"If it's what I think it was, it involved a field-assembled system consisting of 1A1 relay assemblies (KTU's) and a small enclosure with a gray metal (later plastic) cover. There was no interrupter, power supply or line cards. Everything was line-powered."
Ed, you are remembering the 105-type apparatus mounting, aka the "cigar box" that held up to 4 single-position 1A series or 2 double-position 1A series KTU's. These were relays on metal angle brackets and they performed simple pickup and hold functions, along with a few other tasks, such as 24 Vdc battery feed for manual intercom or tie-line service, and signaling circuits.
1A used CO power to effect the hold function. Sets were wired slightly differently than those that were used later on 1A1 or its electronic equivalent, 1A2.
The phrase that put the fear of God into the heart of a repairman was being told by the dispatcher that the next job involved "1A with lights" or "1A with FLASH" (Don't get me started.)
Silversam, I once used the metal lath in a plaster wall for the ground at a KV fed by a 6-pair. I just kept screwing a 3-inch woodscrew with a clip lead attached into the wall until I got the lamp to light.
An old foreman of mine used to refer to party lines as "Tip, Ring, and Radiator" service.
Arthur P. Bloom "30 years of faithful service...15 years on hold"
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