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Now the Story Can be Told - 1949 WECo 500 Set

Started by Dan/Panther, March 20, 2010, 11:08:11 PM

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bingster

Did the earliest versions have plastic fingerwheels?  I've never seen a metal fingerwheel break up like that.
= DARRIN =



Dan/Panther

Bingster;
My though exactly, It was either plastic, or bakelite. My guess Plastic.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

McHeath

I'm betting that a replica of the fingerwheel could be made by someone skilled in casting plastics.  That would be interesting to have, perhaps you could sell them, you know advertise them as the original design fingerwheel for the 500.

Paul F's site notes that the 1948 prototypes had a green cloth covered ringer coil.  I'm wondering if this phone is perhaps one of those due to it's odd switch hook design, strange ringer, screwed on feet, and very early dial, it will be interesting to see.  I think you really hit pay dirt on this one D/P, if it's a 48' then you may very well have the only one in existence. 

Dan/Panther

#33
McHeath;
I can only hope. If only a handset and shell would show up :o :o :o
I think I can find a straight handset cord.
I got tracking confirmation. The phone is in the system, and on it's way.

I'm posting the photos again so everyone can see how it compares to the one in the Henry Dreyfus photo, and the Pacific Tel magazine of 1949.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Drew

D/P   Can you share what is known about the 1948 prototypes ?  More is known and has been written about the 4,000 1949 field test sets.

I would imagine you'll find some dated commponents on this gem.  Please have someone snap a picture of the look on your face when you open the box with this phone in it  :o

Dan/Panther

Dan;
To be perfectly honest with you, I didn't know there were any officially dated 1948, I think maybe prototypes were fabricated in '48, and I'm leaning towards this may be one of them, I really hope it turns out to be 1949.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

I am back from vacation. I have read thru this thread with interest. There are lot's of good points on this thead and I have "lots" of opinions to add. So I am going down the list and making comments as I go.

First off, Congratulations on the great Karma D/P.
( I like the concept of Karma, You reap what you sow). D/P does good things for the hobby and collector community.

I am curious abot the dial ring. I suspect it is clearcoated or backpainted. Probably clear coat.

Sorry D/P. I don't think it is a '49 , even money on it being a '48 field trial.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: JorgeAmely on March 21, 2010, 11:36:56 AM
Noticed that it seems to have front pads attached with screws, like the 302?



Someone on the list mentioned they had an early (50?) 500 w/ 302 feet.

I suspect this set has 302 feet.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

JorgeAmely

Jim:

I have a 500 set with 302 feet. Another fine example of the phone company recycling old parts.
Jorge

Jim Stettler

Quote from: McHeath on March 21, 2010, 12:12:05 PM
What would you all do with this phone?  (out of curiosity)  Would you leave as it, give it a good cleanup but leave incomplete, add the missing parts to make it functional, or what? 

I would clean it up, probably would have contracted that job out with one of our pros on the forum as I'm not the best at it.  Certainly would have hooked up a handset to see if it worked.  But then not sure, leave it as found with all the missing parts means it's all original, and it's a very historic phone.  Adding parts needed to use it could give the satisfaction of using it. 

Wonder where the seller got it? 
I would leave it as-is with good intentions on cleaning it up later :D

My opinion on how to show this set,would be to clean it up, and put a clear 500 housing on it.

{Skipping ahead}

The fingerwheel may be an early 302 fingerwheel? If I couldn't get a "proper" fingerwheel, I would use a metal one, I suspect it would fit.

Handset elements should be G style.

The base looks llike Paul F. examples

Most definently contact paul F. Trade info regarding these early sets.

JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Drew on March 21, 2010, 07:06:50 PM
Glad you got this phone....surely important and rare.  It has me thinking about WE policy regarding what was done with these '49s once production of the 500 was off and running in 1950. This example does look to have been put in the 'Trash' pile of some kind at some point. Provokes a flashback of that huge pile of phones I came across in 1971 as a child fishing along a river in Connecticut. Yours thankfully this phone does not look to have been outside though....no rust.

The Murray Hills Bell Labs is where the transistor was invented in 1947 or 48, earning Bell Labs the Nobel Prize! I'm going to call my Father in law regarding this......for his father, a physicist, worked briefly at Murray Hills during WWII on the development of radar !

This must be a prototype with that writing on the base......unusual to say the least. Never seen that.

As to how to proceed with it.....some of the restoration/display ideas mentioned are good ideas. In a way simply cleaned and left in it's current state and presented at shows would work since it is such a rare item - until research and location of correct parts can be done. It would be among the very few "rough condition" sets to draw a crowd at an event.

Thanks for sharing the photos & details......we've all learned something important about 500 history.

Drew

I have a good "field trial" story that covers about 3 different threads. I will do a New thread for it soon.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dan/Panther

I'm also leaning towards a field trial set of '48. The only thing I'm unsure of is the O/Operator/Z, number wheel.  That is what is on the Henry Dreyfus phone in his photo.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 22, 2010, 12:16:08 AM
Jorge;
you may be right, I went by what was posted at Pauls site, he said the earliest 500 were C2A. But if this is in fact a prototype it could well be some other ringer. Any ideas what it might be ?
I will re-post the photos tomorrow, after a few inquiries.

D/P


I really lean towards a "48.

More from "gut" instinct than "quotable" referances. However my "gut" instinct is based on what I have learned over the years. I am betting '48.

Now, since you have paid high$ for phone scrap, you won't mind going high when the "birthday" "49 comes round.

It is really a great, great, find.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 24, 2010, 12:24:54 AM
I'm also leaning towards a field trial set of '48. The only thing I'm unsure of is the O/Operator/Z, number wheel.  That is what is on the Henry Dreyfus phone in his photo.
D/P

My understanding is that is the field trial dial plate. ISTR The Known "49 is different, I am thinking the curved operator.

After you get it start a dialoge with Paul F. and swap some info.  Paul has a lot of info that isn't published.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

#44
Quote from: Dan/Panther on March 23, 2010, 11:21:53 PM
Dan;
To be perfectly honest with you, I didn't know there were any officially dated 1948, I think maybe prototypes were fabricated in '48, and I'm leaning towards this may be one of them, I really hope it turns out to be 1949.
D/P

There were "48 sets, These are the first field trials. I found this out when I was researching '49's. Production 500's started in 12/49.

So since you have a (probable) 48 field trial (50 made tested w/ 300 users). Now you need  a '49 field trial ( larger amount made(2,000) . The next set is a 12/49 production model.

Then go from there.
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.