I finally got a Western Electric model 500 Signal Corps Telephone
its all matching date 10/61 with Bakelite handset
http://mienaichizu.multiply.com/photos/album/225/US_Army_Signal_Corps_Telephone_Western_Electric_Model_500
That is a nice looking phone.
It looks like it may have rose beige letters/#'s on the dial bezel vs white.
I have a round button key set with the same dial bezel.
Jim
could 2-56 bezel have rose beige lettering. because I have been trying to polish it but the color won't come out
That's a really nice one. I too have a Signal Corps 500 but it's not numbers matching.
Quote from: Kennyc1955 on May 09, 2010, 02:29:38 PM
could 2-56 bezel have rose beige lettering. because I have been trying to polish it but the color won't come out
Kenny,
It could be. On my set I assumed it was discoloration, however the rest of the set is fine and the coloring seems uniform and rose beige. I beleive it is rose beige. By seeing this signal corp bezel, I feel that both are probably rose beige. If you think yours is, It wouldn't surprise me if it was.
JMO,
Jim
Nice phone. Welcome to the WE 500 club! I have a signal corp phone as well, dated from 1960, but it was redone at some point and has a number 9 dial and plastic caps on the bakelite handset. Yours is nicer than mine.
thanks everyone! this is my first WE black 500
now I need to look for a black 302 to complete my Dreyfuss design collection
You learn something here everyday. I didn't know there were dial bezels with rose beige lettering instead of white. Something to look out for in the future. It is a pretty nifty-looking color combination. You have a nice-looking phone there.
JS
Quote from: mienaichizu on May 09, 2010, 10:33:01 PM
thanks everyone! this is my first WE black 500
now I need to look for a black 302 to complete my Dreyfuss design collection
Would you say that the #'s/letters are rose-beige or white on this set?
Jim
I would say "faded white" that looks like Rose Beige.
It's probably more of an off-white as opposed to rose beige. By looking at the back of the dial bezel, you should be able to see the native color of the letters on the back of the black plate.
check the back of the dial bezel and it looks more like ivory rather than rose beige
My 54-Signal Corp. 500 is in really nice condition and the lettering appears to still be white.
Can you guys tell me what the plungers are made from, mine are clear.
D/P
Quote from: Phonesrfun on May 10, 2010, 09:17:29 PM
It's probably more of an off-white as opposed to rose beige. By looking at the back of the dial bezel, you should be able to see the native color of the letters on the back of the black plate.
I disagree, I would say it's eggshell (just kidding).
Now that you mention it, the two AE 80s I'm working on/frustrated with have different "colors". One of them has the "rose beige" numbers, but a white back on the bezel. I've buffed the bezel with brasso, so it would probably take a good sanding to get them back to white. The other is white numbers with white back.
Quote from: Dan/Panther on May 12, 2010, 12:44:57 PM
My 54-Signal Corp. 500 is in really nice condition and the lettering appears to still be white.
Can you guys tell me what the plungers are made from, mine are clear.
D/P
Where does it say Signal Corps on these phones?
Underneath the cradle, in the finger well.
No matter how much you dust a black phone it never looks clean.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on May 12, 2010, 01:50:15 PM
Underneath the cradle, in the finger well.
Much more subtle than the toaster phones.
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/Brinybay/Telephones/US%20Army%20Signal%20Corp%20phone/SignalCorpphone007.jpg)
Quote from: Dan/Panther on May 12, 2010, 01:50:15 PM
No matter how much you dust a black phone it never looks clean.
D/P
I blame it on the camera, it wants to highlight every little dust speck and blemish invisible to the naked eye.
That tag is kind of in your face isn't it.
D/P
On the back of the phone housing just under the place where your fingers to pick up the phone it says Signal Corps U.S. Army
Telephone Set TA236/FT
Western Electric
On the base of the phone, on the opposite side where the handset cord goes in, it says, ORDER NO.
19792-PC-60-C4-C4
GA-51859
6-60
The base plate markings are the ones from my particular phone.
Briny, your TP-6 must be an earlier version than mine. Mine doesn't have a riveted tag rather the info is stamped into the housing. Is that leather feet on yours? All of the ones I've ever seen have had rubber feet.
Quote from: foots on May 13, 2010, 11:59:56 AM
Briny, your TP-6 must be an earlier version than mine. Mine doesn't have a riveted tag rather the info is stamped into the housing. Is that leather feet on yours? All of the ones I've ever seen have had rubber feet.
By golly, you're right, it does have leather feet, I never noticed that. They're even in good shape. Here's a link to pics in my Photobucket: http://tinyurl.com/253dhv9 (http://tinyurl.com/253dhv9) I also just noticed it as a WE F1 handset. The date stamp on the bottom says Dec 48.
I have another one that came with the recent stash of phones I acquired that's more like yours, with the stamp on the back and rubber feet, but it has the original handset.