Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

soundengineer · 25th Sep 2010, 3:46 pm

Hi there,

I am walking into the unknown here as I know nothing about telecommunications equipment! However around 20 years ago by dad brought home a very old RTC telephone. It remained stuck in the loft for years and forgotten about so I thought it would be interesting to find the value and maybe sell it to someone who collects such things.

The only details it has on the bottom is Re order code TEL/7D/ITS and a RTC logo on the back. It has push buttons with words above them such as 'Invoice Office' and 'Warehouse' so it would of been a inside line phone I'm guessing.

I have attached a picture below of it so you can see it. Any problems would be greatly appreciated.

Will.

JCM3000 · 27th Sep 2010, 8:19 pm

Looks like a GEC intercom 'phone (Reliance was a subsidiary of GEC). I think this is it: http://www.britishtelephones.com/gec...res/it3101.jpg but can't see the angle of the slope in your photograph. Click photo to open page on Bob Freshwater's site.

bazzing · 4th Oct 2010, 11:32 am

It is a 10 button intercom phone. You could have up to 10 extensions and you press the button to connect with any one of the other extensions. The wiring involved a multi-pair cable so that effectively each phone was connected to every other phone on the system.
It was for internal communications only, at that time the PMG - Telephone system were the only organisation who could supply systems connected to the PSTN.

Dave757 · 7th Oct 2010, 12:26 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by bazzing

It is a 10 button intercom phone. You could have up to 10 extensions and you press the button to connect with any one of the other extensions. The wiring involved a multi-pair cable so that effectively each phone was connected to every other phone on the system.
It was for internal communications only, at that time the PMG - Telephone system were the only organisation who could supply systems connected to the PSTN.

We had the 21 line version when I worked for R. White's
in Birmingham in the 1960's. The junction boxes were
large and round, and the very thick (I believe around 30 core)
cable accessed the box through the centre of the round cover.
The wires were all fanned out, and connected around the perimeter
of the box. My phone developed a fault one day, and the Reliance
engineer decided to change the instrument. It wasn't until he had reconnected all the wires that he realised he hadn't threaded the
cover onto the cable first. Such language!!

Kind regards

Dave

bazzing · 10th Oct 2010, 12:09 am

The intercoms came in 10 and 20 button versions, and yes, that meant 11 and 21 instruments max respectively.
The image is of quite an old version which pre-dated me, there were at least two more generations of intercoms before the relaxation in the market and the introduction of the Keylink systems with intercom and PSTN access.
You could add one or two modified instruments with loud speaking capabilities, for busy bosses!

Ragnvald · 23rd Oct 2010, 2:36 pm

This is the standard Reliance Intercom System was unchanged for many years. They came in three versions the ones with the 300 or 1000 type handset these were bakelite and the final version with plastic casing and 700 type handset early sixties. Furthermore there was the master station versions they had three 6v lamps red, white and green and the first three buttons were red, white and green capped. When a master station called a lamp lit up and you pressed the corresponding button this operated a 600 type relay in the junction box giving a secret connection between you and the master. Ordinary station to station was not secret up three masters always with loudspeaking facility could be in any system. Three wire power was provided RZ (6v Neg), TZ(3V Neg) and CC Common Carbon +. Then a home line for each station. Hence 11 line system used 15 way cable and a 21 line system used 25 way cable in both of these cable three cores were thicker gauge wire to reduce voltage drop. No of stations was number of buttons plus your own home line. If masters were fitted a triple core cable was run from the master to each station. Power was provided either by Flag Cells (older systems) or a small mains power supply. If you want to sell it let me know I am trying to set a demo exhibit for a museum collection. I think press button interconm died out because of high copper costs and the arrival of small 10 line uniselector or electronic PAX's. All internal companies plus the Post Office had stand alone press button intercom systems like this.

audi2.5tdi · 6th Dec 2010, 2:01 am

Just to continue this thread I thought I would include pictures of my phone which is the 20 button version. There is nothing to tell me what year it is on it, I presume 1960's but would appreciate if someone knows exactly.
Cheers

Ralph

Darren-UK · 7th Dec 2010, 2:30 pm

That's a Reliance-branded GEC IT3103 but the look of it. They were eventually reclassed in the TEL/7D and TEL/8D ranges as indicated on post #1 above and predate the 1960's by at least a decade.

