From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Clark F Morris  wrote:   
   >On Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:15:40 -0800 (PST), hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
      
   >>SANTE FE RAILWAY RESERVATION SYSTEM   
      
   >>The process of obtaining a railroad reservation has   
   >>long been an irritating and frustrating part of railroad   
   >>travel. This problem has been a source of concern and   
   >>the subject of study by many of the country's leading   
   >>railroads, but relief is now at hand through the help of   
   >>modern electronics.   
      
   >>In July the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway   
   >>put into service an automated electronic system for handling   
   >>its passenger reservations. This combination data   
   >>processing and communications system enables Santa   
   >>Fe reservations personnel from Los Angeles to Chicago   
   >>to make reservations for customers in a matter of seconds   
   >>instead of hours or even days as has been the case   
   >>in the past. The system is called the Magnetronic Reservisor   
   >>and was designed, built, installed, and is maintained   
   >>by The Teleregister Corporation of Stamford,   
   >>Connecticut.   
      
   >>This equipment will process for Santa Fe Railway's   
   >>sales agents all standard railroad accommodation transactions:   
   >>(1) reserving the accommodation; (2) selling   
   >>the accommodation and removing it from the inventory;   
   >>and (3) cancelling previously made reservations when   
   >>necessary. Agents perform these transactions through a   
   >>piece of equipment not much larger than a typewriter,   
   >>which produces a duplicate printed record of each transaction   
   >>including a complete identification of the train   
   >>space involved. This information includes the date, the   
   >>train number, the car number, the particular seat, drawing   
   >>room or bedroom number, and a customer's identification   
   >>number.   
      
   >>Each of the Santa Fe agent sets is connected through   
   >>specialized communications equipment and over a network   
   >>of leased lines to the center of the Magnetronic   
   >>Reservisor which is located at LaSalle Street Station,   
   >>Chicago. This is the data processing center for all of   
   >>Santa Fe's reservations information. It consists primarily   
   >>of two magnetic memory drums and some fortyodd   
   >>racks of computing and communications equipment.   
      
   >Interesting that it was at LaSalle Street Station since the Santa Fe   
   >used Dearborn Street Station for its trains.   
      
   LaSalle Street Station had a good-sized office building, so maybe   
   they had offices in there; only a few offices at Dearborn. The railroad   
   was headquartered in the Railway Exchange Building, several blocks   
   away. Also, the major Western Union switch was right across the street   
   from LaSalle Street Station, so perhaps that's the real answer.   
      
   Or the article is just wrong.   
      
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