WE 11-55 doesn't ring - HELP!

[Dewdrop]

Received this WE 11-55 (mostly ) phone recently. Plugged it in using a 4 prong adapter to modular. (also tried another 4 prong phone using the adapter and it worked) I can dial out, but phone does not ring. Opened up the phone and took a few pics. I removed the gongs to check for any spiders. The inside is pretty clean.

Viewing the inside shot of the phone does it look like the wires are connected where they're suppose to be?

This is a very HEAVY phone and I haven't done any cleaning on it yet.

Your comments and/or advice is very welcomed.

Debbie

[bingster]

This may be an easy one.  Try moving the slate ringer wire from G to L1.

[Dennis Markham]

Bingster, that would be the BLACK wire from G to L1.  OR, put the yellow wire with green on your plug.

Debbie, a 1950 housing!  That is an early one.

[bingster]

Yes!  Sorry about that.  They all blend together in my mind after a while.

[Dewdrop]

Botta Bing Botta Boom! This one now RINGS!

Thanks Bingster and Dennis.

Dennis,

When were the first 500 housings made?

Debbie

[Jim Stettler]

I think there are 2-3 known 1949 housings. Anything before 1953 is very hard to find.
Jim

[Dennis Markham]

Debbie, I've had a lot of black 500's pass through my hands.  I only have one that is from 1950.  They are getting very hard to find.  It looks like the dial bezel of your phone is not from 1950.  The earlier ones had like an overlay on them, rather than the sandwiched plastic.  They usually look more yellow.

Here's mine from 12/1950.  Notice how the markings are on the front of the phone (bottom) rather than up by the volume control knob.

This is covered in the posting by Dan/Panther, but notice the dial bezel.  The numbers look a little yellow and the word "operator" is smaller than on the later ones.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2394.0

Pretty much everything you always wanted to know about a Model 500 is contained in this thread.

[Kenny C]

is the overlay like that of a #6 dial?

[Dennis Markham]

Overlay may not have been the correct word for that bezel.  It's not like the vinyl overlays the OldPhoneWorks sells to put over a worn dial porcelain.....if that's what you mean.

[Kenny C]

is it black with the letters punched out and pressed on the white?

[Dennis Markham]

Kenny, the example of the 1950 dial bezel that I posted is NOT the sandwiched type of plastic dial that we are more used to seeing.  It has some type of decal or overlay over the plastic.  If one were to sand on this bezel, it would be ruined.

[Kenny C]

oh ok i got you now

[Jim Stettler]

I think it went
Overlay
Back painted
Extruded

JMO,
Jim