Western Electric 203-type telephone

[unbeldi]

The phone has a 2HB dial and an E-1 handset. I bought this some time ago from a collector, so of course I can't guarantee that either one is original to this phone.

As shown in the photo, the overstrikes are interesting. There are clearly two sets of vertical-line overstrikes, and one of them appears to be behind the "2". I wonder if the phone was originally stamped "B-1", then overstruck to "B2", then overstruck again to "B6".

Bill

I see what you mean about the marking. But judging a three-dimensional feature with a two-dimensional representation is dangerous. It should be examined with a loupe or stereoscopic microscope.

[poplar1]

D2 is not shown in 1937 but is shown in 1953:

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Manual (non-dial) hand telephone sets:
202A  hand telephone  set-----D1 or B1 hand set mounting
202H---D1 or B1
204A---D3 or B3
206A---D5
207A---D3
208A---E5
215A---D8

With dial:
202B, 202C, 202D---D1 or B1
202E, 202F, 202G---D1 or B1
203A, 203B, 203C---D6 or B6
204B, 204C, 204D---D3 or B3
205-------------------E4
206B, 206C, 206D---D5
206J, 206K, 206L----D5
207B, 207C, 207D---D3
208B, 208C, 208D---E5
215B, 215C, 215D---D8

Bell System Practices, Section C32.164, Issue 1, 8-2-37:
Hand Telephone Sets--Desk Type--Cording 
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The sidetone sets are no longer listed (102 etc) in the above issue. However, the addendum C32.164, Issue 3, July, 1953 includes the following:

103A, 103B, 103C---D2 or B2
205G, 205H, 205J---E7
206M, 206N, 206P---D10

[unbeldi]

It is interesting to note that both of these mountings, your B6 and Paul's D6, were remarked from B2, and D2, respectively. Both B2 and D2 had the same service specification, so it would be interesting to ascertain what the difference is exactly in the mountings (B2->B6, D2->D6).

Ah, actually I have the answer for this in my own notes with the remark that I need to draw a complete circuit diagram for the B2/103.
Spec 4810 mentions that the B2/103 for tip party stations uses a 5-conductor mounting cord. So, that tells us that the difference between a B2 and B6, as well as a D2 and D6, is a slightly different terminal configuration or hookswitch stack. They must have added another contact in the B/D6 mountings for the extra wire, and it must be for the anti-sidetone operation. So this tells us that the B6/D6 are anti-sidetone instruments, while B2/D2 was only for sidetone operation.

A2, B2, D2 --> 103 Type Telephone
B6, D6       --> 203 Type Telephone

[unbeldi]

@Bill:  Would you be so kind as to show us a close-up picture of the switchhook contacts in your B6 set, or just a shot inside?

I think you might find the following on a B6 (or D6)
Left: GN, W, BK, YY
Right: Y, YY, RR, R

While on a B2 (D2) one should find:
Left: GN, W, Y, BK
Right: R, B, RR

[Bill]

Unbeldi -

Here are some photos of the inside. I'm not a good photographer, but with any luck, you can glean what you asked for from these. I'd be glad to try again if it would make a difference.

Remember that this phone has a handset cord, but no subset cord, so some of the screw terminals are empty. Also note that there are two numbers printed in red ink on the inside of the base. One number is "130" on the back of the dial, the other is "230" on the inside of the base. Date codes?

Bill

[unbeldi]

Also note that there are two numbers printed in red ink on the inside of the base. One number is "130" on the back of the dial, the other is "230" on the inside of the base. Date codes?

Thanks,
possibly date codes of refurbishing.

[unbeldi]

I found a reference to the B2 and D2 mountings in BSPs
C32.102 Issue 2, 6-1-31, "Sidetone HandTelephone Sets; 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 Types, Description and Use."
C32.160 Issue 1, November 1931, ''Sidetone Hand Telephone Sets; 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 Types; Cording"
C32.163 Issue 1, January 1938, ''Hand Telephone Sets; Desk Type; Cording"

The BSPs show the cording for 103 type telephones with A2 (C32.160 only), B2, and D2 mountings.

The mounting cord is a 5-conductor cord, coded red, double red, green, yellow, and blue.
Terminals are GN, W, BK, Y  and R, B, RR on the second switch.

