Another Unusual Phone - Tesla?

[LarryInMichigan]

I browsed a couple of antiques malls today and found this phone.  I believe that it is a Tesla, but I cannot read or make sense out of most of what what printed on the bottom.  I do believe that "ZAVOD" is part of it.

There is a crack and some bakelite missing on the back near the bottom.  There was a white 18AWG lamp type cord connected to the line terminals but no connector on the other end.  The transmitter element seems to be completely dead.   I was able to dial out and speak using a T1 transmitter, but the sound quality was very poor.  There is a switch in the front of the phone.  I am guessing that it is a ground-start switch, but it has three wires running to it.  I probably overpaid alot for this phone.  Any information would be appreciated.

Thank You

Larry

[poplar1]

Does it light up if you connect the lamp cord to 120 VAC?

[rdelius]

Might be a Tesla from Checkslavkia .Similar telephones were made in Bulgaria Zavod means factory in Russian I beleive

[LarryInMichigan]

That would explain the "ZAVOD" part.  I am guessing that this is a Tesla from Czechoslovakia because it looks like a number of others that I have seen online.  I also have a Bulgarian phone which has a similar design, but they are different.  Below is a comparison of the two. 

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

I started dismantling this phone this morning.  Unfortunately, I don't remember where the line cord was connected.  There are eight terminals but no markings.  Does anyone have a wiring diagram for these?

The only marking that I could find which looks like a date is "1967" stamped into the back of the dial.  The rest of the phone looks considerably older.  On the bottom, some of the printing looks like it was intentionally rubbed off, but the letters "ERLIN" remain.  Is it possible that it was originally "BERLIN"?  A very small Tesla sine wave logo, without any lettering, is molded into the inside of the bakelite shell and also on the back cover of the dial.  The dial is of similar design to the one on my Bulgarian phone.

Larry

[rdelius]

I doubt it was Berlin. Everything points to the telephone was made by Tesla .I think a diagram for a German W48 or W38? might help Parts are copies of German ones.

[countryman]

If it's still of interest, my guess is this is a Tesla T57 phone. I just got the later T58 and will post about it.