As you said when TSPS systems came online things changed. I worked a
> lot of the TSPS conversons, the directors had to be modified and
> tested then we had to move 800 and payphone detection systems and
> convert them for TSPS. As the changes were made fewer and fewer
> offices Toll offices and a few remotes. ... I
> remember some of the operators coing into the CO to see what we were
> doing, they were either very young kids or older woman who had been
> operators for years, they were transfere to other offices and jobs, it
> was really said.
Both veteran operators and Brooks' "Telephone" said TSP/TSPS wasn't as satisfying as cord switchboards. TSP did all the interesting stuff automatically. From the company's and customer's viewpoint, it was much more efficient. Occassionally, they still had to 'build up' a call by relay the old fashioned way. One time I had trouble placing a call and the operator did that for me, it was interesting to listen. I wonder if they can (or would) do that today.
For some reason, my home exch was served by two types of operators. If we just dialed zero, we got a older toll & assist cord board in one location. But if we dialed 0+ or 1+ from a payphone, we went to a TSP office in a different location. That TSP did not handle plain 0 calls for some reason even though it was part of the design. (One other quirk we had: local Info was 411, long distance was 1+ac+555-1212. But distant Info within the area code (short range toll calls) was explicitly stated to go through 0. Then they went to 555-1212 for local Info (to discourage use). Now we're back to 411 for everything. I don't know when they hit you with a charge.)
The same came as we converted our offices to EAX. The good old days.
What's "EAX"?
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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Traditional Bell had a habit of always using an 'X' to mean 'e(X)change', as in PBX (P)rivate (B)ranch e(X)change, FX as in (F)oreign E(X)change, and PAX as (P)rivate (A)utomatic e(X)change. An exception was FAX as in (FACS)imile Service. But you asked about EAX which was (E)lectronic (A)utomatic e(X)change, or another name for an electronic and automated switchboard. Of course there is also CENTREX or a (C)entral Office e(X)change. The only difference between a PBX and a PAX is the former involved an operator at a manual cordboard in a company and the latter was the same thing but an 'automated switchboard'. I am not well-versed enough to tell you what small distinction there was between EAX, PAX and PBX but I guess there was something. After all, Bell was always right about everything, weren't they? PAT]