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1954 Western Electric Model 3500 Desk Telephone ?

Started by LarryInMichigan, January 10, 2010, 11:54:00 AM

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LarryInMichigan

This is apparently a 5302 with an AE dial ::)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180451976073 ( dead link 08-25-21 )

Dan/Panther

Are his claims right did an independent company distribute these 5302 variations. I've never seen or heard of one before. Are they  just trying to blow smoke or ?
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

Sometimes the Independents used Western Electric sets.  They did not use Bell System sets.
I could see them selling of the 5302's to independents. It helped get rid of the old technology. I don't think 5302's have any markings except possibly on the handsets. In this case they would use "W" marked handsets.

The western Electric sets are marked Western Electric or have a "W" to indicate non-Bell sets.

With  an AE dial it seems more possible that this was an Independent set.

Independents would sometimes order incomplete sets and use a different brand of dial or handset.  Sometimes for network efficiency, sometimes due to costs.

Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dennis Markham

I have seen the F1W handsets, but never a G1W.  Did they manufacture them with the G1W designation?  I see on Paul's site reference the the F1W's designated for Independent use.  Paul's mention of the 5300 sets shows the GF handset in addition to the F series.  He also shows a Model 5251 which had no ringer and no Bell System markings.  Probably the sets destined for the Independent companies.  But no mention of an A.E. dial.

With that being said, I would not be surprised to see an A.E. dial on one of the 5300 series phones.  There was a collector this morning that posted a photo of a Model 591 (made for Independent) that has an A.E. dial.  That is the first I had ever seen.  (But there's a lot I haven't seen).  This is a soft plastic set.  They are stamped with Western Electric but do not say Bell System on the logo.  I'm sure you saw that on both lists today.

Here's the phone, marked A/B 591:

http://atcaonline.com/pictures/?id=267849920
http://atcaonline.com/pictures/?id=267849815
http://atcaonline.com/pictures/?id=267849873
http://atcaonline.com/pictures/?id=267849758

I hope the ATCA will not mind me sharing these photos with our readers.