HARRIMAN - The Orange County Amateur Radio Club (OCARC) will set up special ham stations at Mary Harriman Park on Saturday, August 21, operating on the air from 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.   

The event’s purpose: commemorating the first railroad train dispatch by telegraph, in 1851. This event is announced to all amateurs in the US, and any ham operator anywhere who logs a contact with these stations during this one-day-only event will be able to download and print a commemorative certificate.   

The special call sign used for the stations will be “K2T” (symbolizing “Telegraph”).   One of the stations will be using Morse Code, as was used (over telegraph wires) in the actual dispatch. The certificate features a background of an Erie Railroad stock certificate, early railroad symbols, the NY State historical marker about the site in Harriman of that train dispatch, as well as documentation of the on-air contact and call sign. 

The commemorative event is made possible through the auspices of The Village of Harriman, and the Monroe Historical Society.  The public is invited to visit the Park during operations on August 21, obtain historical information, and learn about the latest ham radio technology and licensing. 

More information can be found at the OCARC club website: www.ocarcny.org, or call (845) 391-3620 to leave a message.