A member of the ATCA Facebook page posted that he saw the switchboard listed in the Grand Rapids Michigan Craigslist with an price of $50. Called the owner and told him I'd take it. When I got to his place (today) he let me have it for free as long as I promised I wasn't going to scrape it.
The numbers on the trunk lines match what's shown on the dial. Now to contact the local library or historical society (area code and exchange indicate Grand Haven, Michigan) and see if they have any reverse number directories from the 1980s, give or take a decade.
Notice that this PBX is equipped with a magneto.
PBX has a couple of modules that I don't know what they are for. See last two pictures. The last photo shows a module with 3 tubes. Ballast tubes?
The extensions are numbers only, to 60. The number 13 is not missing as seen on some hotel PBXs.
It was a cold rainy day today. We wrapped the board in a tarp and held it in place tied down by straps
If you see anything about the board you'd like to comment on please do.
One nice thing is that all of the relay covers are present.
The owner told me he got the switchboard from Clare Seplinski of Wayland Michigan. With the switchboard came a large envelope with switchboard papers addressed to Clare (postmarked 1989). A Google search found that Clare passed away in 1994 and a search on the address in the Michigan voter registration website showed that a woman with the same last name is living at Clare's address. She is of an age that leads me to believe she is Clare's wife. I'll try politely contacting her.
Congratulations on your find, an early Christmas present in the form of an old beauty is always nice.
I bet your a happy camper!
Yes I am. I'm also excited to do the research to find out where it came from.
Wonderful find Tom! You certainly can't beat the price!....Doug
Yea, find where it came from would be great, good luck.
How much do you suppose it weighs? 3-400 pounds?
Or a little less. That is just too cool Tom, congrats again.
Quote from: Key2871 on December 02, 2018, 12:47:45 PM
How much do you suppose it weighs? 3-400 pounds?
About 375 pounds.
That is the most complete board I have seen, nice find!
Great catch! Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations Tom. I've always wanted one but don't have the room. Maybe someday.
I don't have the room either, but I got one anyway. And made it work!
Quote from: oldguy on December 03, 2018, 11:32:50 PM
Congratulations Tom. I've always wanted one but don't have the room. Maybe someday.
Appears to have the hard-to-find Conference Jack. (Not sure if other equipment is needed.)
Nice find! Great catch. I am still looking to replace the one that was stolen from me. Same scenario, I got it from Craigslist for $50.00 then it was stolen from where I had it stored.
Wow. I would just love one of those, I would certainly have found room for it. Well done. Find of the year?
Harry, sorry to read that - stolen? Weighs quite a bit so I would imagine it was slow progress for the thieves removing that.
Other than allowing for possible Area Code changes....did you try dialing the number? I sold a 555 once. I knew from the phone number on the dial and trunks that it had been in Kamloops BC Canada. Never thought about it beyond that. Guy shows up to get it and asked where it came from. Kamloops I say. Yeah but what business? I dont know. He pulls out his cell phone and calls it, gets answer, talks a moment and says thanks, goodbye. Sagebrush Motel in Kamloops he says to me. I nearly fell over. I had worked in Kamloops putting in an AE #1EAX for about 4 months in 1976/77. Stayed at the Sagebrush Motel most of that time as it was old, large and had a separate bedroom and a kitchen. But, to add to the story, I was 20 and dated the girl at the front desk a bit while I was there. Her parents ran the motel which had a living unit for the manager attached to the reception area where the 555 was. Several times I went over there in the evening and we just watched TV while she jumped up to answer the switchboard every time it rang. I had the switchboard for years and it never occured to me to check what business it had originally been located at! Terry
Quote from: poplar1 on December 04, 2018, 07:21:55 AM
Appears to have the hard-to-find Conference Jack. (Not sure if other equipment is needed.)
Yes, the unit with the tubes is marked conference.
Quote from: Fabius on December 16, 2018, 08:19:15 PM
Yes, the unit with the tubes is marked conference.
That is a sought after option. I think you could sell those cards for a couple of hundred.
I know and understand that you keeping the board complete, I would too.
JMO,
Jim S.
The location where the switchboard was in service has been located!
The are two numbers on the dial that are also on the incoming trunks. 616-842-2500 was assigned to Challenger Stamping and Porcelain Co. And 616-842-2080 was assigned to the Puffer Hubbard Refrigerator Co. Both were located in the same building in Grand Haven Michigan and had the same own owner. Challenger made porcelain advertising signs and porcelain on steel appliances. Puffer Hubbard made medical and scientific refrigerators and other instruments. Both companies went bankrupt in the late 1970s.
Nice to see a piece of history going to a good home and not parted / butchered! I've wanted one of these for years and all i find is butchered crap in chicago are IF you can find one, and for free you cannot beat that.
boy are you lucky! I'd personally pass on them, 375 pounds is a (expletive deleted) to move! and you have to really have the room for them, otherwise they wind up in the garage, or storage!
Loading it onto a pickup was easy. The seller had two car ramps that he placed on the lowered pickup tailgate. He placed a piece of plywood on top of the ramps. It was very easy to roll the switchboard up to the bed of the truck.
When I got home we put a thick pad on the tailgate. We laid the switchboard on its back with the bottom with the dolly on it towards the open tail gate. We pushed it slowly over the tailgate and when we reached the switchboard's center of gravity we started to tilt it forward. With three guys we were able to control it as it slid off slowly. When one end of the molly reached the ground we were able to lean the switchboard forward. Then rolled it to its new home in the garage. I was surprised how easy it was to move it.
They are easier to move if you remove the individual plug-in cord pair assemblies.