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Metal Northern Electric 302 with NU Handset

Started by Doug Rose, August 14, 2011, 01:34:11 PM

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Doug Rose

I have had this in my collection as my daily driver for a few years now. It always gets attention from phone collectors. "what is that?" "that's a strange handset"This is a really nice metal Northern Electric shell, with a like new Northern Electric base. Dated 2/25/52. When I bought this about 15 years ago, the fellow collector told me that Northern was using up all their spare parts the way Western did with the 5302s as the 500s sets were out in force. I have never seen another like it. Great cloth cords on the phone. Its all Northern, so I don't know if the  "Frankenphone" label applies. I am thinning the heard, so this might be one that finds another ranch. Your thoughts?....Doug
Kidphone

AE_Collector

#1
Hi Doug:

DavePEI might know more about it.. What I know is that those NU handsets were for NECo's early Uniphones (sideways 302) that they made for the Independent telco's (mainly in Canada back then I would assume) so that 302's would remain associated with the Bell Telco's only.

I have never seen an NU handset on a NECo 302 so can't say if it was just a repair job or actually came fro mthe factory that way. Being that the NU handset was used on early Uniphones only before they switched them to the F handset, it doesn't seem real likely that they were using up parts by putting them on 302's since they may as well have used them up on the Uniphones which were still being made for many more years.

Just my thoughts though....

Terry

LarryInMichigan

My guess would be that a phone co technician needed to replace a handset on a subscriber's phone and used what he had on the truck.

Larry

Doug Rose

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 14, 2011, 02:32:28 PM
My guess would be that a phone co technician needed to replace a handset on a subscriber's phone and used what he had on the truck.

Larry

Agreed....but still an almost perfect Metal shell with a '52 Northern Base. Over a decade since metal phones were made. Plus, not sure what the AB 1 stamp means....Doug
Kidphone

Sargeguy

AB-1 is a 251 not a 302.  They would have come without a ringer and were sold to independent TELCOs.  That would explain why the NU was on the truck.
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

Doug Rose

Kidphone

NorthernMan

I am not familiar with this style of Northern ...... what markings on the shell make it a Northern ? Same with the internal parts. I know the dial and reciever will be marked but how do you know the rest is not Western ?

Doug Rose

#7
Northernman....Northern phones always have the patent dates 1933 1935 on the back of the base inside and the stripped red ringer. The metal shell is just a metal shell, Northern and Western did not mark them as far as I know. The base is without a doubt a Northern. Not trying to tell Northernman about Northern phones, but this is how I tell them apart. If I am wrong, please let me know....Doug
Kidphone