Monday, October 06, 2014
1906 Lyft
Well, not exactly. But it was a use of the latest technology to manage a car service. The Decauville Garage in NYC served individual owners and their individual chauffeurs. Garage space was already at a premium in NYC, so a central garage and repair shop was needed. Decauville provided storage and repair and gasoline for 350 cars, each in its own rented stall. It also had 'recreation' and showers for the drivers when on duty. Each driver had his own message slot in the 'recreation' room.
Here's where the technology came in.
A switchboard operator took calls from owners who wanted to use their cars. She wrote a message on the Telautograph [which Polistra has modeled and animated]. The original messages, on a continuous roll of paper, were filed for reference. A receiving Telautograph in the chauffeurs room picked up the written message, and an attendant there tore it off and made sure the correct driver got it quickly.
Decauville also had a clever facility for quick battery switching in electric cars, which were dominant in City use at that time.
The cars didn't need mustaches, of course..... drivers handled that end of the business.
= = = = =
Sidenote: The Telautograph made it easy to draw and instantly send a map or sketch. This could have led directly to something like today's GPS systems, as Polistra and friends illustrate. Probably not 1906 tech here, more like 1918 with the direction-finding receiver.
Here's where the technology came in.
A switchboard operator took calls from owners who wanted to use their cars. She wrote a message on the Telautograph [which Polistra has modeled and animated]. The original messages, on a continuous roll of paper, were filed for reference. A receiving Telautograph in the chauffeurs room picked up the written message, and an attendant there tore it off and made sure the correct driver got it quickly.
Decauville also had a clever facility for quick battery switching in electric cars, which were dominant in City use at that time.
The cars didn't need mustaches, of course..... drivers handled that end of the business.
= = = = =
Sidenote: The Telautograph made it easy to draw and instantly send a map or sketch. This could have led directly to something like today's GPS systems, as Polistra and friends illustrate. Probably not 1906 tech here, more like 1918 with the direction-finding receiver.
Labels: 20th century Dark Age, Alternate universe, Danbo
¶ 4:06 AM
