GPO 706 1959 Original Grebe Cord but cracked case

[tubaman]

I so nearly hit the jackpot with this one!
Another eBay purchase - £20 + £5 p&p (best offer). https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORIGINAL-VINTAGE-BLACK-DIAL-TELEPHONE-1970s/392386486609
It's a very rare early 1959 model that still has its original Grebe cloth covered cord.
Dates all match except the dial which is earlier dated 1956 - very odd. Were they using up old stock perhaps?
The cord is pretty good with just one small bit where I think it's got badly kinked and one of the coloured conductors is poking through.

The downside is the large crack in the back of the case
I didn't have a go at the seller as the crack was not initially obvious until I started to clean it (you can see it now!). Looking at the auction photos the bottom of it is just visible if you look hard enough so it didn't happen in transit. I also didn't want to risk having to send it back as I'll never find another one of these.
I do have a slightly later one with a good Diakon case so it might get swapped sometime.

[RB]

Very nice
A little tlc and that crack shud glue up well.

[tubaman]

Very nice
A little tlc and that crack shud glue up well.

RB, I expect it will, but being a Diakon case (essentially Perspex) I think it'll always be pretty visible.
At least it's at the back to it still displays well.

[tubaman]

I thought it'd be fun to demonstrate why the GPO thought it prudent to black-out the resistor bulb on the regulator on the later models of the 706.
Here is the phone off-hook on the short 1km line of my line tester. On the 6km line and on my real line there is no glow.

[ThePillenwerfer]

VERY nice.

There is a story — the authenticity of which I know not — that the GPO started painting the bulbs as an old woman rang them to complain that her telephone had caught fire so she'd dropped it in a bucket of water.

[twocvbloke]

Definitely a nice find, as for the crack, it may be possible to carefully glue it together using the solvents (Acetone I think? Best research this one first!!) they use today to glue perspex toghether in a seemingly invisible manner...

Of course the location of it means that for the most part it's out of sight, so, possibly leave as is and just be careful when handling it?

[SUnset2]

Diakon is an acrylic, so acetone will not dissolve it.  To glue it, you will need adhesive made for acrylic.  These are usually based on methylene chloride, which is highly toxic.  A specialty plastics dealer should have it available.

[tubaman]

Diakon is an acrylic, so acetone will not dissolve it.  To glue it, you will need adhesive made for acrylic.  These are usually based on methylene chloride, which is highly toxic.  A specialty plastics dealer should have it available.

Thanks - I've actually decided to run some superglue into the crack from the inside and it appears to be holding ok.
I know I'll never get an invisible repair so I'll keep a lookout for another case. Strangely these are actually not that easy to find in black, as when these came out it was the first time you could have any other colour without having to pay a premium for it.

[ThePillenwerfer]

I knew I'd got a spare black case but having looked at it it's ABS, sadly.

[tubaman]

I knew I'd got a spare black case but having looked at it it's ABS, sadly.

Thanks for taking a look.
As I've mentioned I do have another 706 in black Diakon, but I haven't the heart to rob its case as it's a 1961 model with all matching numbers.

[Hotline]

Thanks for taking a look.
As I've mentioned I do have another 706 in black Diakon, but I haven't the heart to rob its case as it's a 1961 model with all matching numbers.

That is a great find, well done!!

I bought a pair of Ivory 1959 GPO 706 phones on Ebay a year or two ago from the original family who had them from new and they both have 1956 dated dials. My phones both had the very early larger curly cord, but one of them did have a grebe cloth line cord. I was fortunate enough to find a some matching grebe cloth handset cords so have swapped it out so it looks very early '59 now - just like yours.

With regard to you needing a replacement black Diakon case, I think that I have one - I will check.

[tubaman]

That is a great find, well done!!

I bought a pair of Ivory 1959 GPO 706 phones on Ebay a year or two ago from the original family who had them from new and they both have 1956 dated dials. My phones both had the very early larger curly cord, but one of them did have a grebe cloth line cord. I was fortunate enough to find a some matching grebe cloth handset cords so have swapped it out so it looks very early '59 now - just like yours.

With regard to you needing a replacement black Diakon case, I think that I have one - I will check.

That's very interesting ref the dial dates and pretty much confirms that mine is original to the phone, which is good.
If you do have a black Diakon case available I'm sure we can come to some arrangement over it.

[Hotline]

That's very interesting ref the dial dates and pretty much confirms that mine is original to the phone, which is good.
If you do have a black Diakon case available I'm sure we can come to some arrangement over it.

I do have a black Diakon case, I have sent you a private message.

[tubaman]

I do have a black Diakon case, I have sent you a private message.

Thanks - you should have my reply.