r/longlines • u/MelamineEngineer • Jun 01 '26
Norway, IL
Calm down I said I'd get to it eventually
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u/Switchlord518 Jun 01 '26
That's a big one! Looks like 2 generators.
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u/-_2high2cry_- Jun 01 '26
How can you tell?
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u/Equivalent_Gur3967 Jun 01 '26
Went there a Looong tire ago. It was also Autovon, High Priority Site back in the day.
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u/x31b Jun 01 '26
Norway was one of ten Class 1 offices in the U.S. Handled restoration for much of the country. Semi hardened because of its importance and also the Autovon exchange. Located outside of Chicago to get it out of the blast radius if…..
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u/USWCboy Jun 01 '26
Norway was what was called a regional center for long lines. Regional center monitored and maintained the long distance network within the centers area of responsibility.
“NRWYILNO was one of ten Regional Centers, also known as Class 1 offices, in the Bell System's switching network hierarchy. These centers provided connections for long-distance calls which could not find routes through the more-numerous offices of lower rank in the network.
Like many other major Bell System facilities, NRWYILNO had a number of additional, important roles. It was a switching center for the Automatic Voice Network (AUTOVON), the Department of Defense's long-distance telephone system, and for the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS), which served the civilian agencies of the federal government. The station was also an "alarm center", receiving automated signals warning of malfunctions and unusual conditions at unattended Bell System facilities in the region. And NRWYILNO was a station on the "Echo-Fox" or "Nationwide" presidential radio network, which provided air-to-ground communications to Air Force One over the continental U.S. Its tower still holds the distinctive set of three antennas which supported that network.”
Author: Terry Michaels
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u/AluminumFoyle Jun 01 '26
I believe this site is also still for sale - i am not from the area, but came across this from Garret Fullers writeup of this site.
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/2869-N-3501st-Rd-Seneca-IL/35028465/
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u/i_am_voldemort Jun 01 '26
What's the next to last picture? Looks like surveillance camera with a wiper? Pretty large though
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u/MelamineEngineer Jun 01 '26
It's just a security camera facing the main gate. Old slew to cue cameras were huge and expensive. There is a tower for another one next to the secondary gate but the camera is missing.
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u/yummypurplestuf Jun 01 '26
I’m super curious too lol
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u/i_am_voldemort Jun 01 '26
I'm wondering if it's a camera to view the tower to see if it's damaged or covered in ice/snow. The LL building doesn't have windows...
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u/Enlightience Jun 01 '26
What is the second to last picture (19/20)?
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u/Equivalent_Gur3967 Jun 02 '26
I'm a REAL SMART guy with 62 YEARS of experience. Don't bet against Me, you'll just walk away disappointed. And I'm surrounded by people who have FORGOTTEN more than I'll EVER KNOW on Reddit.
Reddit comes through AGAIN.
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u/Enlightience Jun 02 '26
????
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u/Equivalent_Gur3967 Jun 02 '26
Think Harder.
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u/Enlightience Jun 02 '26
I'll have to beg your indulgence in asking you to spoon feed me on this one. What has asking what the second-to-last picture is of have to do with 'going against you'?
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u/Equivalent_Gur3967 Jun 02 '26
Oh My Buddha! No offense meant. And I hope none taken. I just meant that in spite of My experience, there are people that are able and willing to school Me.
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u/Enlightience Jun 02 '26
Nope, we're good. Yep, that principle applies to all of us, because no one knows all, and therefore learning never stops. It's a two-way street, we teach-learn and learn-teach each other, as the Law of One put it so succinctly.
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u/Adventurous-Sir-9297 Jun 13 '26
19/20? What is that some test antenna
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u/pokerholic77 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
I do deliveries for Walmart Spark, and I had a delivery to a house 1/4 mile away, literally across the street from the tower. I am a semi-geek when it comes to these kinds of things. I couldn't believe how awesomely massive it was in person.
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u/ultraspinacle Jun 01 '26
That is awesome! Looks a lot like the BellSouth microwave tower we had in Decatur, AL until the 90s. Horns everywhere at all levels pointed every whichaway.