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Two-Tone Colored WECo 500 Telephones

Started by Jester, February 28, 2010, 11:48:47 PM

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GG



Or BonAmi kitchen cleanser *without* bleach, and a toothbrush for scrubbing. 

I'd be reluctant to use sand paper.

Also be very very very careful about temperatures: those old WE housings tend to warp easily (speaking from a bad experience once) and heat will do 'em in right quick.  Use cool to mildly warm water only.  Also keep the phone out of direct sunlight once you've completed the restoration. 

Craig T

Another beauty Dan! You are on quite a roll this year, what a find, good eye!

Dan

"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Tom B

You took a chance there, Dan, but well done. I was watching this and was worried that it was one that might have been botched together
Tom

Dan

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on September 01, 2011, 08:44:56 AM
Dan,

Use Micro-Mesh sanding sheets.  They will not make scratch marks like most sandpaper.

Larry

I have never heard of these, could you be more specific, like where they can be purchased or what they look like and who makes them? Thanks
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Russ Kirk

Quote from: Dan on August 29, 2011, 09:56:17 PM
I was hoping this wasn't green. I was right. The sticker removal under the cradle was helpful. I wonder how many of these survived totally unchanged? Cord, housing, everything dates 1955.

http://tinyurl.com/3qjlyja


I was wondering if anyone can answer this:

Were these two-tone sets created in the field by the techs or were they factory ordered with USOC and comcode codes?

What is to keep a person today from having two date matching sets - one red and one black - and create two two-tone sets? Certainly they may fetch higher prices.

Here is a photo of a Sept 1955 Oregon Pacific Telephone customer phone catalog advertising the sets for only $6 a month.
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

JorgeAmely

Quote from: Dennis Markham on August 31, 2011, 09:59:25 PM
Quote from: JorgeAmely on August 31, 2011, 10:31:02 AM
You can send it to a pro also: Dennis or finlover.

.....or Jorge Amely.

Dennis: I am afraid to lose the return address!   ;D ;D ;D
Jorge

paul-f

Quote from: Russ Kirk on September 02, 2011, 04:56:34 PM
I was wondering if anyone can answer this:

Were these two-tone sets created in the field by the techs or were they factory ordered with USOC and comcode codes?

Russ,

There are some insights in the cover article from the May 2009 Singing Wires.  A sample copy is downloadable from the TCI site here:

http://www.telephonecollectors.org/singwire/samples/0905swI.pdf
http://www.telephonecollectors.org/singwire/samples/0905swII.pdf

Note that there is a new member special discount of $5 for all who join in September.

http://www.telephonecollectors.org/member/member.htm
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Russ Kirk

Great and well written article. 

All too often I get the newsletter, read it and file it.  I forgot about this article.

Thanks for the reminder and it answered all my questions. 

- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

paul-f

Thanks, Russ.

There's so much in the back issues, it's impossible to remember it all. 

I read the first few years of Singing Wires when preparing for the 25th anniversary edition and was surprised at the content of some of the earlier issues.  As time permits, I plan to read the entire run - since all the back issues are avaialble to members on the TCI site.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Dennis Markham

#85
I recently acquired yet another soft plastic Red 500 to add to my collection.  Listed on eBay, this one caught my attention and appeared to be original to its manufacture date of June 1954.  It has a neutral gray straight handset cord and matching mounting cord.  This set was billed as a full color set back in 1954, despite the fact that the "dial" is black.  The handset is matching, distinguishing it from the "Two-tone" sets that were all black except for the housing.  In a recent discussion about dial card retainer rings, I posted a photo showing this set as it has the nickel/chrome ring.

Seen here:
http://tinyurl.com/7mtkuzq


After I finished refurbishing this phone I decided to take a look at my other Red sets.  I have enjoyed collecting the Red sets that I believe are original and sport the variations of handset cords.  I thought I would post a few photos for the benefit of those that would like to know more about these early soft plastic sets.  All the parts of these sets are how I found them with the exception of two cords that were bad and needed to be replaced.  Some were found with their original number cards.  This latest set had the original card hidden below the Area Code card----a Bonus card.

The first photo is of the phone I posted in the previously mentioned posting.  The phone is dated 6-1954 throughout except for the handset caps which are dated 5-1954.  Consistent with a phone manufactured in June.   I also did a photo album on Google to show some of the steps I went through in refurbishing it.  For those interested, it can be viewed here:

https://tinyurl.com/y8agujua

The second photo shows the Red straight cord, one that is hard to find.  This one is dated June of 1956.  Along side that phone is one that I added the Black straight cord to as the original was badly damaged.  The phone came from Schenectady, NY and is dated 12-1954.

The third photo once again shows my latest set (From June of 1954) along side a "Two-tone" dated two years later, June of 1956.  The coiled cord is a NOS replacement, from 10 years later---1966.

The fourth set of phones shows gray cords, the one on the left----the straight handset cord is dated April of 1955. Along side that phone with the gray coiled cord is an example from June of the same year.

The only set that I did not photograph is the regular old Red set with matching Red coiled cord.

My shelves only hold 5 at a time so I had to stick one of them on a separate shelf.  Time to get more shelves.

Finally, the photo of the booklet, shows the "full color" sets as well as the "two tone" sets. The booklet is a reproduction made by long-time collector and TCI member Russ Cowell.  Russ had these very nice reproduction booklets made from a booklet originally printed by the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia.  The original posting about those booklets and their availability can be seen here:

http://tinyurl.com/7d638sn

Although I have begun collections of many different telephones, I probably enjoy collecting the 1950's soft plastic 500 sets the most.  I would love to eventually collect a similar series in all of the original colors.





GG



Good stuff; I had no idea that WE went through so many versions between the first introduction of color and the "final" version with everything uniformly colored.

There's an old National Geographic article about the Bell System, depicting someone standing in an acoustic room talking on a red 500 with black dial and black or gray straight receiver cord.  When I first saw that I thought it had to be a "workshop model" or something that was put together to use for tests, because I had no idea that it was the production version at the time. 

Germany and some other countries continued to use the black/other-color scheme: for example an orange or green housing & handset, with a black dial & cords. 

jsowers

Dennis, your red phones are really great to see and your post is a great history lesson on the difference between two-tone sets and black dial "full color" sets. They had lots of variations on the road to an all-matching phone and those in your pictures are some of the rarest of all soft plastic sets.

They didn't make as many early on as they did in 1957-59 when all the parts matched and the plant was also expanded to increase production. So those early sets are rare birds and not too easy to find.

You do need more shelves! Empty shelves have a way of filling themselves, so good luck finding all the other color variations. And thanks for posting your reds. What color is next? Moss green? Oxford Gray?
Jonathan

Doug Rose

Dennis....great display. I'd love to see more of it. Really a eye catcher. The WE ad with the phones is a great visual.

Question on two tone sets. Basically if the dates match, you can build your own. What I am asking is there any link in the markings on your sets that show that black dial was made for the red housing or could it have come out of a different black 500 set with the same dates. I am just trying to learn as to what makes them authentic past the booklet.

More pictures of your phones, please! I love the shelves .........thanks...Doug
Kidphone