NOS Northern Electric 302 phone (Western Electric 302 in Canada)

[cornell9]

Here are some photos of what is possibly a new old stock Northern Electric 302 phone (Western Electric 302 in Canada).  The cloth cords are new replacements (the original cords were crumbling and were discarded; anyone have any spare NOS straight brown cloth handset cords?) and there are some scratches in the plastic, especially on the sides (I guess due to the lack of protective packaging; the phone was a tight fit inside the original 302G-3F box).

How late did they make new, non-refurbished 302s?  This one appears to have been made between March and June 1955.  Interestingly it has a 5H dial stamped 6-3-55.

It was originally wired not to ring but I moved the red ringer wire to L1 and confirmed that made the phone ring when a call is incoming.  It also dials out ok.  This phone's definitely a keeper!

[cornell9]

And the rest of the photos.

[poplar1]

Did your NOS 302 have cloth cords or neoprene?
The red line cord ( now on R of the 101A induction  coil) should be on L1
The red handset cord (now on R on the dial) should be on R of the induction coil.

[Pourme]

Beautiful!

[Dan/Panther]

My goodness isn't that nice.

Dan

[unbeldi]

The 1955 Northern Electric catalog prescribes an H3AG handset cord, and a D3AY line cord.
These have black Neoprene outer jackets.
The alternate handset cord was the H3AF when a retractile cord was desired.  A textile handset cord is not listed anymore for these sets.  The only cotton cord still available seems to have been the D3AM line cord, when a 283B plug was desired.

I am surprised the cords were crumbled already.

Notice the agreement between the marking on the box (RED STRIPED RINGER), the red stripes on the ringer coil coverings, and the triple red bars next to the H1 housing mark.

[tallguy58]

Wow! Nice phone.

Where d'ya pick that up?

[oldguy]

Yes, very nice phone.

[cornell9]

poplar1 I'm not sure, I would guess it was not cloth covered based on unbeldi's note.  Thanks - I adjusted those two wires.

tallguy I bought the phone from another collector nearby.