Braided cords for later 300 series phones
 

I read somewhere that the later 300 series phones had the black PVC curly handset cords fitted as standard, is this true and when did this start?

Re: Braided cords for later 300 series phones
 

It was in the 1960s but I can't say closer than that.

Straight PVC cords were used in the interim very briefly; I've only come across one of those 'in the wild.'

Re: Braided cords for later 300 series phones
 

They were a maintenance replacement fitted either in the field by a lineman when the original went faulty or fitted when the telephone went back to the local 'wipe-up' depot or back to the PO Factory.

Any 2/300 types I ordered from GPO stores in the early 1960's came with plaited cords but as time went by they became the 'refurbished ones'

The place I looked after (as a GPO engineer) had several hundred 300 types in use and it was only at towards the end of the 1960's when the 'extra' charge for a 'modern' telephone was drop that Tele 706's were used as standard instead of the 3XX types. The extra was still being charged in 1966 according to the 'Telephone Service Instructions' which listed prices and what could be supplied where and when.. Coloured 3XX types had stopped being supplied for installation in 1964. Senior officers (Brigadiers and above) were allowed coloured telephones and hence they got 706's.

I've seen 'straight' handset cord on odd 3XX types years ago but were on 3XX types used on PAX's rather than GPO 2XX/3XX types

Re: Braided cords for later 300 series phones
 

I did a short spell in a GPO telephone "Wipe-up" when I was a lad (1967). 332s etc. were fitted with PVC cords, and I have a feeling that they were the first of the curly variety. Braided cords were scrapped by default.

Re: Braided cords for later 300 series phones
 

Braided cords were still coming on new Tele 332s at the end of 1959 and the first curly cords on Tele 706's came in 1960 as I remember seeing the first Tele 706 unwrapped in the Chester Telephone Area in December 1959. Even they hadn't yet got the curly PVC cords - they had (no matter what colour of the telephone) a straight 'grebe' tubular fabric sleeved cord.