Is There a Source for a Listing of What Cords Would Be Correct?

[Nick in Manitou]

A couple of the phones I have are in need of cords.

Is there a central source for the identification of what cord would be correct for what year of each phone?

I searched CRPF but didn't find any reference to what I hope to find.

I suppose I could ask the members what is needed for the phones I am looking to restore, but figured that the proper way about it would be to first see if there was a reference I could check myself.

Thanks!

Nick 

[Nick in Manitou]

All,

I figured I'd bump this thread one time to see if anyone could supply an answer.

Anyone know of any sources?

[George Knighton]

As I get more and more into it, I have wondered about this myself.

I've seen black and white pictures from movie and TV stills.  These seemed to have black 302's in them, and they seemed to have the kind of colour difference between the phone and the cords that I could safely assume that the cords were straight, cloth covered, and brown.

At some point, it's very clear that black 302's had switched to plastic covered curly handset cords, and plastic covered, straight black line cords.  I'm not sure anybody knows what year that happened.

It's interesting.

My ivory 302 came to me with what is, evidently, judging from the wear, original cords that are ivory straight, cloth cords.

Would love to find a list of what cords were on what and when, but I haven't found it so far.

[paul-f]

I don't recall seeing such a list -- although one may exist somewhere.

While waiting for one to show up, why not create a format for a chart summarizing the info you want and ask for input from the group?  That's the way several other reference charts were started.  For example:

Phone Model    Date    Handset Cord Type   Info Source

302                   1937   Straight                       _________
302                    ?        Retractile                     _________

500                   1949   Straright                      _________
500                    ?        Retractile                     _________

Models and other details can be added as info is collected and more questions are asked.

[poplar1]

Here's a start for black 302s  as furnished from the factory on new sets: Please make corrections.

Handset:
(1937-1941)  H3C   cloth covering (twill weave), rubber insulation on leads
(1942-1945)   ?       cloth covering, (basket weave), cloth insulation
(1946-1951)  H3C    cloth covering (basket weave), rubber insulation
(1952-1953)  H3AG  rubber covering, rubber insulation

optional: retractile cord:

H3P    cloth (twill weave), rubber
H3AF  rubber/rubber
H3AR  vinyl?/ vinyl?

Mounting cords as furnished:

D3AL  cloth (twill weave)/rubber  1937-1941
        cloth/cloth (basket weave)  1942-1945
D3AL  cloth/rubber (basket)         1946-1951
D3AY  rubber/rubber                   1952-1953


Edit: just saw a 302GW-3 black dated 1953

[Dixon Hall]

I've always heard the earlier sets were supplied with brown. Anybody know whether this was true?  I've seen pictures of some early sets in specialty colors with matching cords (blue, green, red, yellow, white, pink...), but I've never seen brown phones (pre 500).  It seems the brown cords were designed for the black phones, but this is not consistent with the rest of the matching-color pattern. Hmm...  And if brown was the original, why is black cord so common, and when did it get that way?  Was it harder or costlier to obtain black dye in the early days?  Did they use brown to better blend in with wooden cases, subset boxes, wainscot, and flooring of the period?

[poplar1]

Most Western Electric cloth cords are brown, except as you noted on color phones. Some of the older ones are green or "rattlesnake" (more than one color).

Automatic Electric switched from brown to black.