What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Exchanges - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

DoctorWho · 9th Jun 2008, 10:59 am

I'd like to obtain either an original or, if not, a good scan, of a card inserted in to the drawer of a 200 or 300 series telephone which was used on a manual exchanged, but I'd also like to ask please if anyone here has one and can tell me what those cards had printed on them?

I have seen the cards for automatic exchanges with the various codes on, but I have never seen one for a manual exchange, and yet they must have printd them otherwise why did they install cheese tray drawers on telephones installed on manual exchanges?

If anyone can shed any light on this I would be very grateful, and if anyone has one available for sale then I would be very interested, if not then a good quality scan would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Peter.

Sean Williams · 9th Jun 2008, 6:15 pm

Peter, might be worth asking THG members as well.........

DoctorWho · 9th Jun 2008, 7:20 pm

Thanks Sean, I'm no longer a member as my main collecting now focusses on TV and radio, so I no longer have access to their website, but if anyone here is a THG member and can help I would be very grateful.

Peter.

dseymo1 · 9th Jun 2008, 8:56 pm

I'm not really a telephone buff, but I seem to remember seeing these with what amounts to a personal number memo printed on them, which could be filled in with what would now be termed 'friends and family' numbers. Possibly just my faulty memory though!

DoctorWho · 9th Jun 2008, 9:08 pm

Thanks for the suggestion. I have an idea, and this is only guessing, that it is what people did with the drawers after the GPO stopped issuing the cards to go in them, but I know all automatic exchanges had cards printed to go in the drawers, and so this leads me to wonder what happened on the manual exchanges. I obviously don't know, but I suspect that some care was printed, otherwise the inclusion of the drawer, what at that time was purely for the insertion of the GPO issued cards, would be pointless.

Maybe someone will know?

AVO_VCM163 · 9th Jun 2008, 10:45 pm

I remember the issue of one on a manual exchange - ELMbridge (which was also the last training exchnge). It was a white card with ruled lines for customer use. Probably about 20 down and 2 across.

R

DoctorWho · 9th Jun 2008, 11:13 pm

Thanks for that information, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Do you happen to know if it had any GPO markings or instructions such as "to call operator lift handset", or was it completely blank?

Thanks again,

Peter.

dseymo1 · 4th Jul 2008, 7:07 am

Nice to know that for once my recollection wasn't a fantasy!

Station X · 4th Jul 2008, 12:48 pm

I can remember my local exchange Eaton, now part of the Nowich linked numbering scheme, being manual, but only posh people had phones in those days and that didn't include my parents. Hence I can't remember what manual (CB) 300 types had in the tray.

I expect it was a personal diirectory and nothing more. After all you just lifted the handset and told the operator what you wanted. All you needed was an exchange name and number which you got from your local directory or directory enquiries.

Herald1360 · 4th Jul 2008, 1:07 pm

In Hastings in 1971, (then ISTR the largest manual exchange still in service) the phone boxes had a bell push on the back wall above the button A button B phone for emergency calls.

Anorak off now

Chris

Station X · 4th Jul 2008, 1:08 pm

That button was on the back panel of the telephone kiosk. It gave the call priority over other calls the operator was dealing with.

Ordinary subscribers didn't have an emergency button and could only "flash" the switch hooks to attract attention.

DoctorWho · 5th Jul 2008, 10:04 am

This is rathwer interesting, so does this mean that, just possibly, the cards in the drawers of telephones on manual exchanges may possibly have had words to the effect of "In Case Of Emergency Depress Switch Hook Repeatedly"?

9th Jun 2008, 10:59 am	#1
DoctorWho Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Devon Posts: 850	What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Exchanges I'd like to obtain either an original or, if not, a good scan, of a card inserted in to the drawer of a 200 or 300 series telephone which was used on a manual exchanged, but I'd also like to ask please if anyone here has one and can tell me what those cards had printed on them? I have seen the cards for automatic exchanges with the various codes on, but I have never seen one for a manual exchange, and yet they must have printd them otherwise why did they install cheese tray drawers on telephones installed on manual exchanges? If anyone can shed any light on this I would be very grateful, and if anyone has one available for sale then I would be very interested, if not then a good quality scan would be very much appreciated. Many thanks, Peter.

9th Jun 2008, 6:15 pm	#2
Sean Williams Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St.Ippolyts, Hitchin, Hertfordshire QRA IO91UW Posts: 3,518	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha Peter, might be worth asking THG members as well......... __________________ Engineers make things work and have spare bits when finished

9th Jun 2008, 7:20 pm	#3
DoctorWho Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Devon Posts: 850	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha Thanks Sean, I'm no longer a member as my main collecting now focusses on TV and radio, so I no longer have access to their website, but if anyone here is a THG member and can help I would be very grateful. Peter.

9th Jun 2008, 8:56 pm	#4
dseymo1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK. Posts: 3,051	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha I'm not really a telephone buff, but I seem to remember seeing these with what amounts to a personal number memo printed on them, which could be filled in with what would now be termed 'friends and family' numbers. Possibly just my faulty memory though!

9th Jun 2008, 9:08 pm	#5
DoctorWho Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Devon Posts: 850	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha Thanks for the suggestion. I have an idea, and this is only guessing, that it is what people did with the drawers after the GPO stopped issuing the cards to go in them, but I know all automatic exchanges had cards printed to go in the drawers, and so this leads me to wonder what happened on the manual exchanges. I obviously don't know, but I suspect that some care was printed, otherwise the inclusion of the drawer, what at that time was purely for the insertion of the GPO issued cards, would be pointless. Maybe someone will know?

9th Jun 2008, 10:45 pm	#6
AVO_VCM163 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hampshire, UK. Posts: 297	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha I remember the issue of one on a manual exchange - ELMbridge (which was also the last training exchnge). It was a white card with ruled lines for customer use. Probably about 20 down and 2 across. R

9th Jun 2008, 11:13 pm	#7
DoctorWho Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Devon Posts: 850	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha Thanks for that information, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Do you happen to know if it had any GPO markings or instructions such as "to call operator lift handset", or was it completely blank? Thanks again, Peter.

4th Jul 2008, 7:07 am	#8
dseymo1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK. Posts: 3,051	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha Nice to know that for once my recollection wasn't a fantasy!

4th Jul 2008, 12:48 pm	#9
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha I can remember my local exchange Eaton, now part of the Nowich linked numbering scheme, being manual, but only posh people had phones in those days and that didn't include my parents. Hence I can't remember what manual (CB) 300 types had in the tray. I expect it was a personal diirectory and nothing more. After all you just lifted the handset and told the operator what you wanted. All you needed was an exchange name and number which you got from your local directory or directory enquiries. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

4th Jul 2008, 1:07 pm	#10
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha In Hastings in 1971, (then ISTR the largest manual exchange still in service) the phone boxes had a bell push on the back wall above the button A button B phone for emergency calls. Anorak off now Chris

4th Jul 2008, 1:08 pm	#11
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha That button was on the back panel of the telephone kiosk. It gave the call priority over other calls the operator was dealing with. Ordinary subscribers didn't have an emergency button and could only "flash" the switch hooks to attract attention. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

5th Jul 2008, 10:04 am	#12
DoctorWho Rest in Peace Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Devon Posts: 850	Re: What was on the cheese tray drawer cards on 200&300 Series phones on Manual Excha This is rathwer interesting, so does this mean that, just possibly, the cards in the drawers of telephones on manual exchanges may possibly have had words to the effect of "In Case Of Emergency Depress Switch Hook Repeatedly"?