Faraday Switchrooms
at GPO South.
Faraday Switchrooms

Circa 1932, at GPO South, the Addle Hill Annex of the Post Office Savings Bank was renamed Faraday North Block.






Photo: Knightrider Street entrance to Faraday North Block, circa 1980 © M.Knight
| EXIT | Faraday Switchrooms | North Block History | Faraday 2A |
 
Introduction

The North Block was built in 1890 and was first occupied by the Post Office Savings Bank.

The first of the Post Office's (manual) telephone exchanges in London, was Central which opened on the 4th floor of Faraday (North Block) on 1st March 1902. To cope with the very heavy demand for service, a second exchange, City, opened in November 1907.


North Block History
North Block History






Photo: Faraday North Block, Knightrider street elevation © Light Straw 2001.
   
Faraday Accommodation Circa 1932

Of the North Block. All exchanges were of the manual type.
  • Basement - Cable Chambers and Power Plant.

  • Ground Floor - MDF, Line transformer racks, Trunk and Toll Test positions.

  • First Floor - International exchange, Radio Telephony Terminal Room and main IDF.

  • Second Floor - Central manual exchange and suite of Delay positions.

  • Third Floor - Inland and Main Trunk exchanges, Repeater station.

  • Fourth Floor - City manual exchange, Trunk Provincial exchange.

  • Fifth Floor - Toll manual exchange, Trunk Country exchange.
Faraday Switchrooms Circa 1970

These were all located in the North Block:

Continental
  • Faraday Linguist 3M (3rd floor Main)

  • Faraday Linguist 4M (4th floor Main)

  • Faraday 4A (4th floor Annex)

  • Faraday 5M (5th floor Main)
Intercontinental
  • Faraday 2A (2nd floor Annex)

Faraday 2A
Faraday 2A
Faraday 2A (2nd floor Annex) was a busy Intercontinental switchroom located within the North Block. English was the main operating language, but fifteen linguists were also employed by day and a similar number for nights.







[This is the same entrance which is pictured at the head of this page. Note the zebra crossing.]


Photo: Knightrider Street entrance to Faraday North Block © Light Straw Jan 2001

Design, images and text compiled by © Light-Straw. Page last updated 6th February 2011. Checked May 2011.

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