Installer names written on phone bases?

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I recently read an old forum topic where someone had a phone that said "Bob" written on the base. I believe it was Doug Rose that chimed in, saying that it stood for "Bad Out of Box", meaning that it was a dud from the factory, and needed to be fixed. I don't think this is true, because my two Med Blue 500s each have names written on the bases, one is "Tom" and the other is "Jerry", both written in pencil. I believe that these are Bell System installer names. Have you guys found any "names" written on the bottom of your phones?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=6538.msg75815#msg75815

[tallguy58]

The Tom one belonged to a cat and the Jerry one to a mouse. Both had direct lines to MGM.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

The Tom one belonged to a cat and the Jerry one to a mouse. Both had direct lines to MGM.

I laughed when I got my 2nd med blue 500 and saw both names. I'm surprised that I don't find them whacking each other with fireplace log pokers!

[rp2813]

I have a phone signed by Bob, it works fine and IIRC, it's matching dates.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I have a phone signed by Bob, it works fine and IIRC, it's matching dates.

Yeah, you're the guy I'm talking about. Picture?

[Matilo Telephones]

I see a lot of these pencilmarks inside German telephones. They are written on individual components, mostly on clearly visible areas. Often on the hookswitch and capacitor, bracket that holds the ringer, etc.

I take it these are signatures of the factory workers and signify a quality check. They are hard to read and consist of only a few letters.

Are these signatures only written at the bottom? Or are these pencil marks also on other components?

[Dan/Panther]

If it's marked BOB on the bottom, chances are it went to refurb and the issues were repaired.
Christian, you have 2 Med Blue 500's, are they both early models ?
D/P

[WEBellSystemChristian]

If it's marked BOB on the bottom, chances are it went to refurb and the issues were repaired.
Christian, you have 2 Med Blue 500's, are they both early models ?
D/P

They're both late-1956.

[rp2813]

OK, if there wasn't a "Bob" picture in that old thread, I probably never took a shot of it.  I'll take some pix and post them here, but it may take me a day or two.

I've seen pencil markings on interior components as well, but I don't recall seeing anything more than initials, symbols or numbers.

[rp2813]

Here are pix of my 9/53 "Bob" phone.

Chassis is all matching dates, but handset and its components range from 1953 to 1962.

Besides "Bob" there is also what appears to be the number 4 penciled onto the ringer assembly.

Does anyone know about the practice of pasting a paper legend onto the side of the network block with exactly the same markings?  I removed it long ago (without any difficulty since the adhesive was dried to a crisp) when I wanted to check the network date.

[Russ Kirk]

I started as a PBX installer.  Some of the old timers that trained me told me that when a set was defective to place it in a return bin.  Then it would be returned to WE for repair and or refurbishment. 

Often times the they just tested the set and sent it back out for another new install.  So the installers got wise to this and placed a mark in the bottom, often times an X.  Some installers when seeing the X, or other mark,  opened up the set and cut the wires and placed it back in the bin for repair, believing that this would force the WE factory to either fix it right, or part it out.   I followed the X plan and did see one of my sets come back out in a couple weeks.