Inside the telephone exchange electronic 2 (TXE2)

The first fully operational production electronics telephone exchange in Europe was opened at Ambergate, Derbyshire on 15 December 1966. This was the TXE2 reed relay exchange. The TXE2 was a result of research into space division electronic exchanges and its introduction was part of the major programme of investment into the network by the Post Office using modern switching equipment which began around this time. Initially, the TXE2 was used for exchanges with a capacity of up to around 2000 lines. The last TXE exchange, sited at Leigh-on-Sea, was closed in 1998. This mobile unit, which still works to run the kiosks at Avoncroft, last saw service in the UK network at Sennybridge in south Wales.