them for further information.

[Jim Stettler]

I used to have a "working copy " Bsp for laying out a telephone truck. The BSP was being developed/ designed for   the layout  for a specific use truck for Pacific Telephone. It was an unfinished copy.

My impression was that the copy was for employees to "tweak" and submit there opinions back to the BSP center.


JMO,
Jim
BTW
Bell wanted the trucks to have a standard layout. This makes things simpler in diaster rebuilding efforts.

[Russ Kirk]

I did several searches on the TCI library for the document mentioned below with no luck. I searched for truck, layout, L-series,  bodies and packing.   None showed the list in question.  Any other suggestions? Or can someone provide the link?

[G-Man]

There are a lot of scanned documents that are uploaded to a temporary file transfer site and announced on the TCI listserve that are never stored in the TCI library.

Bell System Practices regarding the LIU-series were once made available to those on the TCI list for uploading to their personal collection. You may want to make an inquiry there to see if someone will make them available once more.

[poplar1]

Two retired installers/repairmen told me that other employees restocked the trucks every night. They also filled the cantines with ice for drinking water. B.B. said that he carried 5 101A induction coils on his truck, for example. The refurbished 302s were in brown paper bags. Some days, they would get refurbished 202s instead.

[paul-f]

Here's a photo from an open house in 1959.

The truck contents clearly changed over time as the products and trucks changed.