The intent of this thread is to consolidate production information for soft 500/554's. There is a lot of variation on when different options were introduced. Some of the avaliable information comes from ads, Sales flyers, phamplets, BSP's, collector observations, ect.
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In 1954 the "Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone company of Virgina" issued a small pamphlete of Telephone services. This Booklet has color photos of the color 500 sets.
All cords shown are straight cords:
Beige-gray cord, Ivory-Ivory cord, Brown-Brown cord, Green-gray cord (all w/ matching dials)
Yellow-gray cord, Gray-gray cord, Red-Gray cord,Blue-gray cord. (All with black dials)
2-tone (black dial and handset)
Ivory-black cord, Red-black cord, Gray-gray cord, Green-gray cord.
Coiled cords were avliable (10" stretch to48")only for black sets ($1.00)
This phamplet appears to be an employee issued sales book w/ a lot of neat odd-ball 500 vintage phones/items. Mine is a reprint, the reprints may still be avaliable.
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I have seen 4-5 early colored (black dial) sets with colored dial plates and Black metal fingerwheels. I suspect these were made w/ the black fingerwheels I suspect these were factory.
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Below is a scan of an October 1955 "New Jersey Bell" bill insert. Note: all cords are coiled gray except Ivory.
I have other soft 500 referances that I will post as they turn up. Please share any related info, photos, and opinions with the forum.
Jim S.
Thank you for that information Jim. We have talked about that booklet sometime in the past. Russ Cowell was selling reprints and may still have some available. He can be reached via the TCI.
Here is a posting from just the other day where jsowers shows some of his soft plastic 500's from that time. In one of the photos there is a display of the very booklet of which you were speaking.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1863.msg24923#msg24923
Jim,
Thank you for posting this & for including the bill insert. That is the first representation I've seen that shows a brown phone with a gray cord--very interesting. You also mentioned a feature about two-tone 500's that confirms what I've found on the phone in my avatar picture. I have read that two-tones generally had black cords, but this dark gray example has a gray handset cord and I am convinced the cord is original to the phone from time of manufacture. I've posted the larger version of that pic. before, but Dennis won't mind looking at it again! ;D
I have a lot of scans I can post on this subject, but more likely after Christmas when I have more time. The bill insert is nice, but it's an artist rendering and not a photo, so that dark gray cord on the brown phone could be a mistake. Most, if not all, of the brown phones I've seen have had matching brown cords.
Also, I've been wondering how these phones came from the factory. Did they have cords installed in the box or were the cords installed at the time of installation in the home? If it's the latter, then whatever was in the truck would be what they got. But I've never seen an NOS cordless 500, so I'm betting cords were factory items, or at least the coil cord. Does anyone know for sure about this?
About Jester's dark gray phone, since coil cords were an option in those days, it could be the installer just used a dark gray cord instead of a black one on that two-tone set. The specific details will never be known, I guess, but it's nice to suppose what could have happened.
That's a great idea, posting the details in one thread. Thanks, Jim, for starting it.
Jonathan, I don't know about the 500s, but I've seen several NOS 202s, and they all had cords in the box with the phone. I've seen them both pre-installed on the handset only, and completely uninstalled, but all were hanked with the wide paper identification band holding them together.
I've also seen NOS M2500s in the box, and they have the modular handset cords loose in the box with the phones.
I would assume, given those two scenarios, that the 500 came the same way--with cords. If the cord was unsuitable to the customer, though (too short, unwanted coil, etc.), the installer would probably go out to the truck to find something the subscriber would be happy with.
According to BSP Addendum C32.544 issue 2 March 1955 AT&T standard:
(my summation) All Telephones sets may be equited w/ a retractile handset cord . When ordering Use Suffix R and those sets will be equipped w/ a retractile cord when received.
I take this to mean that standard orders came with standard cords and any options (if/noted would be assembled on the phone for delivery). The customer could always be upsold and the installer could make the change.
Just my guess.
The same BSP shows all 8 sets avaliable as 2-tone .
Jim S.
Eventually I will scan this BSP for the thread.
Does this Forum have a preferred library site for document posting/downloading?
Jim:
Great to see you here. I don't know about a preferred place, but Dennis Markham would. I have often referred to diagrams and BSP information by linking them to the TCI technical pages. However, as we know, the TCI library does not have everything, so your question is a good one.
Great to see your phones. This forum allows for some great postings of photos.
-Bill Geurts
Jim, I opened up the "Technical Stuff" board. You should be able to post those there. If you have a problem, please let me know. I tried to keep this for posting information as a Read Only file, to eliminate replies, comments, etc. I also opened this up so it can be viewed by anyone that visits the forum. Thank you for adding the BSP's whenever you get an opportunity to do that.
I am trying to post a scan of some bsp's.
Here is BSP C30.011 Colored Station Sets iss. 6 December 1953
Quote from: Jim S. on January 10, 2010, 01:18:12 PM
I am trying to post a scan of some bsp's.
Here is BSP C30.011 Colored Station Sets iss. 6 December 1953
If you open the link in a new window it is big enough to read. I would suggest printing the document for ease of reference
Jim S.
This is the only other scan for now:
C30.011 Appendix 1 Iss. D 4-29-55-S Colored Station Sets Plant Administration
This message is for future researchers
There is a lot of discussion on soft sets at
Collectors Corner
Gray cords: Straight vs. coiled thread
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3860.msg51007#msg51007
Jim S.
This Is the Soft 500 thread I mentioned that has 2-tone Ivory info.
Jim S.
In the appendix that you posted in reply #10 (C30.011 Appendix 1 Iss. D 4-29-55-S), paragraph 4.02 says that the two-tone 302s were stocked, but 4.04 says that if the order called for a two-tone 500, then a black 500 was ordered along with the colored housing; the black housing was then returned to stock. The two-tone 500s were no longer stocked.
Quote from: poplar1 on March 09, 2013, 04:39:49 PM
In the appendix that you posted in reply #10 (C30.011 Appendix 1 Iss. D 4-29-55-S), paragraph 4.02 says that the two-tone 302s were stocked, but 4.04 says that if the order called for a two-tone 500, then a black 500 was ordered along with the colored housing; the black housing was then returned to stock. The two-tone 500s were no longer stocked.
Look at reply 8 4.02 and table 2. These are considered special order apparatus. That means customers can request one and it will be field converted to a 2-tone. BSP procedures makes them "real" to me.
JMO,
Jim
The field made sets were described as standard non stock (Reply 10 3.03)
The BSP C30.011 in reply #8 is dated December, 1953. It is somewhat unclear, but if the sets "are furnished" with black cords, then to me that sounds like you could order the two-tone set and did not have to assemble it in the field.
In April, 1955 however, at least in Pacific Telephone area, the two-tone 500s were not stocked, according to the Appendix in reply #10.
'"The field made sets were described as standard non stock (Reply 10 3.03)
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This paragraph is talking about special colors, not two-tone sets. Note that the customer had to provide a "sample" (of their wall paper, paint color, or whatever.)