How many WE500s in your collection?

[JorgeAmely]

D/P:

Very nice collection. I wish I knew more about candlesticks. Perhaps you can tell us what to look for when buying an old one.  What is a 317E? A relative of the 302?

[Sargeguy]

I have 5 complete 500s and a few boxes of parts.  I only keep the black-bottomed ones. 

[Dan/Panther]

Jorge;
Here is a photo of my WE317E.
I completely restorted it, and left it intact, installed the guts of a 2500 into the battery compartment.
D/P

[Dan/Panther]

Jorge;
Check out this site before you buy a candlestick.

http://www.oldphoneman.com/Fakes.htm

I learned the hard way.
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

Speaking of early 317's, here is a picture of my own restoration:

-Bill

[JorgeAmely]

D/P, Bill:

You guys are very good doing wood work and fine cabinetry. What is the magneto used for these days? Just to make bells ring (locally)?

Bill, still counting?   

[Dan/Panther]

Bill;
Very nice job indedd, I see we both thave the rarer early version, before they switched the door direction, and cut the top short. Mine dates 1907.
I finally found the correct tramsmitter for mine, I just haven't changed it yet.
Everthing on mine is inrtact, when it rings the bells ring. When I pick up the receiver the phone answers.
To my surprise, I get very little attention from this phone, people act like it's an everyday thing. I retsored my Mom's Guild wall phone/Radio, which is a lot smaller biut the same design, and because it's a radio, she gets many compliments, go figure.

D/P

[Dan/Panther]

Jorge;
The magneto will ring the bells when you crank it, but because I use the ringer, I have to disconnect that function. If I installed the 2500 ringer I could hook the crank ringer back up, but I like the sound of the old bells.
D/P

[Dan/Panther]

You can't really see it too well in the photos, but the wires from the door, are connected to the hinges, and then from the hinges to the interior of the phone, so they wouldn't have wires flexing as you opened the door.

Bill;
I see you have the Pony receiver, I wish I had one, but at about $100.00 a pop I can't swing it.

D/P

[Phonesrfun]

D/P:

Thank you, and yours is equally as nice a restoration.  Mine is also the 1907 version, as indicated by the cathedral top, and the picture-frame on the front, and the "backwards" door.

I don't have a modern network in mine, but it does work as a local battery phone.  I have had it hooked to a local battery candlestick with a magneto subset, and also to an Leich wood wall phone.  All as a local battery "party line" like the old farms once had.

I was able to get a pony receiver for it, and I was also able to get some real nice re-nickled hardware for it from Chuck Irwin in Portland.

I spent a couple weeks on the woodwork restoration and refinishing.  I took my time.

-Bill

[Dan/Panther]

Bill;
I also took my time on my 317, I took it apart right down to the last screw,and took all of the wood apart also. Probably the most intense restortation of anything I've ever done. I've always wanted one of these phones, and made up my mind to do it right. I even refinished the inside and back. Here is a before photo. I eventually will get the gongs replated.
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

Back to the number of 500's, I really don't have that many.  Probably only about 15, including 554, 1500, and 2500 models.   I do have an early 1951 with the double network.  

I have about 80 phones in total, and they range from things like the 317 posted above, to candlesticks, a Kellogg Redbar, a Kellogg Ashtray, some speakerphones, three payphones, a couple of key systems, some princesses and trimlines, some AE's including an AE 40 and 50, some 302's and 354's some old interphones, and a whole lotta junk!

-Bill

[Phonesrfun]

Bill;
I also took my time on my 317, I took it apart right down to the last screw,and took all of the wood apart also. Probably the most intense restortation of anything I've ever done. I've always wanted one of these phones, and made up my mind to do it right. I even refinished the inside and back. Here is a before photo. I eventually will get the gongs replated.
D/P

Wow, D/P, that was quite a bit of difference between the before and after.  I did take a before of mine, but I don't remember what directory or card I saved it on at the moment....

-Bill

[benhutcherson]

12-500s
2-2500
3-554
2-564HD(key phone 500)
5-302
2-5302
1-Princess
1-Rotary Trimline
1-Butt set
2-D1
1-20AL Candlestick
1-151AL Candlestick
1-AE40
5-AE80(including one key phone)
1-AE90

[JimH]

Ohhhh....this is a touchy subject.  You mean you're asking me to face my addiction?  I always wanted to take an inventory.  I'll try it this weekend, I'm sure the intervention will follow.