News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

To my surprise not a BTMC, but a Western Electric. But what model?

Started by Matilo Telephones, May 07, 2015, 04:16:27 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Matilo Telephones

Thought this might be of interest here.

This was quite a pleasant surprise. I bought this on the internet, thinking it was some kind of Standard Electric/BTMC telephone. I try to buy these, whenever I see one. This one having a straight handset, instead of a drooping one and the old style mouth piece (spit cup missing).
When it arrived it turns out it is a Western Electric, made in the USA.
It is very similar to the BTMC model 2652.
Earliest date on the paper labels on the bottom (labels are in Dutch) is 1926.

What is this model? And when was it introduced? Before the 2652 in 1912?
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

WEBellSystemChristian

Very interesting!

Well, now I know where WE got the Celebrity design from!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

G-Man

According the label inside it would appear to be a model 396-E. I suspect it was manufactured earlier than the label applied to the bottom.
It was possibly manufactured at the Western Electric's Hawthorne Works for BMTC.
What country is the seller located?

Matilo Telephones

Thanks G-Man, I googled Western Electric 369 but all I got where radio valves.

The label is in Dutch, like it is spoken here in the Netherlands, not like in Belgium. It seems to be for quality control or refurbishment.

I bought it here, in the Netherlands.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

G-Man

There were a couple of instances (such as prior to their founding overseas factories and during WWI) when Western Electric's Hawthorne Works manufactured equipment for their BMTC or British subsidiaries.

G-Man

Description from an online auction held in 2008: 

"In case it's not apparent to the viewer of this auction, this cradle phone is built on the chassis of a common WE model 334-A subset, however you can see how ingeniously they shifted the bell gongs back over the ringer coils to reduce the size of the base's cover (no more exposed gongs!)
Most of these WE 396 sets were destined for export (mainly to Belgium), however a few stayed on this side of the pond and remained in the hands of WE employees and friends."

G-Man

From the TCI Listserve Archives Regarding a dial version of a 396 instrument:

---In singingwires@yahoogroups.com, <Doctor.Jack.Ryan@...> wrote :

It looks like one of the BTMC telephones that were made in the USA during WW1 while the Belgian factory was in enemy hands. It should have an IWE 7000 series dial (probably with reverse numbers) but it has been replaced by an LM Ericsson dial.
Such phones were manufactured there (in the USA) to fulfill orders received by the BTMC factory prior to WW1. After WW1 the Belgian factory was restored to full production. I believe Roger Conklin has written about this.

Jack

Quote from: G-Man on May 07, 2015, 11:39:51 PM
Description from an online auction held in 2008: 

"In case it's not apparent to the viewer of this auction, this cradle phone is built on the chassis of a common WE model 334-A subset, however you can see how ingeniously they shifted the bell gongs back over the ringer coils to reduce the size of the base's cover (no more exposed gongs!)
Most of these WE 396 sets were destined for export (mainly to Belgium), however a few stayed on this side of the pond and remained in the hands of WE employees and friends."