ATEA Model 51

[tubaman]

I can now confirm that American Automatic Electric dial card holders fit the belgian ATEA dials 100%.

BUT: French dials, which seemingly are based on the AE design as well, use the same stunning mechanism for the card, just a tad bigger in size! (maybe 4 mm)[/i]
The finger hole pattern is a little bit different, too. So some AE based european dial parts interchange with their american doubles, others don't.

Indeed - and if you get a Japanese one - again AE pattern dial - it's slightly bigger again!

[countryman]

I now found a pair of RTT 56 with missing dials. For 1 Euro plus domestic shipping I could not resist :-)
Just to show the differences I put one of them side by side with my old copper plated ATEA 50. The cradle is different, and on the 56 the holes for the handle are reinforced (thicker cast). That makes clear that the handle has been retrofitted on the ATEA 50 by just drilling the holes.
The dial mount is also different, while the base plates are interchangeable.
The 2 RTT 56 came with different handsets. The new phones are all cobbled together from mixed parts, just like the ATEA 50 I already had.
One handset looks correct, a F1 knockoff design. The other one is more rounded off, missing the distinctive ridge or keel, just like on my ATEA 50 phone. Where might these come from?

[Jack Ryan]

The ATEA Model 50 doesn't have a handle so it's probably a reproduction.

The F1 style is correct for an RTT phone, the other is  - oh, in compose mode I can't see the picture - a Bell handset. A lot of RTT56s, especially those with Bell transfers, have the wrong handset. They are usually ATEA or Bell handsets.

The RTT dial mounts are different from the ATEA mounts so you can't put a standard ATEA dial in an RTT56.

Jack

[tubaman]

Can't complain at those for €1!
I think the F1 style handset is the correct one as my RTT56A, that is original as far as I can tell, has a handset like that.
I believe the other handset started life with a different Belgian phone, a BTMC 2712, at least that is what my one has.

[countryman]

The ATEA Model 50 doesn't have a handle so it's probably a reproduction.

Yes, who ever did the copper plating must have drilled holes and gave it a handle from the later model.

Thanks Jack and tubaman for the answers!