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Finally Got A WECO 555

Started by Fabius, May 10, 2017, 06:29:06 PM

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Jim Stettler

In small rural towns 120 lines would be a large business.
I have been told by WE 555 installers that they were used as small exchanges, I have seen several 555 boards that were presented as small town CO boards.  I have no reason not to believe they used them in small exchanges. 

Just my opinion,
Jim S.

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

poplar1

Even with optional line relays, the max. loop resistance for stations  is 780 ohms.

The max. configuration for a 555 is 14 trunks, 120 extensions, and 15 cord pairs. Or, with optional double pulley cords, you could double that capacity by installing two 555s side-by-side.

In addition to the 3-digit station numbers, two of the jacks are labeled "lobby" and "mezzanine."
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Fabius

Quote from: Jim S. on May 13, 2017, 03:09:21 PM

8x120 would be a huge board for a business.   

JMO,
Jim S.

Thanks. Jim has been a big help since getting this board (indirectly) from him.

One of the jacks is marked MEZZANINE. It is located between 601 and 603, where 602 would be. The definition of mezzanine is: A mezzanine (or in French, an entresol) is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceiling floor below. Mezzanines may serve a wide variety of functions. Industrial mezzanines, such as those used in warehouses, may be temporary or semi-permanent structures.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Fabius

Quote from: Jim S. on May 13, 2017, 03:09:21 PM
The Co lines (and dial) connected to the outside world. It was an exchange in a small town in the Kansas City area.

Jim S.

So 421-4066/4067 were dial tone lines from another central office thru which this board's operator would dial calls for the subscribers connected to this board?
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Jim Stettler

All local lines routed thru the board, If you needed the rest of the world, the operator could dial it for you. The CO jacks are basically  "Long Lines" to the next town(s).
JimS.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

unbeldi

To me, the hypothesis of using a PBX as an exchange for a village seems unlikely for this region in the 1950s, especially when the trunk number on the board is inside a major city like Kansas City, right in the financial district.  That sounds like stuff for the dark ages, relatively speaking. In the 1950s, the push was strong toward a national numbering and routing plan.

816-421 is and probably always was serviced from the central offices at 1101 Mcgee St, Kansas City, MO, just about one half mile away from the location of that law firm that has the number assigned today.  The law firm was founded there in 1889 and has almost 150 lawyers today.  So, a 120 station board seems entirely appropriate for the 1950s.

Fabius

I think a little research may be able to give us a little more info. First would be to get an idea of the date range that this board was in service then check telephone and business directories to see if the law firm had the numbers back then as seen on the trunk jacks. Also check a reverse directory. I'll check with the city library and check with a reference librarian. Since the instruction card is dated 1955 I'll assume that would be a starting date. Being located in a major city when would a cord board have been replaced? 1970s? The only date I can find is on the buzzer. The buzzer in the board seems to be dated 1 85. I'm not sure that's a date?
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Victor Laszlo

The instruction card is dated '55 because that's when it was printed.

How would a 555 operator ring party lines?  I have never seen cord circuits or attendant circuits for a 555 designed for party line service.

Does the BSP that describes the 555 mention that it can be used as a Central Office?

unbeldi

#23
Quote from: Victor Laszlo on May 15, 2017, 12:24:42 PM
The instruction card is dated '55 because that's when it was printed.

How would a 555 operator ring party lines?  I have never seen cord circuits or attendant circuits for a 555 designed for party line service.

Does the BSP that describes the 555 mention that it can be used as a Central Office?

No.

The standard station circuit of the 555 used a simple cut-off jack with lamp signal.  This greatly limits the operating range for stations.   If this board was actually used as a central office, then it should have line relays installed, I would think, and this was one of the options for the board, I believe, but only for long-line operations, IMHO.

trainman

See BSP 536 550 110.

Maybe by using the two way ring down tie trunk one could ring party lines.

By the way 1952 1953 is what date range most of the parts of my 555 are stanped with.

unbeldi

#25
I believe the 555 could be equipped with 2-party line jack assemblies.  These provided a separate jack for the ring party and for the tip party.

Jim Stettler

#26
I did some checking regarding WE 555 as a Office board vs a PBX.. I Was wrong, the WE 555 was ONLY used as a PBX. I musta been 'membering wrong. Sorry for the confusion.
Jim S.

I deleted the mis-information.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Fabius

Got the following from a source that had some Kansas City reverse directories. It appears they do not have directories for 1971 - 1976. Kansas City was served by Southwestern Bell Telephone. Would they have installed a new or refurbished 555 in the early 1970s?

Hello, and thank you for contacting the Missouri Valley Special Collections with your inquiry. I am attaching 5 pages from various years of cross reference directories we have for Kansas City. The 1963 and 1968 show the number 421-4066 as a listing for an Engraving Company. The number is not listed in the 1970 directory. In the 1977 and 1982 it is listed for the New Fredrick Hotel.

I hope this information is helpful, and please feel free to contact me directly with any additional questions.

Kara Evans
Collection Librarian/Archivist
--
Missouri Valley Special Collections
Kansas City Public Library
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

TelePlay

Tom,

Did you ask for 1950 to the mid 1960s? Or didn't they have that period?

poplar1

If the buzzer was replaced around 1985, then it seems likely that the 1982 listing for the New Fredrick Hotel is the right one.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.