The Friends Of Drakelow Tunnels
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In March 2007 we aquired Shropshire County Council's
Emergency Communications Network equipment. As a result of a refit
at their Shrewsbury Emergency Control Centre, the County Council's
Cold War ECN equipment was generously offered by the Cabinet Office
and Shropshire's Emergency Planning Dept to the Friends of Drakelow
Tunnels for our collection. This was part of the Government's
emergency communications system from the 1980's. Although much
smaller than the equipment that would have been fitted in Drakelow's
comm centre, this system was a part of the same network and would
have been connected to Drakelow via at least one direct line.
The terminals used were the same but the message exchange (CSX)
for the county controls was smaller than the Message Switching
Exchange (MSX) at RGHQ's like Drakelow. The system worked something
like Email where messages were sent between message switches at
the Central Gov't HQ (Codename 'Turnstile') at Corsham, the RGHQs
like Drakelow, the County Controls (like the one at Shrewsbury)
and other establishments like the U.K Warning and Monitoring Organisation.
Not only was it it full working order when we collected it, it
was still warm! It was deliberately damaged by an 'airsoft' player
in 2009. Despite the airsoft company initially assuring us they
would try to get it repaired nothing ever happened. It has been
left for several years now, so it is unlikely that it still works.
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You can see this equipment in its original location on the Drakelow
Unearthed Extras pages or click here.
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2004 Photos
Goodbye
Adit D
2005 Photos
E.C.N.
Equipment
Dutch
visitors fly in for tour
Drakelow
RSG
9 (1960's - 1970's)
RGHQ
9.2
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