K3WWP's CW Stories

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Al - WB8FEQ

I responded to your poll about how I learned CW. I used a "Field and Stream" magazine article about the "EISHTMO" method when I was 14 and learned the characters in about an hour. My dad, a former Railroad telegraph operator learned the different characters and sent me practice for a week or two to allow me to gain proficiency and he and I both ended up licensed (he was WB8FER - see "http://www.qsl.net/wb8feq").
I just wanted to take a minute to recount a little further about my learning the code. I was looking back through your web site and saw where you had run that poll before in the past and remarked that none of the old railroaders listed that as where they learned it. My dad was a telegrapher (at least started as one) on the C&O Railroad. He is the one that actually sent me code practice until we had a receiver that was good enough to copy off the air, and during those times he mentioned to me about his learning the code. He didn't specifically mention it, and since he is now a SK, I can no longer ask him about it, but I got the feeling that in his day the railroad was looking for those who already knew the code rather than those they could train.
I do know he had to learn several letters over again to switch to the International Morse that is in common use on the air. He was an excellent CW operator (he even got a nomination for A1-OP as a novice), and I learned much from him over the early years.
I remember the day we both went for our upgrade to General. Dad had been keeping at me to copy the W1AW code practice daily. I was about 15 at the time and did not put the effort into it that he thought I should. The day came for the test (before the FCC naturally), and we took our 13 WPM receiving test. They graded them and announced the ones who did not pass. If you guessed my dad was on the list, you are correct. I did pass but really didn't care if I passed the written or sending tests. Remember when you had to know how to send too?
Dad was somewhat dejected but that evening he sat down at the W1AW practice and copied 30WPM flawlessly. He admitted it was nerves and said he could hardly read his own name written on the test paper, elaborating further that he had taken code tests on the railroad that would determine if he got a job, and here he was letting a hobby, something that is meant to be enjoyable, make him that nervous. Needless to say the next time the FCC gave exams (quarterly for us at that time), he did pass his general. By the way, I do still have an uncle living that was in the RR at that time and he may have some insight on the railroad's training telegraphers and I will check with him and update you. 73 de Al, WB8FEQ

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