Latest Acquisition: Yellow 1974 2500D

[F. J.]

I just wanted to post about my latest acquisition, a yellow 1974 model 2500D that I bought about a week ago from a local antique store. This makes the fifth phone in my collection, and the first touchtone. All the parts are dated to June, 1974.

When I got it home, it worked well enough (it was still hard-wired, but had an old spade-to-modular adapter already attached), but wouldn't dial out.  A quick search of the forum revealed the solution, I reversed the red and green line wires, and now it works perfectly.  Other than a cleaning a little grime off the outside, I didn't have to do anything else to it.

Using one of my typewriters, I typed up a number card on a notecard and cut it out to fit.  (I edited the image to remove my real number.)

What do y'all think?

[RotarDad]

Very nice!  I really like the yellow color, and it not all that common.   Yours is in nice condition.  You are correct that the touch-tone phones are polarity-sensitive, unlike the rotary models.

[jsowers]

Your yellow 2500 looks very nice and complete, but I can't see the mounting cord anywhere. From your description it sounds like that cord is still there, and that's a plus. Many of those cords were replaced with a silver satin modular cord. I'm glad you were able to use the Forum to figure out your problem because that's what it's here for! I've done the same thing. Just a little digging and you can find someone else already had your problem and it was solved.

I'm thinking this was the year that the "0" button changed from Operator in a semi-circle to OPER. At least that's what I see in my pictures I've taken over the years. I'm also thinking the faceplate was still the translucent one with horizontal ribs and I can't make them out in your picture, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Those ribs are not easy to photograph. The later faceplate is opaque plastic and has a Bell logo on it and I don't see that either. If you don't mind checking, let us know what kind of faceplate it has.

I hope you don't think I'm nit-picking here. Just trying to educate myself and others on what originally came with these phones and when the changes were made. They're not found as often as you'd think. So many went back to the phone company and became modular 2500s. So the hard-wired ones that are left don't show up a lot. Some may still be in use! They're very sturdy phones.

Now try to find a 2500D in each color. That will take some time! I'm still working on that one and it may never be complete. Thanks for posting your phone!

[F. J.]

jsowers,

You're right about the faceplate and that it didn't show up in the image.  It's ribbed with no Bell logo.  I photographed it again from the back where it's easier to see the ribbing.

I didn't even think about it, but you're also right about the line cord being hidden, so I posted an image of the back of the 'phone.  The adapter that it came with was barely holding together since all four plastic pegs had broken off.  I don't know if it comes through in the image, but have it held together with some Scotch tape and that seems to work just fine.  I know what you mean about finding the cord replaced with a modular one.  The '66 500 that wouldn't ring is almost entirely dates-matching to December 1966 (the receiver is from late September '66 and could be original for all I know), but someone had converted it to modular by wiring a modular jack to the network the inside and attaching a modular cord.  Fortunately, it is completely reversible and I plan to eventually replace it with a regular line cord whenever I get around to it.  (I'm just glad that whoever did it didn't hack up the case to install the jack on the outside.)

[jsowers]

Thanks for answering my questions about your phone and for posting the extra pics. It certiainly is original and complete and as Rotordad says, yellow isn't often seen.

My phone like yours has a story behind it. I found my 1973 yellow 2500 at a yard sale about 1983 and I think the man of the house actually ripped the handset cord from the phone before they sold it. Fortunately it was all still there and the cord was the only broken part. Eventually I soldered some wires with spades on them to that cord and made it operational again and I was able to conceal that patch inside the phone. Since it was damaged, I think they only charged $2 for the phone. I hope they weren't still paying rent on it since those were the days when that was still going on. I didn't ask any questions. I was just glad to have the phone!

[Jim Stettler]

The faceplate is the old rib style. These were backpainted and the front was clear.
The front on yours has been painted with a texture paint to match the new style plastic faceplate.
I have seen this done as part of the rebuild process.
Jim