How I spent my summer vacation..Well, the weekend, anyway (Pony switchboard)

[RB]

Got me this Pony board, as they seem to be refered to, from the Mortimer collection. "Thanks Friends".
It had a couple small issues, but submitted to my touch. Work like a champ.
Got to thinkin, I can't ring the desired party, without some effort.
Along with a few other desires, got me wonderin what I could do to improve this beauty.
So, I found a schematic of a Kellogg cord set with double ring off drops.
Sooo...that along with a nice Isolation transformer, and a Ring/Listen key, and we got it all solved.
Put it together this weekend and tested it in both directions, and I can ring both partys from the board.
Next, will be a lower box the same size as the top.
Then, I can place my iso xformer,Listen/Ring switch, a hand crank, and a Batt box for the operator.
The mod, well, that went easy.
It seems, someone made this beauty to be configured in various ways, on the fly.
If you look at the inside pic, you can see that the cord configuration is done with screw terminals. TYJ!!!
All I had to do, was remove the 4 cord 1 screws, and replace the wires onto a term strip, which mounted nicely to the wall inside.
Then, run a set of wires down to the Listen switch, and iso coil,Done.
A second set of wires was run up to the Ring off drop screws, and installed.
WHAT A SWEEEET MOD !!!
The Line drops work on incoming calls, and the 2 Ring off drops work on ring offs.
The other 3 cord sets were left as were.
This Pony board requires an external telephone for the OP set.
Eventually, I will mount one inside the lower box, but for now, I would like to locate a small version of a telephone
to place in front of this board. All of my phones, are of normal, to large size, and a small one would look more appealing.
If anyone knows of a small Local Battery phone example, please let me know.
I do not know anything about European phones, but I have seen a couple pretty nice samples.

[Doug Rose]

Very Nice RB. Does this workin with magneto phones? This is not my side of the house  I do like the look.  Nice work....Doug

[RB]

Thanks Guys!
Yup, it works with magneto phones.
The 5 drops in the middle, are the extensions.
One will fall when an extension calls the operator.
Then, after the call ends, a second crank, will drop the top drop, to signal "call over".
gonna look for some oak this weekend for the bottom box.
Then I need to find a small footprint operator phone.
Eventually, I will install the operator phone inside the bottom box, with just a handset hangin on the side.
That will allow me to add another 5 extensions for a total of 10.

[HowardPgh]

Have you had any success finding a small magneto phone? Have you thought of building one up from parts and actually building it into your switchboard?

[RB]

Yeah, that's where this is going.
I found a couple on ebay, but neither are complete.
I have enuf parts to build it into the board,
But that will require another switch...or two, which I will have to find.
Got the oak, and cut the pieces this weekend,
hopefully, will have it put together by about Wednesday.