Trimlines - the least common color?

[GusHerb]

a 10 button trimline, what an awesome find! I've yet to even come across one on Ebay.

[Jim Stettler]

I haven't seen light gray mentioned as a rare Trimline color yet, so I thought I would post a couple pictures of mine, a 1220,

Jonathan,
Light gray is so scarce I had forgotton about it. I have a very badly faded rotary version. I have only seen a few in light gray. Any 10 button trimline is HTF.
Jim

[Jim Stettler]

I found a color chart  for trimlines. BSP 502-321-100 iss. 3 June 1968
This BSP was when the 12 button sets were added.

Here is a list of the first Trimline (official) colors:

Trimline colors ( 220A, 1220A , 2220B) (First issue of colors for 2220B)
Housing and dial center        TT mask
Black-03                                Slate
Ivory-50                                Cinnamon Brown
Green-51                               Dark Jade Green
Red-53                                  Burgundy
Yellow-56                              Gold
White-58                               Slate
Rose Pink-59                         Rose
Lt Beige-60                           Sandalwood
Lt Gray-61                            Slate
Aqua Blue-63                        Peacock Blue
Turquoise-64                        Turquoise green

Jim

[gpo706]

McHeath, I've been off since my modem fried 4 weeks ago and waited that long for A*L to replace the darn cheap piece of junk!

BT (British Telecom) successor to GPO marketed button Trimlines as "Minstrel"

http://www.phone-pages.org.uk/minstrel.htm#trimline

Mines is a dial set with original GPO 420 plug so predates 1981 ish.

[jsowers]

Jim, thanks for posting that color listing. Especially nice to see is the list of names of the contrasting colors inside the faceplate on the 1220/2220 models. I'd never seen that before.

For those who have TT Trimlines with the clear faceplate and round buttons, the faceplate inside is a piece of paper, and too much water or cleaner on the clear plastic over it can seep inside and stain the paper permanently. So only use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean those faceplates. I posted a picture below of a turquoise 2220 faceplate, one of my favorites. The way they contrasted colors was great, and it's also seen in the early 1500 and 2500 phones.

[Jim Stettler]

A couple of quick cauctions.
!. Be careful remove the screw cover, it is easy to mar the plastic.
2. Be careful removing the screws, it is easy to slip and mar the plastic.
3. Be careful re-installing the cover, they are easy to snap in half (or 3). I think if you soak them for a minute or so in a cup of hot water it would be a good idea.

Also the early screw covers and dial centers on old trimlines are much cooler than the later ones.
Jim

[GusHerb]

The old Trimline dial centers are awesome compared to the new ones that are much more boring to look at. One thing I noticed is the early Trimlines had the colored plastic cover on the base while the clear one with the number was often on the handset. all my 1970s-80s Trimlines have it the opposite way, while my 1966 NIB beige Trimline came the other way.

[Dennis Markham]

Jim, I wish I would have had that warning about 2 years ago when I snapped my Turquoise cover in half.  The narrow cover on my Turquoise rotary Trimline.  I save the halves, but there isn't much that can be done.  I was bummed.

[GusHerb]

I didn't even know this whole time that it was that easy to snap the cover in half. I guess I've been either careful enough or just lucky, or both this whole time with my Trimlines.

[Dennis Markham]

Gus, I didn't mean the phone's cover (housing) but the little rectangular cover that has Western Electric embossed on it...that covers the screws for the cover.

[GusHerb]

Oh man what was I thinking it was the HOUSING. LOL actually I HAVE been unfortunate enough to do that once, oh man was I very mad about that...

[Jim Stettler]

Jim, I wish I would have had that warning about 2 years ago when I snapped my Turquoise cover in half.  The narrow cover on my Turquoise rotary Trimline.  I save the halves, but there isn't much that can be done.  I was bummed.

Over the years I snapped enough of them to realize that there must be a better way. I havn't tried the hot water method yet, It only occured to me after this thread was started, but that is my current best guess to help keep it from happening.

You can always replace the broken cover with a clear trimline # plate. I know it isn't the same, but at least it makes the phone look compleate.
Jim

[Jim Stettler]

Clear is an un-official color and WE called it Transparent -29. The TT mask is slate.
Jim

Sc and ITT called it clear.

[Dennis Markham]

Here's a photo of the broken piece from my Turquoise Trimline that I mentioned yesterday.  I replaced it with a clear one.

[JorgeAmely]

Dennis:

Have you tried Crazy Glue on it with a piece of plastic on the back to act as a stiffener?