My Phone Collection - Stephen Furley

[Stephen Furley]

Check out the photos in this topic...

   http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4637.0

In the picture with the yellow wallpaper the bell adjusting lever can be seen at the base of the bracket.  I've now edited my earlier post to add pictures of the mounting plate, and the method for installing the bell unit in the wall bracket.

[Stephen Furley]

There are three other additions to the collection; I'll get some pictures up during the weekend.  They are two 500s and a North 540.  It doesn't look like I'll be getting the toaster which I won for a very low price a couple of weeks or so ago; I've written to the seller three times asking for total, including postage to the UK, but have received no reply.  He has mainly good feedback, but a couple of bad ones.  One buyer claimed that he canceled a sale, to which he replied that he did so because the buyer tried to re-negotiate shipping costs after the sale.

[Stephen Furley]

It took a long time, but the invoice for the toaster finally arrived last night.  I don't know the reason for the delay; the seller has been selling other items since, so I don't think he's been ill.  Have sent payment as soon as it arrived.

[DavePEI]

(I) will soon have to stop spending for a while.

Famous last words. Haven't we all spoken them before? I say it every day. That is proof of the addictive nature of this hobby!

Dave

[Stephen Furley]

I've just received a third Leich, a 105.  I tried to buy one of these from ericofon.com; he thought he had one, but when he checked did not.  This one was from Ebay, in pretty good condition, one tiny crack which I probably wouldn't have noticed if the seller hadn't pointed it out.  I've glued it to stop it spreading.  A bit dirty inside the case, but only needs a clean.  The original thick rubber line cord was still there, but totally perished, so I've had to replace it with a WE vinyl one.  The huge, in width, coiled handset cord is still in good condition.

I've also bought an earlier 500, most parts are '54, but the case is not original.

This brings my collection of American 'phones to:

500 WE black Bakelite handset 1954.

500 WE red 1970.

500 ITT Kellogg shell and handset on NE base Aqua 1962, 1965 and 1967.

500 SC with flat cord and modular plug brown 1988.

SC 1543 black date unknown. *

AE 80 white 1974.

North Electric 540 black date unknown.

Leich 105 black 1955.*

Those are the 'modern' types, the older ones, all black, are:

WE 302, metal 1938.

SC 1212 Bakelite date unknown. *

SC 1243 metal date unknown. *

AE 40 Bakelite date unknown.

Kellogg 1000 Masterphone with red and clear bars Bakelite date unknown.

Leich 90 Bakelite possibly 1951.

Leich 615 Bakelite date unknown. *

Connecticut 'toaster' date unknown.

Engineer's test set:

CMC Trub-l-Shooter unknown yellow  plastic date unknown.

Some of the unknown dates are marked, but I don't have them at home to check.

There's one more 500 on its way to me, a very late all modular one, still in original box.

* Fitted with frequency ringer.

I still need to list my British ones, plus one each from France, Germany and Russia.

[Stephen Furley]

Another addition arrived today, another Ebay win from at least two months ago,  Seller dispatched it quickly, and it arrived in the UK pretty quickly too.  I got the bill for the tax, which I didn't pay for a couple off weeks due to being short of cash.  I asked for it to be delivered on the Thursday, and had to take a day's leave from work to be at home to receive it, but it didn't arrive.  A couple of days later I was off to Yorkshire, and was unable to get any answer on the telephone number of the depot, either while I was away, or since I came back, three weeks ago today, and no card was left.  However, yesterday, I card was left, saying that they had tried to deliver it, but that I was out so it had been left with a neighbor.

It's yet another 500, my sixth one now, and is an unused late model fully-modular ITT in original box.  Original instructions and diagram are in the box, but both have some sticky muck on them, as does the line cord; it looks like there was some sort of sticky label on the cord at some time.  It's beige, as they almost all seem to be from that period.  It's marked 500 44 FBA20 M 5 84.  There's also a separate marking, 33.  Anybody know what this is?  As it should be, it's in mint condition, but I need to get a dial card for it; any suggestions as to what would be suitable?

This is my first fully-modular American 'phone.  I've plugged it in, and it works fine.

[GG]

The dial card on ITT/Cortelco 500s is very similar to the later WE dial cards: all it says on it is "Area Code" and then the telco is supposed to print the area code number and the 7-digit phone number. 

However the difference is that the location of the words "Area Code" is much closer to the horizontal centerline of the number card than on the WE/AT&T version. 

These should be very easy to duplicate on any decent printer.

[Stephen Furley]

I've got a WE one of that type on my aqua 500, but I've never seen an ITT one.  Was the font the same?  What colour was the card?  do you have one that you could post a scan of?