Before the widespread use of locomotive radios in the 1960s, train crews and track maintainers at locations through North America communicated with dispatchers by telephone. Concrete phone booths which sheltered phone equipment and employees using them were placed in yards and at sidings, water towers, and along the mainline where crews might need to copy train orders, report information to the dispatcher, or request permission to occupy a section of track. This booth was located at Milepost 312 between Lexington and Thomasville, NC, where a water tower was located for refilling steam locomotives.

North Carolina Transportation Museum
Spencer, NC

03.24.25