Vintage Phones

[Bingles]

Finally snapped a pic of my newly acquired thermoplastic WE 302

 

[ScionPI2005]

Finally snapped a pic of my newly acquired thermoplastic WE 302

*WHISTLES* Nice one, Bingles! :eusa_clap

 

[Bingles]

*WHISTLES* Nice one, Bingles! :eusa_clap

Thanks, my friend!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Very sharp 302! Even has the cloth covered straight cords! Congrats!

 

[Bingles]

I think I post more questions than comments in this section, but I can't help but pick at the minds of the lovely Miss. Lizzie and the gracious AtomicTom -- not to mention the other phone gurus out there!

My WE 500 (actually ITT - but same difference) is acting up on me. It will work fine for days, then randomly lose power... when you pick up the handset, you can hear a slight hint of the dial tone and the bells barely ring when a call comes in. I've tried tightening the screws on the inside, but I'm thinking this wasn't the problem. If you hit it just right, it goes back to normal.. but obviously that is not a permanent solution.

Any ideas?

 

[John in Covina]

My WE 500 (actually ITT - but same difference) is acting up on me. It will work fine for days, then randomly lose power... when you pick up the handset, you can hear a slight hint of the dial tone and the bells barely ring when a call comes in. I've tried tightening the screws on the inside, but I'm thinking this wasn't the problem. If you hit it just right, it goes back to normal.. but obviously that is not a permanent solution.

Any ideas?

All I can think of is this:
The fact that is intermittent points at a loose wire or broken connection some place. When it gets hit whatever is loose or broken falls back into place and the connection is re-established. If you open up the phone shake it a little and see if you can spot a loose wire. This can also happen if a cord from the wall to the phone has gotten yanked hard at some time, check that with another phone in it's place if you can.

 

[Brinybay]

All I can think of is this:
... This can also happen if a cord from the wall to the phone has gotten yanked hard at some time, check that with another phone in it's place if you can.

That's the first thing I thought of too, check the line cord.

 

[Atomic]

I picked up a nice little '42 AE40 tele yesterday from a weird little fruit stand/antique shop in eastern WA. I'll get pictures of it later today, but just got to looking at the thread and got excited.

Brinybay, do you work on the telephones? I live not too far from you and thought that maybe I could pick your brain on an old 500 of mine that I can't get to ring.

 

[Brinybay]

I picked up a nice little '42 AE34 tele yesterday from a weird little fruit stand/antique shop in eastern WA. I'll get pictures of it later today, but just got to looking at the thread and got excited.

Brinybay, do you work on the telephones? I live not too far from you and thought that maybe I could pick your brain on an old 500 of mine that I can't get to ring.

Kinda-sorta, yes. I don't have any in-depth technical training in electronics, but 99% of the phones I've had problems with amounted to no more than moving or reconnecting a wire or two. First thing that comes to mind regarding your 500 is the ringer. Does everything else function, but just doesn't ring? It may be an old "party line" phone with a frequency ringer. Take the cover off and look at the ringer and see what markings are on it.

 

[Atomic]

Its been a busy few days. This is actually an AE40, not 34 like I originally thought. Come to find out, the 40 is a refined, less blocky version of the 34. That I didn't know! Looks like a lot of the hardware on it is dated 1942, which is right in the years this was manufactured. I got to to ring, but the handset doesn't work. Oh well, I'll rewire it one of these days.

 

[Brinybay]

Its been a busy few days. This is actually an AE40, not 34 like I originally thought. Come to find out, the 40 is a refined, less blocky version of the 34. That I didn't know! Looks like a lot of the hardware on it is dated 1942, which is right in the years this was manufactured. I got to to ring, but the handset doesn't work. Oh well, I'll rewire it one of these days.

Nice one!

 

[ScionPI2005]

Nice one!

:arated:

What he said!

 

[potrzebie]

Telephone Exchange Name Project

Greetings,

I'm new to the board but have been lurking and enjoying for quite some time. My main house phone is a restored WE 202 w. E1 handset I acquired three years ago. It's been a real trooper to say nothing of the curiosity factor when younger visitors come through the house. One teenager who comes by frequently always says, "Can I use your phone?"

Here's a resource I haven't seen posted in the discussions that may be of interest. When I acquired my phone, it got me wondering what my neighborhood exchange used to be for 432. Leave it to the internet to quickly dispell that mystery.

There is a non-profit research website called "The Telephone Name Exchange Project." Simply select a city/state and the site will return exchange names/numbers plus user comments. I learned that in my neighborhood, the name was HEmlock-2.

Then the search was on for acquiring a reproduction dial card to reflect my number. I found a company online called Vintage Swank who, for a couple of dollars, will print an authentic reproduction with your exchange name and number. Now, my contemporaries who visit also get a nice little nostalgia buzz in addition to the phone itself.

Here are the links:

Telephone Exchange Name Project:

http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

(simply click on "Search Our Database" to begin searching)

Vintage Swank (dial card repros):

http://www.vintageswank.com/

Just-Plain-Bill

 

[John in Covina]

Good info there!

 

[Jesse]

Taken at the Driskill hotel Austin

 

[Bingles]

oldphoneworks.com

Has anyone purchased a telephone from oldphoneworks.com ? There is a phone I would like from there, but I wasn't sure how their phones rated.. like if the wiring was cleaned and the bakelite polished.

 

[Bingles]

Automatic Electric 40

My newest phone.. it's amazing!!! (unlike my photography skills)

 

[dhermann1]

Hmmm . . . two AE 40's in a row, I didn't know about the 40 before, only the 34. Anyway, they're both real gems. I especially like the chrome rings on the hand set. Very spiffy.

 

[Nice Boots]

Soon I will be able to post pictures of my WE candlestick.

 

[John in Covina]

Has anyone purchased a telephone from oldphoneworks.com ? There is a phone I would like from there, but I wasn't sure how their phones rated.. like if the wiring was cleaned and the bakelite polished.

If you do buy from them please write about the experience.