Long Lines site: Norway, IL (NRWYILNO)

Coordinates: 41º27’21.6″ N, 88º37’14.7″ W
County: La Salle
AT&T call sign: KSA81
Antenna Structure Registration number: 1014817
Height (overall): 79.3 meters (260.2 feet)
Current owner: Ames Tower Group
Current use: Unknown
Horn antennas? Yes, lots
Original paths: 1960 — Lee, Lemont, Bonfield, Lostant, Mendota
Later paths: 1966 — Odell #2, Little Rock, Ottawa

Information for this page obtained from Albert LaFrance’s website.

The Norway, Illinois, site — also sometimes referred to by its common language location identifier NRWYILNO — played many crucial functions in the Long Lines network. At its height, more than 200 people were employed at the 157,646 square foot complex located in the middle of nowhere.

It was a Class 1 office, providing connections for long-distance calls which could not go through lower-level toll offices.

Norway was also a AUTOVON (Automatic Voice Network) switching center, and was a part of the Echo-Foxtrot radio network — allowing it to communicate with Air Force One for presidential communications. It was an alarm center, notifying technicians of trouble at unmanned repeater sites in the area.

According to an article in the August 1960 issue of Lines West, a newsletter for the Western Area of AT&T Long Lines, the 157,646-square-foot building was expanded at a cost of $3 million in the early 1960s. The building has two wells and 3,000 kW of emergency backup power from three General Motors/Electro-Motive Diesel generators. The building is heated by three Kewanee scotch marine boilers.

Photos: May 7, 2025

The Norway, Illinois, AT&T Long Lines tower and switching hub seen from the west on North 3501st Road.

The Norway complex was up for sale when I visited. The real estate listing can be found here.

The Norway, Illinois, microwave relay tower with its many horn-reflector antennas. It was the only eight-legged tower in the Long Lines system, which was necessary to support antennas used for at least seven hops. Eleven horn-reflector antennas are visible in this photo, but the tower once had as many as 23 antennas on it.

KS-15676 horn-reflector with a cornucopia horn on the Norway, Illinois, tower.

Looking at the Norway, Illinois, building from the east. As mentioned in the *Lines West* article, the “4A” addition is on the left, with the “TH” building in the middle, and the original TD-2 building on the right.

Secure entry gate to the Norway, Illinois, complex parking lot.

Western wall of the 4A building, which gives an idea of how large the three-level (including basement) building is.

Northern side of the Norway, Illinois, Long Lines facility.

Four-bay garage on the northwestern corner of the rear parking lot.

Even after the Norway, Illinois, building has been gutted, remnants of its AT&T ownership — including the “death star” logos — can still be found.

Inside the main level of the giant Norway, Illinois, Long Lines site.

Alarm found on the ground inside the Norway, Illinois, AT&T Long Lines building. (You can hear the alarm sounds here on YouTube.)

August 1960: Blast-resistant, radiation-protected building at Norway

*This article was from the August 1, 1960, issue of “Lines West.” You can view the original here.* (Courtesy: Terry Michaels, Long Lines Facebook Group.)

Northern Illinois near the town of Norway is tranquil farmland country surrounded by waving alfalfa, tasseled corn, well kept farm homes and picturesque red barns.

Soon to dot this serene horizon will be a blast-resistant, radiation-protected, one-foot thick reinforced rusticated concrete building to house the new Norway Switching Center. The estimated cost of the project is $3 million.

157,646 square feet

The two-floor building with basement will have 152,858 square feet plus 4,788 square feet of existing building making a total of 157,646.

The structure to be built in three phases was designed by architects Neville, Sharp and Simon of Kansas City. It will have a 4A building and a “TH” addition plus the old building.

“TH” Groundbreaking in September

Groundbreaking will be held on phase I of the project, the “TH,” in September with an anticipated begin service date of July 1, 1961.

Construction will begin on phase II, the 4A section of the building, January 1, 1961. The completion date will probably be December 1, 1961. 4A cutover to the switching center is expected to be October 7, 1962. The 4A building is designed for an additional floor and expansion of the western wing.

The entrance to the building will feature a baked enamel on metal facade.

Eventually 200 persons will be employed at the Norway center. Parking space is planned for 75 cars.

Two wells

The new center will have two wells for its own water supply and 3,000 kilowatts of emergency power. The 3,000 kilowatts will come from three 28-ton 1,000 kilowatt engine alternators which will be 9 feet high, 20 feet long and 4 feet wide.

For the first time in the Western Area, engines will be cooled by heat exchangers adjacent to the engines instead of the usual closed radiator systems mounted on the roof. Instead of wasting the water from the buildings’ heating and cooling system, it is used to cool the engines.

Traffic relief for Chicago

The Norway Switching Center will provide relief for the No. 4 machines at Chicago, which is a DDD (Direct Distance Dial) regional center. Norway 4A machines will handle the “through” switched loads and the Chicago machines will handle the traffic that originates and terminates at Chicago. Major routes that go through Norway are the north and west section of the Chicago By-Pass, the Transcontinental Radio Relay, the Chicago-St. Louis and the Chicago-Dodge City express.

The Center is the second of its kind. The other, at Rockdale, Georgia, was cutover in June.

Historic photos

Norway in the late 1950s before the “TH” and “4A” additions were constructed. Originally consisted of a white block building, similar to sites found in central Missouri and Illinois. (Photo courtesy of Terry Michaels, Long Lines Facebook Group.)

Map

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