Quote:
Originally Posted by m_rawdin
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?
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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