Instructions for party line dialing in phone directory

[RotoTech99]

Dear CRPF:

I'm looking for some examples of party line dialing instructions from telephone directories, please.

I have a phone with a number card that mentions see page 6 for party line dialing instructions, and I'm interested in finding some examples of party line dialing instructions.

I know party line dialing varied from Telco to Telco,  so I'd like to find a couple examples to research.

All feedback and help welcomed with Thanks.

RotoTech99

[FABphones]

The first screenshot below shows party line instructions for a UK exchange.

The others are general information adverts from the era.

Hope these help.

[RotoTech99]

Hi, thanks for the replies, I should have noted that the card said "parties on my line", and had spaces for three names/numbers, including the number assigned to that phone.

RotoTech99

[SUnset2]

Here is a copy of the party line dialing instructions from the 1931 Seattle telephone directory.  I am curious how the letter-number suffixes worked.  I assume they converted to a ringing code.  These suffixed numbers were all on manual exchanges.  These exchanges were inside the city, but the numbers served by them that were outside the city mostly had these party line suffixes. 

[HowardPgh]

A lot of these can be found in the Library of Congress Telephone directory collection. LOC.gov
If you get lucky, you might find one for your location.

[Kellogg Kitt]

First up is Baltimore, Maryland, 1979.  I will be posting more of these over the next few days/weeks, as I have recently unpacked my old phone books that were in storage.

I scanned the front cover as well as the party line instructions.  The covers give historical context that might be needed, since many of these books do not show the date and telephone company name on each page.

Please let me know whether or not you like seeing the covers, and I will keep that in mind for future scans.

Also, for easier visibility in the forum without needing to open the PDF, I have added a JPG of just the instructions page.

[MMikeJBenN27]

Most people under a certain age have no idea what you mean when you say "Party Line".  When I was a kid, my parents had Party-line service, and my Aunt Florence kept her Party-line service into the 70s.

Mike

[Kellogg Kitt]

Asheville, NC 1979
Perry County, PA 1980
Saluda, NC 1980

Look at the PDFs to see the full page and the front cover.

More coming soon!

[Kellogg Kitt]

Look at the PDF to see the full page and front cover.

Charlotte NC 1982 (Southern Bell)
Greensboro NC 1981 (Southern Bell)
Hamlet and Rockingham NC 1981 (Southern Bell)

More coming soon!

[Robert Gift]

Wow!  Such complications.

Did many residences have a choice to have a party line or pay more for a private line?
What about businesses?

Years ago I had a Mountain Bell business Measured Service line.  50 free outgoing calls, I recall. Then 10¢/call.

[leejor]

How you dialed would have depended on the central office equipment. Step offices generally made use of a call revert switch using an access code, then digits to indicate the two numbers. Crossbar or even Panel switches (pre-electonic exchanges) were capable of collecting all the digits then figuring out that the called number was on the same line,allowing you to simply dial the whole number, then hang up and allow both parties to ring.

[SUnset2]

Here are the dialing instructions from the 1954 Seattle Telephone Directory.  The party line suffixes are no longer in use.  Oddly, they say to call the operator call the other party on your line (see item 6).  Perhaps they didn't want to give different instructions for each of the exchanges.  All Seattle exchanges were dial by this time, either Panel or No. 1 Crossbar.

[SUnset2]

I am attaching some excerpts from the brochure "How to Use the Dial Telephone in Columbus", which was provided by Ohio Bell to customers being converted to dial service.  These pages include party line dialing instructions.

[Kellogg Kitt]

The Columbus instructions answered a question I have been wondering about: how to call those party line codes such as J, W, etc.  Of course, just dial the letters!  For some reason, it seemed to me that there must be more to it than just that.

[Kellogg Kitt]

Look at the PDFs to see the full page and the front cover.

Wellsboro, PA 1980 (Commonwealth Telephone Company)
Winthrop, ME 1979 (Community Service Telephone Company)

More coming soon!