Colored Western Electric 302 features

[Ktownphoneco]

That's all very true, and your statement .... ".... but we really don't know the circumstances that led to the existence of the sets."  is pretty much the crux of the matter.
I'll put money on the fact that there is most likely official documentation pertaining to the situation locked away at the Bell Canada archives in Montreal.      They have archived not only Bell Canada documents, but also those originating with Northern Electric.    I'd love to spend a week or two going through their records, but it would be time consuming and costly for me to do that.    I'm sure that just learning the system they use to file material would be a job in itself.  But as I mentioned, the suffix code on the set and / or the box should be a start.
I'm interested in finding out what my other contact can find out once he has a chance to visit his collector friend in Ottawa.

Jeff
 

[Jim Stettler]

When NORAD moved into Cheyenne Mountain in February  1967. They were still using colored 302 sets as their phone system. These were single line phones on  "color-coded" lines.
I think the base on the Canadian side would match the "color-coded" lines.

Just a thought,
Jim S.

[Ktownphoneco]

I'm happy to report that I've received some concrete information from a collector friend of mine in Quebec.     He was able to acquire a scanned copy of an article written in the newsletter of the Canadian Plastics (Association) dated March 1950.      The scanned copy was acquired from the Bell Canada Archives in Montreal  earlier today.
The article is entitled "Telephones In Color", and explains that the Bell Telephone Company of Canada now has a limited number of colored plastic telephones for installation in Ontario and Quebec.    The article also states that the sets are being made by Northern Electric, but that's a half truth for a number of reasons.   If Northern were making them, there'd be a lot more than a limited number.    The colors stated, are Pekin Red, Old Rose, Ivory, Grey-Green and Dark Blue.     Pekin Red and Old Rose are were the names assigned to those colors by Western Electric.
But the main reason which indicates Northern didn't make the colored cases and handsets, is that the Bell Canada Archive contact, states that they have several of the sets, and they're marked "Bell System / Western Electric" on the handset.

That's more than enough information for me to conclude that Northern Electric marketed colored 302 desk set telephones.       The article is attached, and I think it's sufficiently large enough to enlarge when "clicked" on.   If it isn't large enough, I'll type the entire article in an additional post.

Jeff Lamb

[unbeldi]

Thanks Jeff!

[rbouch]

I was just reading this thread today because I found Grey-green 302 I think matches the descriptions I have seen in here.

Wondering what you folks on the forum think.

I am on the road, so please forgive the cell phone pictures, but I can send better this weekend if necessary,

The phone has what looks like a Kentville, Nova Scotia phone number in the dial center.

The plastics are Western Electric, the handset is dated December '53, the case November 53.

Everything else is Northern Electric 1954, ringer and induction coil dated 9-29 and 9-30 '54.

Transmitter is 9-23-54 receiver is 9-28-54

Dial is a Northern Electric 5J but I didn't check the date because I don't have my tools with me.

Missing the Linecord (had a modern flat white 4 conductor cord hooked up to it) and the handset cord is a replacement (and missing the restraint).

But other than that it appears to be intact.

see the attached pictures, is this a NE Colored 302?

[rbouch]

one last picture from the case

[unbeldi]

one last picture from the case

Yup...  it has all the "correct" features of a colored 302 assembled by Northern Electric.
The date stamp on the housing is typical NECo, and the two-color combination of H1 in white and the triple-bar in red.
Ringer, induction coil, and dial are clearly NECo.

[rbouch]

Well that's great, now I hope it's fully functional.  I had no chance to test and won't for a couple of days but thought it was worth a shot....

Thanks

[Pourme]

Nice find...I love those 302's in colors. We or NE....Kinda like M&M's....