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Looks like it's most likely a Leich!

Started by Greg G., October 04, 2011, 03:33:50 PM

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Greg G.

But I'm not sure.  Not really interested in it, just curious:  http://tinyurl.com/3pmvhdo

The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Wallphone

It looks British to me. Why did you think it looked like a Leich?
Doug Pav

Greg G.

The cradle area kinda looked similar to some Leichs I've seen.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

LarryInMichigan


Wallphone

OK Larry, I'll meet you half way, it is a British Ericsson.
Doug Pav

GG



Definitely British Ericsson:  Ericsson Telephones Limited, with the ETL logo in the handgrip (and that logo should also appear in dark red in the cradle). 

Thirty years ago I installed some of those for people as house-to-garage/barn intercoms. Some of them have dials (GPO trigger dials) instead of dial blanks, even though they also have magnetos in 'em.  I was never able to figure out how/what/why a dial and a magneto in the same set, but anyway.  The ones I got only had the dial blanks.  I should have kept one, but I did keep a desk set.  All of these things used to be incredibly common. 

Wallphone

Quote from: GG on October 05, 2011, 12:55:12 AM


Definitely British Ericsson:  Ericsson Telephones Limited, with the ETL logo in the handgrip (and that logo should also appear in dark red in the cradle). 
I was never able to figure out how/what/why a dial and a magneto in the same set. 

GG, I have read that the dial/magneto setup was used in Canada. There is small mention of it on page 89 in the latest edition of Old-Time Telephones! -- "In fact, some service used both magneto and a dial. For that kind of service, code ringing with the magneto was used for other parties on the line, while the dial was used for parties connecting through the central office". --
Doug Pav

gpo706

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

GG


Bingo!  Type 311 with magneto.  Exactly per your pictures.  With the Canadian dial markings Q and Z and Operator above the zero.  I have a couple of other phones marked that way.  (Also common were the conventional USA markings with only Operator above the zero.)

How extensively did GPO use the regular dial 311s? 

Code calling by magneto for party lines:  That strikes me as truly wild, since if you had a 10-party line, the cost of the generators in the phones was probably darn close to the cost of tweaking your Strowger machine to do reverting calls.  Or were these on tiny CAXs that didn't have capacity for reverting calls? 

In any case a wonderfully weird piece of the history.  I should have saved one for my stash when they were current.

gpo706

#9
Not very regular use for wallphones, Always rarer than the desksets anyway.

Probably more in use in industrial/workplace locations.

BTW thats a nice magneto set I could use!

I have a 311 on the wall here, need to get round to wiring a linecord into it.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"