27th Sep 2010, 8:19 pm	#2
JCM3000 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, UK. Posts: 29	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. Looks like a GEC intercom 'phone (Reliance was a subsidiary of GEC). I think this is it: http://www.britishtelephones.com/gec...res/it3101.jpg but can't see the angle of the slope in your photograph. Click photo to open page on Bob Freshwater's site.

4th Oct 2010, 11:32 am	#3
bazzing Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia. Posts: 3	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. It is a 10 button intercom phone. You could have up to 10 extensions and you press the button to connect with any one of the other extensions. The wiring involved a multi-pair cable so that effectively each phone was connected to every other phone on the system. It was for internal communications only, at that time the PMG - Telephone system were the only organisation who could supply systems connected to the PSTN.

10th Oct 2010, 12:09 am	#5
bazzing Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia. Posts: 3	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. The intercoms came in 10 and 20 button versions, and yes, that meant 11 and 21 instruments max respectively. The image is of quite an old version which pre-dated me, there were at least two more generations of intercoms before the relaxation in the market and the introduction of the Keylink systems with intercom and PSTN access. You could add one or two modified instruments with loud speaking capabilities, for busy bosses!

23rd Oct 2010, 2:36 pm	#6
Ragnvald Triode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fife, UK. Posts: 10	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. This is the standard Reliance Intercom System was unchanged for many years. They came in three versions the ones with the 300 or 1000 type handset these were bakelite and the final version with plastic casing and 700 type handset early sixties. Furthermore there was the master station versions they had three 6v lamps red, white and green and the first three buttons were red, white and green capped. When a master station called a lamp lit up and you pressed the corresponding button this operated a 600 type relay in the junction box giving a secret connection between you and the master. Ordinary station to station was not secret up three masters always with loudspeaking facility could be in any system. Three wire power was provided RZ (6v Neg), TZ(3V Neg) and CC Common Carbon +. Then a home line for each station. Hence 11 line system used 15 way cable and a 21 line system used 25 way cable in both of these cable three cores were thicker gauge wire to reduce voltage drop. No of stations was number of buttons plus your own home line. If masters were fitted a triple core cable was run from the master to each station. Power was provided either by Flag Cells (older systems) or a small mains power supply. If you want to sell it let me know I am trying to set a demo exhibit for a museum collection. I think press button interconm died out because of high copper costs and the arrival of small 10 line uniselector or electronic PAX's. All internal companies plus the Post Office had stand alone press button intercom systems like this.

6th Dec 2010, 2:01 am	#7
audi2.5tdi Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, UK. Posts: 1	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. Just to continue this thread I thought I would include pictures of my phone which is the 20 button version. There is nothing to tell me what year it is on it, I presume 1960's but would appreciate if someone knows exactly. Cheers Ralph Attached Thumbnails

25th Sep 2010, 3:46 pm	#1
soundengineer Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 1	Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. Hi there, I am walking into the unknown here as I know nothing about telecommunications equipment! However around 20 years ago by dad brought home a very old RTC telephone. It remained stuck in the loft for years and forgotten about so I thought it would be interesting to find the value and maybe sell it to someone who collects such things. The only details it has on the bottom is Re order code TEL/7D/ITS and a RTC logo on the back. It has push buttons with words above them such as 'Invoice Office' and 'Warehouse' so it would of been a inside line phone I'm guessing. I have attached a picture below of it so you can see it. Any problems would be greatly appreciated. Will. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Darren-UK; 25th Sep 2010 at 3:53 pm. Reason: Gargantuan embedded image converted to thumbnail.

7th Dec 2010, 2:30 pm	#8
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Reliance Telephone Co. Vintage Phone. That's a Reliance-branded GEC IT3103 but the look of it. They were eventually reclassed in the TEL/7D and TEL/8D ranges as indicated on post #1 above and predate the 1960's by at least a decade.