When the stranger asks the switchman how he knows all of this, the switchman replies that he is a retired switchman who visits train stations to reminisce about old times.
The switchman tells the stranger that the country is famous for its railroad system; though many timetables and tickets have been produced, the trains do not follow them well.
He tells the switchman in a polite earnest voice that he's a blind college student interested in telephones, and could he perhaps have a guided tour of the switching station?
