AE candlestick with Western Electric markings

[wds]

Saw this on Ebay.  Seemed odd that a Automatic Electric candlestick would have a w.e stamp on it.

[poplar1]

Customer-owned AE 21 modified at Western Electric Service Center. Probably connected to a W.E 685A subset. Parts were company-owned and leased to the customer. B.S.R.S.= Bell System Repair Specs. (Still lookin' for any BSRS!)

[Alex G. Bell]

And with a WECo dial and what appears to be a WECo 635 rather than AE transmitter, electrically it's more WECo than AE, as a result of the Bell System conversion.  The date on the dial might be indicative.  Transmitter less likely but possible if very late.

Is the dial a true 6A or a 6AA mostly plastic dial?  A photo of the underside would tell.

[wds]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282513072544

?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[poplar1]

Since the conversion was done in 1972, it's probably a few years too early to have a 6AA dial.

The purpose of the conversion was to make it roughly equivalent to a Western Electric 500D set -- so as not to harm the network or the phone co. personnel (or so they claimed).

[Alex G. Bell]

Since the conversion was done in 1972, it's probably a few years too early to have a 6AA dial.

The purpose of the conversion was to make it roughly equivalent to a Western Electric 500D set -- so as not to harm the network or the phone co. personnel (or so they claimed).

1972: Right, quite a bit too early for that.  Have not made it a point to make note of the dates on the ones I have but surely after 1972.  I'd guess they emerged in the 80s.

Network harm and risk to personnel: Ah but of course!