Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jester on January 03, 2018, 12:39:01 PM

Title: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Jester on January 03, 2018, 12:39:01 PM
Found this curiosity stamped over the right foot in my yellow 500.  Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: LarryInMichigan on January 03, 2018, 12:46:00 PM
DON'T mess with FRED!

Larry
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: WEBellSystemChristian on January 03, 2018, 01:42:53 PM
On one of my Med Blue's, someone signed the bottom of the base with "Jerry". My Med Blue two tone (created, not authentic) is signed with "Tom". Both were written in pencil, and both signatures were written similarly. None of my other phones are signed like this, and both phones came from completely different eBay sellers.

Definitely a mystery... :o
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: jsowers on January 03, 2018, 01:46:22 PM
I've seen the insides of a lot of 50s 500 sets and never seen FRED before. Something tells me they stopped his little five minutes of fame rather quickly. Normally one thinks of young women on the assembly line at the Indianapolis plant, but I've seen pictures of men working where the housings were stored on pallets.

Maybe this one went off the line for some kind of repair and Fred got it? Thanks for the picture, Stephen. What's the date on the bottom so we can try to find another one?
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: TelePlay on January 03, 2018, 01:49:52 PM
I've noticed that there are more than a few pencil marked components/parts in 302s and some 500s and somewhere some time ago, it was stated that it was the initials of the person who installed or replaced the part. Not full names, just initials or a mark that everyone knew was a particular person.

I'd guess this was either a quality control mark or a person who did it for no reason other than thinking of who would be the first to see his initials. With the "FRED" being applied with an ink/paint marker, it has to be a bit more than than a "just for fun" mark.
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Jester on January 03, 2018, 02:29:54 PM
The base is dated 10/55.  What struck me as odd was the factory stamping used and the location of it appears deliberate.
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Babybearjs on January 04, 2018, 12:06:35 AM
I've never seen that before.... were the assemblers allowed to "Sign" their work??
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: jsowers on January 04, 2018, 09:11:36 AM
Quote from: Babybearjs on January 04, 2018, 12:06:35 AM
I've never seen that before.... were the assemblers allowed to "Sign" their work??

The assemblers were women in the Indianapolis plant where all 500 sets were made in the 1950s. Look at these WE ads. Do you see a Fred?

Maybe Fred was in a refurbishing plant? Very hard to tell.
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: paul-f on January 04, 2018, 10:04:25 AM
Quote from: jsowers on January 04, 2018, 09:11:36 AM
Maybe Fred was in a refurbishing plant? Very hard to tell.

Maybe Fred was a collector with a numbering/marking kit.

  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=11501.msg123889#msg123889 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=11501.msg123889#msg123889)

  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16995.msg175252#msg175252 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16995.msg175252#msg175252)
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Jester on January 04, 2018, 11:47:13 PM
One thing is certain.  This is the only phone I've ever had come to me with its own personal name!
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: twocvbloke on January 04, 2018, 11:56:46 PM
Quote from: jsowers on January 04, 2018, 09:11:36 AMDo you see a Fred?

Frederique? :P
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: RotarDad on January 05, 2018, 12:57:38 PM
I have also seen many sets of initials on 500 sets. Usually written inside the base in pencil (?) somewhere near the area of the rear feet.  I've seen at least a couple ringers with small handwritten markings as well.  Some of the bases were refurbed, which broadens the potential explanations, but it makes sense that these are QC marks of some kind.

The FRED stamp is very unusual.  I do have one refurbed base with a vermillion date stamp inside the base in front of the ringer (in '60 I believe).   I bet Winnifred snuck in a one-off with her stamp from the accounting department ... ;)
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: AE_Collector on January 05, 2018, 04:40:40 PM
Is it an Italian made 500? "Fixed or Repaired Every Day".

Terry
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Jester on January 06, 2018, 01:21:24 AM
Terry,
No! But I have one license built by FoMoCo.  Just kidding-- couldn't resist! 
Signed,
Mopar Fan. (Jester) ;D
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: rtp129495 on January 06, 2018, 01:25:29 AM
FORD = Fix OR Repair Daily! LOL yea, with one small variation with the "E" and "R" "O" placement/Deletion.
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: Doug Rose on January 06, 2018, 08:36:41 AM
When I was a kid, many moons ago it was Found On the Road Dead. That all changed when my friend got a Mustang..Holy Lee Iacocca Batman....that car flew. ...Doug
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: RotarDad on January 06, 2018, 10:44:59 AM
Thanks Doug!  Hadn't heard that one in forever..... 😁.   I've always loved pony cars - any make.  I think whoever placed the FRED stamp has achieved their goal of communicating from the past - funny that here we are online 60+ years later trying to interpret it...
Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: WEBellSystemChristian on January 06, 2018, 10:56:22 AM
For me, it's "First On Race Day"! ;D

Well, Jester, now Mopar is Fiat, so "Fix It Again, Tony". :)

I'm into Ford pony trucks... 8)

Title: Re: Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?
Post by: AL_as_needed on January 06, 2018, 07:11:03 PM
Maybe it was a training aid for new WE plant workers...who were really entry level.

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