Eek-Gad! a "Modified" 302 by Bell!? on eBay?

[Babybearjs]

I woke up early this morning and was cruising through Ebay when I came across this.... starting bid is $29.00. Did the phone company actually do this? taking a vintage phone and updating it.... I was shocked to see the modifications.... talk about design line..... why didn't this catch on??

[Doug Rose]

link?

[TelePlay]

link?

Doug, the info you requested is posted here for posterity:

     http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Western-Electric-factory-rebuilt-302-telephone-in-Ivory-/253203614795

Seller description:

"Vintage Western Electric factory rebuilt 302 telephone in Ivory -- This one has the metal finger wheel . -- Marked on the bottom: -- Western Electric Co Inc , Modified ( by ? / To ? ) B.S.R.S 361.377 , DWG MBR B659532 , Date ..... ( No date written down . Drat ) -- Looks Presentable But the cords are bad and it needs rewiring , Still has the number under the celluloid window on the dial JUniper 5-7356 , ( Spade is that you ? ) -- I THINK That the B.S.R.S 361.377 ( "Bell System Repair Specs" ) means it was modified at the western electric shops ( still BELL then ? ) To work on the modern system. Looking inside some of the components are dated in the mid 1970s , Please see pictures . -- Here is some info off the Webbs : -- Designed by the firm of Henry Dreyfuss, the 302-type telephone included design elements influenced by Ericsson model DBH 1001 of 1931, conceived in 1929 by the Norwegian artist and designer Jean Heiberg. After field trials in 1936, large-scale deployment commenced in 1937 and the model was never completely retired from service in the Bell System. -- The model 302 was the first Western Electric telephone to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same desktop unit. Earlier Western Electric telephones required the use of an external subscriber set (subset), containing the ringer and network circuitry, typically mounted on a wall or desk side. -- ***Please view our pictures carefully so you can use the information you find in them to discern whether this is the right item for you! We consider our pictures an important part of our description process. We do our very best to provide accurate and thoughtful descriptions. -- Please note......everything we sell is pre-owned and in most cases previously used or displayed you should expect to find some signs of normal use or wear commensurate with age, especially in the case of antiques"

[Dan/Panther]

By the writing on the base it surely appear to be at least a field modification. Not necessarily WE.

D/P

[Doug Rose]

Doug, the info you requested is posted here for posterity:

     http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Western-Electric-factory-rebuilt-302-telephone-in-Ivory-/253203614795

Seller description:

Doug, the info you requested is posted here for posterity:

     http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Western-Electric-factory-rebuilt-302-telephone-in-Ivory-/253203614795

Seller description:

"Vintage Western Electric factory rebuilt 302 telephone in Ivory -- This one has the metal finger wheel . -- Marked on the bottom: -- Western Electric Co Inc , Modified ( by ? / To ? ) B.S.R.S 361.377 , DWG MBR B659532 , Date ..... ( No date written down . Drat ) -- Looks Presentable But the cords are bad and it needs rewiring , Still has the number under the celluloid window on the dial JUniper 5-7356 , ( Spade is that you ? ) -- I THINK That the B.S.R.S 361.377 ( "Bell System Repair Specs" ) means it was modified at the western electric shops ( still BELL then ? ) To work on the modern system. Looking inside some of the components are dated in the mid 1970s , Please see pictures . -- Here is some info off the Webbs : -- Designed by the firm of Henry Dreyfuss, the 302-type telephone included design elements influenced by Ericsson model DBH 1001 of 1931, conceived in 1929 by the Norwegian artist and designer Jean Heiberg. After field trials in 1936, large-scale deployment commenced in 1937 and the model was never completely retired from service in the Bell System. -- The model 302 was the first Western Electric telephone to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same desktop unit. Earlier Western Electric telephones required the use of an external subscriber set (subset), containing the ringer and network circuitry, typically mounted on a wall or desk side. -- ***Please view our pictures carefully so you can use the information you find in them to discern whether this is the right item for you! We consider our pictures an important part of our description process. We do our very best to provide accurate and thoughtful descriptions. -- Please note......everything we sell is pre-owned and in most cases previously used or displayed you should expect to find some signs of normal use or wear commensurate with age, especially in the case of antiques"

"Vintage Western Electric factory rebuilt 302 telephone in Ivory -- This one has the metal finger wheel . -- Marked on the bottom: -- Western Electric Co Inc , Modified ( by ? / To ? ) B.S.R.S 361.377 , DWG MBR B659532 , Date ..... ( No date written down . Drat ) -- Looks Presentable But the cords are bad and it needs rewiring , Still has the number under the celluloid window on the dial JUniper 5-7356 , ( Spade is that you ? ) -- I THINK That the B.S.R.S 361.377 ( "Bell System Repair Specs" ) means it was modified at the western electric shops ( still BELL then ? ) To work on the modern system. Looking inside some of the components are dated in the mid 1970s , Please see pictures . -- Here is some info off the Webbs : -- Designed by the firm of Henry Dreyfuss, the 302-type telephone included design elements influenced by Ericsson model DBH 1001 of 1931, conceived in 1929 by the Norwegian artist and designer Jean Heiberg. After field trials in 1936, large-scale deployment commenced in 1937 and the model was never completely retired from service in the Bell System. -- The model 302 was the first Western Electric telephone to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same desktop unit. Earlier Western Electric telephones required the use of an external subscriber set (subset), containing the ringer and network circuitry, typically mounted on a wall or desk side. -- ***Please view our pictures carefully so you can use the information you find in them to discern whether this is the right item for you! We consider our pictures an important part of our description process. We do our very best to provide accurate and thoughtful descriptions. -- Please note......everything we sell is pre-owned and in most cases previously used or displayed you should expect to find some signs of normal use or wear commensurate with age, especially in the case of antiques"

thanks John.....links are so hard for some folks!

[tallguy58]

One of the lesser examples of Frankenphone. Yuck!

[HarrySmith]

Could it be a conversion of a customer owned phone?

[Babybearjs]

to see a 302 with newer parts and to have it marked by one of the shops really make me wonder why they didn't just leave it alone. all my 302's work fine on both a wired landline and VOIP service. this must have been an experiment. someone wanted to see if newer parts would fit in an older phone.... someone at the shop must have been bored.....

[paul-f]

This appears to be a 300-type set with a "standard" modification using parts from the 581A kit - 5228 net and P1 ringer.

   http://www.paul-f.com/we581.html

Someone may have "helpfully" removed the date sticker while cleaning the phone for sale.

I have examples of other phones, including non-WE sets, that have the same stamp on the bottom.  I'll post details in a different topic as time permits.  Topic started here:

    http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19040.0


The stamp applies to several different component sets, so the B.S.R.S. probably documents general conversion of sets with customer-provided housings, as Harry suggested. It probably references BSPs shown in the site link, above.