New England Telephone 2-Boxer

[Sargeguy]

I purchased this relic off of a collector on Cape Cod after it did not sell on eBay.  It is a New England Telephone & Telegraph Company 2-box telephone.  Features:


Top Box marked New England Telephone and Telegraph Co


Older green threaded ringer


Wax ball lightning arrestor


Silent signalling button


OST Transmitter


No 10 arm with beveled *229* transmitter


Original batteries

[LarryInMichigan]

Very nice!

Larry

[Doug Rose]

Greg....Outstanding!! I love the NET marked equipment...Doug

[Sargeguy]

Thanks!  Does anyone know if NET&T assembled there own apparatus using WE parts at some point?  There are no WE markings, patent dates or "TYPE XXX" on the wooden parts, which seems a little odd.  Also, when was the #10 arm introduced? apparently while the beveled transmitter was still in use.

[poplar1]

The 1908 WE catalog (on TCI website) shows the 250-W "bracket type high resistance transmitter." It is also shown on the 1098-A and 1294-A fiddlebacks, 1240-A and 1298-A two-box phone, and 1317 single box. This transmitter appears to be beveled as is the 229. But the 229 is shown only for "desk stands, transmitter arms and small telephone sets." The "transmitter arms" they are talking about are "for switchboards" and "desk stands." (These transmitter arms for desk stands are the ones some call "scissors.")

I'm not sure who made phones for New England Telephone, or why this transmitter is a 229 instead of a 250. Electrically they are probably equivalent.

[Sargeguy]

Actually I think you hit the nail on the head.  The 229 must have been old stock or from another phone.  I think the difference between a 229 and a 250 has to do with the type of mounting bracket, 229 for sticks and 250 for arms.  The cup used for a #5 arm is different then that of a candlestick in the orientation of the screw holes in relation to the insulated wire hole.  Assuming the cup was supplied with the transmitter, the designation would be necessary.  Switching out the faceplate, however would make the distinction irrelevant. 

[Sargeguy]

But if the #10 bracket is original to the phone, is the top box original?  They had to feed the wires from the binding posts through to the back of the phone then up the inside of the bracket.  There are a couple holes above the box which suggest it may not be the original box, there are no holes around the bracket.