GPO 150 Candlestick. Restoration restoration begins of a 'vintage table lamp'

[FABphones]

..Does anyone know when Newmarket went automatic?

A bit of Newmarket Exchange history: The original telephone exchange (photo 1, taken in the 1920's, fourth building down on the left), was destroyed by a bomb during the war (photo 2, taken 1941). The new exchange was completed in 1949 (photo 3).

'The GPO semi-automatic telephone exchange enabled local telephone subscribers to dial local calls but they had to speak to one of the girl operators to make trunk calls. By 1960 the exchange became fully automated when STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling) arrived; Newmarket was one of the first exchanges in the country to have this service'.

[FABphones]

Between 1941 - 1949 a temporary exchange was set up in the Jockey Club Subscription Rooms.

(Photo credit: Newmarket Local History Society).

[andy1702]

Those are brilliant photos. But the news about the dates newmarket went automatic cause me a bit of a problem, because this candle stick has a 1960s style dial label but no dial. It does however show it was on 'Ext 3' so I wonder if it was on some sort of manual internal system somewhere?

[FABphones]

...the news about the dates newmarket went automatic cause me a bit of a problem, because this candle stick has a 1960s style dial label but no dial. It does however show it was on 'Ext 3' so I wonder if it was on some sort of manual internal system somewhere?

My thoughts, whoever owned the phone at the time wanted a dialcard for the centre and took one from whatever phone they could lay their hands on. It looks like it was probably one from their/an office.

How is the restoration coming along, looking forward to seeing photos. 

[HarrySmith]

Agreed. Someone probably added that label. I have a bunch of dial centers, when I add a phone to my collection I just search for one that looks good on that phone. Maybe the right style, maybe not! On phones I sell I just use a generic Bell Systems logo I cut out.
BTW - I always put my initials on the back of the dial card, so if you get a phone with a generic Bell logo on it, check the back of the card, it might be one I worked on.

[FABphones]

...I always put my initials on the back of the dial card, so if you get a phone with a generic Bell logo on it, check the back of the card, it might be one I worked on.

I like that idea.     

[andy1702]

How is the restoration coming along, looking forward to seeing photos. 

The phone is in the restoration queue at the moment. It needs some kind of bellset, which are hard to find at a sensible price.

I tend to have quite a few phones waiting for parts at any one time. That way i don't get sucked into paying some of the silly prices on e-bay. I just sit and wait and the bits I need usually turn up eventually.