Circuit Lab

The Circuit Laboratory

The ATS

Picture from NCU Journal November/December 1991

The picture above (probably) shows the ATS (Automatic Telephone School) when it opened at Dollis Hill in 1930.

The Engineer-in-Chief's Training School

This was started in 1924 as a necessary means of training staff in the supervision and maintenance of the growing number of Strowger automatic telephone exchanges. Until 1934 the ATS (Automatic Training School) was located in King Edward Building next to the Circuit Laboratory. The ATS was transferred to Dollis Hill in 1930 and then to Stone in Staffordshire after World War II.

The Circuit Laboratory

The Circuit Laboratory was introduced on 1st October 1924 (also in King Edward Building) to aid testing of automatic telephone equipment which was being introduced by the 5 telephone manufacturers and the Post Office.

The remit of the Circuit Laboratory included:

Testing of circuits developed by the Post Office.
Assembly of models of circuits for such tests.
Testing of circuit models submitted by contractors.
Brief testing of circuit elements as required by circuit designers.
Demonstrations of facilities, layout, accessibility etc.
Test and criticism of new developments from the "practical " point of view.
Measurement of time lags and similar operating characteristics.
Tests of proposed maintenance adjustments of various apparatus.
Investigation of special maintenance troubles in telephone exchanges.
Assembly, test, or overhaul of special routine testers, acceptance testers, and other exchange testing equipment of a unique or novel character.
Assembly or modification of experimental apparatus or field trials or other experiments outside the Circuit laboratory.

| Return to Training Index |