Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

P19770107000.1-.2-GA

Date

1938

Materials

PAPER, PLASTIC, STEEL

No. Pieces

20

Description

.1 CONTROL UNIT 182.9 CM HT., 38.1 CM WTH., 55.9 CM LTH. PAPER, HARD PLASTIC, STEEL. SERIAL # 202 TYPE: 78225 SPEC: 78310. THE UNIT IS FINISHED IN BLACK. #1 IS AN ENGRAVED PLATE. "CANADIAN MARCONI COMPANY LOCAL CONTROL UNIT". #2 ENGRAVED ON FRONT OF CONTROL UNIT "MARCONI" "CANADA TYPE 71800". #3 IS A PIECE OF PAPER COVERED BY A PIECE OF PLASTIC. #4 ENGRAVED ON FRONT OF CONTROL UNIT "MARCONI CANADA TYPE 2L20". "KEY-WIND CHELSEA 8-DAY CLOCK AND UPRIGHT MICROPHONE, AND NORTHERN ELECTRIC MICROPHONE". HANDSET, "CODE #L-945-DO". .2 MARCONI TRANSMITTER NDB SER #127 182.9 CM HT., 38.1 CM WTH., 76.2 CM LTH. METAL, HARD PLASTIC, PAPER. WITH SPARE PARTS. AN ENGRAVED PLATE: "CANADIAN MARCONI COMPANY" "400 WATT AIRWAYS TRANSMITTER TYPE 75170 SERIAL NO. 127 SPEC. 71215 110/100/120 VOLTS 26.7 AMPS. 50/60 FREG 86% P.F. PATENTED". TUBES AND CYLINDERS TEMPORARILY IN 008. INCLUDES 18 TUBES AND CYLINDERS; 1 BLACK WIRE WITH CONNECTORS AT EACH END; AND 1 BLACK BASE MARKED "GENERAL ELECTRIC RADIOTRON, LICENCED BY THERMIONICS LTD." TUBES HAVE ALTERNATELY EITHER 4, 5, OR 7 PRONGS. INDIVIDUALLY MARKED.

Subjects

TELECOMMUNICATION T&E

AEROSPACE TRANSPORTATION-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

MILITARY

TRANSPORTATION

History

LOCAL CONTROL UNIT #202 PUT INTO SERVICE 1938-39. LETHBRIDGE WAS A MAIN RADIO TERMINAL FOR AIR RADIO TRAFFIC CONTROL FROM ALL MAJOR EASTERN CITIES & EDMONTON AND WAS A JUMP OFF FOR CALGARY. LETHBRIDGE WAS A MAJOR AIR CONTROL CENTER FOR CANADIAN TRANS CONTINENTAL AIR SERVICE. EQUIPMENT WAS IN SERVICE AT KENYON FIELD WHEN AIR CREW WERE TRAINED AS PART OF BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN. NARRATIVE BELOW SOLICITED FROM BARRY SNOWDEN IN EARLY 2010 WHEN THIS ARTIFACT WAS EXHIBITED AS PART OF THE GALT’S TREASURES & CURIOSITIES DISPLAY. THE NARRATIVE BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE ARTIFACT’S LABEL COPY IN THE EXHIBIT. *** WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER, ONE OF MY AREAS OF INTEREST WAS “CRYSTAL SET” RADIO AND I SPENT MANY THE HOUR WEARING HEADPHONES AND “TICKLING” THE GALENA CRYSTAL WITH A “CAT’S WHISKER” TO DETECT A RADIO BROADCAST SIGNAL. MY SEARCH FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THIS RUDIMENTARY RADIO TECHNOLOGY – SOMETHING SMALL AND RELATIVELY SIMPLE – ENDED AT THE OTHER END OF THE CONTINUUM WITH ME CHOOSING WHAT MAY BE THE LARGEST ARTIFACT IN THE GALT COLLECTION. SO LARGE I’M TOLD THAT IT CANNOT BE MOVED UP TO THE DISPLAY GALLERY IN THE FREIGHT ELEVATOR, BUT REQUIRES A SMALL CRANE OR OTHER MOVING EQUIPMENT. THIS ARTIFACT CROSSED OVER WITH ANOTHER AREA OF INTEREST BECAUSE IT CELEBRATES SOME OF THE REGION’S IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY IN CANADA (MY FATHER ERNIE SNOWDEN WAS AN RCAF PILOT AND FLYING INSTRUCTOR AT A NUMBER OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA). FOR AT LEAST THE DECADE BETWEEN 1938 AND 1948, LETHBRIDGE WAS A MAIN RADIO TERMINAL FOR AIR RADIO TRAFFIC CONTROL FROM ALL MAJOR EASTERN CITIES AND EDMONTON WAS A JUMP OFF FOR CALGARY. IT WAS PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE TRANS-CANADA AIRWAY, A NETWORK OF AIRPORTS WITH PAVED RUNWAYS, LIGHTS, BEACONS AND RADIO TRANSMITTERS. BECAUSE THE DISTANCES AND THE ALTITUDES TO WHICH AIRCRAFT OF THE TIME WERE LIMITED, THE CROWSNEST PASS WAS USED FOR CROSSING THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, WITH LETHBRIDGE SERVING AS THE JUNCTION POINT FOR TRANS-CANADA AIRLINES (TCA) FLIGHTS EAST AND WEST, AIR SERVICE NORTH WITHIN ALBERTA AND THE PORT OF ENTRY FOR FLIGHTS FROM THE USA. LETHBRIDGE WAS THE AIRLINE HUB OF THE PRAIRIES UNTIL AIRCRAFT THAT COULD FLY HIGHER AND FARTHER ENABLED THE TRANSCONTINENTAL ROUTES TO SHIFT NORTH TO EDMONTON AND CALGARY. THE AIR RADIO CONTROL FACILITIES ALSO SUPPORTED CANADA’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE BRITISH COMMONWEATH FLIGHT TRAINING PLAN DURING WWII. KENYON FIELD HOSTED THE #5 ELEMENTARY FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOL PRIOR TO ITS RELOCATION IN 1941 ON ACCOUNT OF PERSISTENT ADVERSE WEATHER (HIGH WIND CONDITIONS. IT THEN BECAME THE HOME BASE FOR THE #8 BOMBING AND GUNNERY SCHOOL UNTIL THE WAR’S END. BCAPT FACILITIES WERE ALSO LOCATED AT CLARESHOLM, FORT MACLEOD, PEARCE AND VULCAN. THE TRANSMITTER REMAINED IN SERVICE UNTIL THE 1950’S. IT IS A FITTING REMINDER OF LETHBRIDGE’S KEY ROLE IN AVIATION PROGRESS. ***

Catalogue Number

P19770107000

Acquisition Date

1977-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail