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Western Electric Porcelain Line Protector

Started by Doug Rose, January 13, 2019, 11:06:09 AM

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Doug Rose

I found this in a box today. Really nice shape for 100 years old. One tiny chip out of the porcelain. Vermillion looks brand new....Doug
Kidphone

AL_as_needed

These were the early "lightning arresters" correct? I work in and on a lot of old buildings and I have seen this all over the place in basements.
TWinbrook7

RB

I believe the two red tubes are the fuses.
And the round cup thing contains the spark gap.

Jim Stettler

There were quite a few different porcelain line protectors. I have a small collection of them packed away somewhere.
This style is one of the more common ones. I think they were common around the 302 era.
Just an opinion,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

AL_as_needed

I'll have to keep a more watchful eye out for these at work and maybe recover a few if they are in decent shape. The ones I have noticed are mounted to a wood board with a finished edge and were likely nice to look at in their day.
TWinbrook7

Key2871

#5
Correct the red things are fuses. If one opens then you have no phone service.. that looks brand new Doug. I used to have a collection of CP mounted on a piece of wood.
KEN

Jim Stettler

Quote from: AL_as_needed on January 13, 2019, 11:40:45 AM
I'll have to keep a more watchful eye out for these at work and maybe recover a few if they are in decent shape. The ones I have noticed are mounted to a wood board with a finished edge and were likely nice to look at in their day.
I like the look of the old and grimy  ones, some call it patina. I would grab any that are'nt in use. They will eventually get tossed otherwise.
JMO,
JIm
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

skyrider

I found a protector like this one under a house built in 1910 in Stone Mountain Georgia back in the early 1990's. It had the asbestos back shield and was mounted on a wood back plate. It was also dated 1919. I loved working in old houses and old buildings because you never knew what you might find.


Bill

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Jim Stettler on January 13, 2019, 11:36:51 AM
I think they were common around the 302 era.
I never thought they would be that old.
That is good info to know.
Thanks,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Key2871

#9
I live five minutes from the CO but they took out the dumpster a few years back, because everyone was throwing their trash into it. So I don't find anything like that anymore.. :-\
KEN

AL_as_needed

Quote from: Jim Stettler on January 13, 2019, 12:32:16 PM
I like the look of the old and grimy  ones, some call it patina. I would grab any that are'nt in use. They will eventually get tossed otherwise.
JMO,
JIm

Oh none of these have been in use for a long, long time. The basements I venture into are time capsules from the 1880s to present. Its amazing what gets left behind.
TWinbrook7

Butch Harlow

I recently picked up one of these at an antique shop here. It has the same two dates on the bottom which I assume are both patent dates. Mine is in pretty nice shape, but not like yours. Finding anything in my area is pretty rare, so I was happy to pay the 20 bucks to add this to the collection.
Butch Harlow

Payphone installer

There are a ton of these out there in any old neighborhood that had building around the turn of the century. It is common to find them with straps over the fuses so that only the carbons in the cup are protecting the phones. This is because the fuses went open all the time. If you open the cup and pull the carbons out you will see in most cases they have burn marks from lighting strikes. after a while the burnt carbons would cause trouble on the line. I have a bunch of these around here somewhere. The back piece was asbestos,usually between the protector and the floor joist.

Butch Harlow

Quote from: Payphone installer on January 13, 2019, 06:25:20 PM
It is common to find them with straps over the fuses so that only the carbons in the cup are protecting the phones.

Like these?

My carbons were clean.
Butch Harlow

zenithchromacolor

My 1927 house still has one of these on the basement ceiling complete with the asbestos sheet, though it is no longer in use. There are also the remains of the 3-conductor cloth inside phone wiring. Sorry for the poor photo, it is located under a drywall ceiling and my camera does not have a flash.