[unbeldi]

The 203-Type telephone cording is covered in
BSP C32.103 Issue 1 (6-1-31) "Anti-Sidetone Hand Telephone Sets; 201,202,203,205,206, and 207 Types; Description and Use"
BSP C32.161 Issue 1 (11-1-31) "Anti-Sidetone Hand Telephone Sets; 201,202,203,205,206, and 207 Types; Cording"

The 203 sets indeed show B6 and D6 mountings.

[poplar1]

.

[snip] Also note that there are two numbers printed in red ink on the inside of the base. One number is "130" on the back of the dial, the other is "230" on the inside of the base. Date codes?

130=January, 1930
230=February, 1930
These are  well within the range of original manufacture dates for B1 hand set mountings and for 2H-type dials.

B1 introduced 1928. The 1928s are not dated, but they are different than later ones: There are holes for ties on the cords rather than hitching posts for S-hooks.

1929: by April (perhaps earlier) date of manufacture stamped inside the B1 in MYY format ("429" for example).

1929  Change from holes (for knots) to posts (for S-hooks).

1929? Patent dates etc. moved from rim of 2-type dials to back

1930 (430 or earlier): D1 hand set mounting introduced, but there was some overlap with production of B1s.

One B1B [=B1 mtg. + E1B handset + H3B and D3A cords + 2H-type dial] found dated II 32 with 2HB dated II 32.

[poplar1]

B1 evolution, continued:

1930??--Notice the singular rectangular phenol piece that moves the contact springs. Earlier B1s had a metal part with two insulated parts that push the contact springs.

[poplar1]

It is also possible that WE continued to make B2s, even after the D1 mounting was being manufactured, until the D2 was produced.

This happened with subsets: after Bakelite 584A subsets were being manufactured in 1930, metal  subsets continued to be made for frequency ringers and perhaps other applications.

[unbeldi]

It is also possible that WE continued to make B2s, even after the D1 mounting was being manufactured, until the D2 was produced.

This happened with subsets: after Bakelite 584A subsets were being manufactured in 1930, metal  subsets continued to be made for frequency ringers and perhaps other applications.

It seems there was some overlap anyways, perhaps even as much as two years, judging by the report of a 1932 B mount.  What B model was that?
Also, the Bell System didn't appear to have made many abrupt changes at any time.

[poplar1]

Yes, there was often overlap. The point I was attempting to make is that, in some cases, an older model continued to be manufactured out of necessity, rather than convenience, if the newer type was not yet (or ever) available with all the options of the previous model.

The 1935 WE Catalog #9 shows 634E, F, G and H  metal subsets (page 205), all with harmonic ringers, even though this was five years after the introduction of the subsets with Bakelite covers. Page 204 shows 584A and Page 208 shows 684C, BA and BC---none of which have harmonic ringers. Although the WE/Graybar catalog is nowhere exhaustive, it's possible that there were no Bakelite-cover subsets with harmonic ringers, at least not yet in 1935. It's also possible that they were just showing old inventory, but in any case, there doesn't seem to be any duplication of features in the two styles shown, and since the metal ones are anti-sidetone, they were manufactured in the 1930s.

I think the 1932 B1B set has a B1 mounting.

[unbeldi]

Yes, there was often overlap. The point I was attempting to make is that, in some cases, an older model continued to be manufactured out of necessity, rather than convenience, if the newer type was not yet (or ever) available with all the options of the previous model.
....

Ah, I see your point...  yes, that seems reasonable.  Also some of the operating companies may have had some long-standing orders of specific equipment that needed to be fulfilled as ordered, because the operating company had their entire operation, refurbishing, and parts supplies tuned to those models according to financial planning and amortization schedules, and it was not possible to just switch to a different telephone the same time that a new model was ready.

However, I suspect that the catalogs cannot be relied upon by themselves. Often it seems to me that the catalogs sometimes emphasize product presentation that is more suitable for the purchase by non-Bell entities, e.g. independents. This appeared especially so for those subset offerings you mentioned.  Could it be that they preferred to perhaps use the initial production years for their Bell-internal installation, and only offered them through the catalogs when their supply line and manufacturing volume had reached certain levels for certain products?

For example the 684A subset is not even in the 1935 catalog, IIRC, although the 584A is.  One might conclude that that model was only obtained by refurbishment, but it just seems unlikely to not make a new 684A, while offering a model 684X (X=not A).   Frequency ringers weren't used all that much in the Bell System anyways; their representation in the catalogs appears overemphasized.