Comments on: Form vs. Function: The Western Electric 2500

By: Ramil

Ramil — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:26:19 +0000

Hi, I’m Ramil, an avid telephone collector from the Philippines. I have a Stromberg Carlson model 2500, it is still working but I can’t dial a number to connect. Maybe it has a problem with its wiring diagram, can you help me with it? Maybe you can provide me a wiring diagram for the said model and maker if you have, and lastly, how can I restore its body. The phone casing has lots of scratches and discolored. Is there anyway I can restore it to its original look? Thanks!

By: Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:30:47 +0000

Mark, thank you for your kind words.

So, ready for another Dreyfuss fact?
The classic “G” handset on the 500 and 2500 is NOT symmetrical. If you’ve a modular “G” handy, unscrew the transmitter and receiver caps and swap them around. Now, hold the handset as if you were going to use it, transmitter to mouth, receiver to ear.
Notice how it just feels so wrong.

The thing is so designed for optimum comfort and mouthpiece/transmitter positioning for the majority of adults. Really, these phones designed by Dreyfuss are great examples of industrial design/human interface. Compare and contrast to the junk you find these days that are passed off as telephones.

I am quite the “fan” of the pre-Breakup Western Electric hardware. I’ve seen WeCo phones that are older than I am (and I’m 56) that work as well today as they did when they were assembled. I’m confident that all of the WeCo phones in my collection will be working just fine for some other collector/”fan” long after I’m dead.

[You're right about the handset... weird! Thanks Chris, good stuff. - Mark]

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:38:04 +0000

Dang Chris,this certainly isn’t your first rodeo! Thank you for sharing your view, which I have to believe is right on target. The function of the 2500 was paramount, as the transition to this new technology didn’t need to be made any more awkward. (its appearance is awkward enough!) Thanks again for your contribution… maybe you can write a “guest article” for me sometime!

By: Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:54:17 +0000

I rise in defense of Henry Dreyfuss and his revision of his 500 series telephone.

First off, notice that, save for the inside of the switchhook cradle, the push buttons, and the number slot, there is not a single set of parallel line anywhere, it all slught angles, as well as gentle curves. All the corners are radiussed, and the edges of all the planes are rounded.

The pushbuttons are of especial notice.

First off, the white on grey doubleshot injected buttons themselves. The white numbers are moulded into the grey plastic. The symbols will not wear away.

Also, the color scheme is about the most high contrast without being garish. If there’s any light, you can almost always read the numbers and letters.

The dishing of the buttons is also of interest. Sure, the dishing makes the button easy to push, and your finger is unlikely to slip off, but, more importantly, the dishing and the color scheme renders the buttons readable no matter how bright the light shining on the keys, or the angle of the light vs. the angle you’re viewing the keys. The TouchTone keypad is a marvel of human/machine interface.

As for the keypad swimming in the middle of the faceplate, well, I think of it more as displaying the buttons for the user, without any extrainious distractions.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:42:37 +0000

Hmm…
I don’t know, but Mark Scola (a friend of a friend) had this to say:
“2500 = The Style of phone. The first M = Modular. The M G B is a code for the type of circuit used. I do not know the code other than to say this phone was assembled in the USA from parts imported from Asia (Indonesia I suspect) and marketed by AT&T during the 1980’s. The real Western Electric company ceased to exist around 1983-84.”

By: James Corpening

James Corpening — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:24:34 +0000

I have a 2500, but it’s a 2500MMGB with a HI/LO/OFF switch (DOM 10-85), and I wonder what the MMGB means. When I disassemble my 2500, I’m amazed that 1.) the phone is mostly just a shell, with a circuit board under the numbers as the heart, 2.) a strip of metal was fastened inside, apparently to give the 2500 some meaningful weight, and 3.) it was made in the USA by AT&T Technologies. I need to find a new spot for my 2500, though, ’cause I just replaced it with one of my rotary 500’s (DOM 10-70).