Another W.E. Touch-Tone Prototype

[Dave F]

Beginning in the mid 1950s, Western Electric produced many different Touch-tone prototypes in the quest for what would ultimately become the 1500 set (introduced in 1963).  This Field Trial set, model F-54665, was made in 1962, pretty close to the finish line.  Although not quite there yet, you can certainly see the 1500 coalescing in the minds of the designers.  It is hard to imagine that they made very many of these; the serial number of this set is 6.

Manufactured on the base of a 500 set, the phone is very heavy.  Handset is G1 with long coil cord.  Hookswitch buttons are black.  Notice the early design of the faceplate clip on the inside of the housing.

This is another wonderful link in the story of the evolution of Touch-tone.

DF

PS:  After I made this posting I discovered that I had previously described this phone on the Forum many years ago.  Well, it's such a cool phone that a repeat performance is probably not out of line.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7942

[MMikeJBenN27]

More than "pretty close", it is almost identical.  Great find!

Mike