Perusing eBay and I stumbled acrss this WE wood wall phone. The phone is nothing special but a label on the door caught my eye. Form 303, dated 4-17:
"TRANSMITTER CORDS SUPPLIED
DURING THE WAR MAY BE
DIFFERENT IN FINISH
AND COLOR FROM
THE STANDARD."
Interesting and new to me!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/123460306410
Harry ..... While I wouldn't say they are a common find, they do show up from time to time on Northern Electric sets made during that era.
Jeff
This is a Northern Electric 1317, not Western Electric:
(1) N-317-H stamped in wood
(2) "Colour", not "color", in referenced label
Good eye polar1 ! See, what'd I tell ya Harry ? ;D
Jeff
I stand corrected. I looked for a model number but could not find it. Thanks for the correction.
While on the subject of odd labels, attached is a scan of a card that was found in a Northern Electric N317 oak wall set. I suspect that the sets probably left the factory with the cards in or on the sets, but the telco's purchasing the sets would most likely remove the cards prior to the sets being installed in a subscriber's premises. Click to enlarge.
Jeff Lamb
Original listing says it was sold for 50 bucks free ship..... Someone got a steal. You don't see oak phones for less than 150 rarely at that.....
Amazing.
Quote from: Ktownphoneco on October 30, 2018, 11:23:49 PMattached is a scan of a card that was found in a Northern Electric N317 oak wall set.
I should've looked closer at the oak phone I saw 2 days ago while out on a repair. The lady retired from the phone company not too long ago. Her husband's father *and* stepmother also had long careers there. It turns out I used to talk to his wife daily, but never met her in person, so it was nice to put a face to the name.
Anyway, he showed me two of his father's old buttsets, and later took me into his shop. There, he pulled out the oak phone (also a 317 I believe,) a small test board of some sort, and two large gauges. I'll post pics in my thread of stuff I've seen while working.
I left my info with them, as he said he isn't very attached to these items, and would like to see them go to a museum. I told him I'd been in contact with the curator of the (private) MTS museum, but it's been a while--oh man, I just checked and he passed on October 22nd...sigh...there goes a lot of passion and wealth of information.
I also wouldn't doubt that Bell might not care about the history these days, so maybe they've gotten rid of their collection. I'll try to make a point of stopping by that central office soon and take a peek. Maybe take some pics as well.
RIP Harry Mortimer :(