The Rob Grant

(Vaguely) British
Telephone Identifier

A collection of information regarding the more common types of telephones used in

the UK since approximately 1900.
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Contents
Section/Title

i Introduction.
ii Manufacturers Codes.
iii Abbreviations used.
iv Cross reference charts.
v Connections for Plug and Socket working.

1 The Early Days.

2 British Post Office 200 Types.
3 British Post Office 300 Types.
4 British Post Office 700 Types.
5 GPO/BT Special Range Telephones & Present day.
6 A.T.E./ Communication Systems Ltd.
7 Ericsson Telephones.
8 General Electric Co / Reliance Telephones.
9 Siemens / AEI.
10 Standard Telephones and Cables.
11 Telephone Rentals
12 Plessey.

13 Minor Manufacturers and Suppliers :-

a) Pye/Telephone Manufacturing Co. Ltd
b) The British Home & Office Telephone Co Ltd.
c) Autophon.
d) Sterling Telephone & Electric Co Ltd.
e) Case.
f) Dictograph.

14 House Exchange and Intercom Telephones.

15 spare section - to be issued later!
16 Fire and Waterproof Certified Telephones.
17 Testing Telephones.

Issue 3 Contents
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Section i
Introduction
This is issue 3 of the Telephone Identifier. Issues 1,2 & 2a were produced between 1990 and
1993. This is the first issue to use Desk Top Publishing for the layout and artwork. Previous
issues were painstakingly hand built using scissors and glue - this issue was even more pains-
takingly built but this time with a computer.

Despite the somewhat ‘homemade’ appearance of previous issues I have been encouraged to
continue with this project by all of my ‘subscribers’. Many of them have also passed me fur-
ther information for inclusion in this new issue, lots of it, a frightening amount. At the time of
writing I don’t know if I’ll ever get through it all - but I must have because you’re reading this!
So... let’s get this show on the road.

This document is intended as an aid in the identification of telephone instruments used in the
UK both past and present. It is not in any way to be considered a definitive list - it is almost
impossible to document all of them... especially as some models (ie: the Type 706) are made
by several manufacturers... Not only that but there are many variants, colours and changes in
electrical specification. Some telephone companies do not actually manufacture instruments
themselves (in fact as from 1991 BT do not either!) but simply buy from other manufacturers
and have their own name on the instruments. Likewise other larger (non telephone) organisa-
tions might have their name embossed on instrument cases - eg ‘British Airways’.
The policy that I have used up to now is to add an instrument if I have an illustration or if I
have read of its existence. Thus some illustrations have no description and other entries have
no genuine illustration... usually however there will be another similar looking instrument that
will suffice as near-enough for that illustration. The description-less illustrations will have to
wait until time reveals all!

I have not included coinboxes (except for early Post Office No’s in section 1), military or rail-
way telephones... perhaps someone else would like to tackle these! Likewise the proliferation
of modern telephones means that it is nigh on impossible to document the ever growing mass
of look-a-likes. I have also excluded special telephones intended for use with call connect
systems in offices - these will only work with special equipment and cannot/should not be
connected to ‘normal’ telephone exchanges. Answering machines and cordless instruments
are another area that could be tackled by someone else.

Besides telephones connected to exchanges there were many instruments used in pairs as
means of communication in large houses, factories and offices. These are too numerous to
catalogue - in fact a lot of the early ones were almost home-made by todays standards.

Apologies for the poor quality of some of the illustrations - especially some of the early GEC
instruments. This is mainly due to the source material. Beggars can’t be choosers!

Introduction
Issue 3 Section i Page 1
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Thanks!

I must thank the following for acting as ‘sources’ for this document...

Andrew Emmerson - Old Telephones (Shire Album No 161)

Atkinson - ‘Telephony’
ATM - advertisements & ‘The Mine Signalling Handbook’
British Home & Office Telephone Co Ltd (the) sales literature
BT ‘In-Touch’ brochures (free from Telecom Shops etc)
Case - sales literature
Chris Pearce ‘Twentieth Century Design Classics’
Conran Directory of Design (The) edited by Stephen Bailey
Gar Donnelson - “Please Give the Yard a Ring, Watson” (BT Museum)
GEC advertisements & catalogues old and new.
GEC/Plessey Telephones sales leaflets
Ericsson’s Telephones Ltd Bulletins
Franco Soresini - Telefoni/Telephone Sets (full of colour photographs)
Harvey - Colliery Electrical Engineering
Herbert & Procter - ‘Telephony’
Institution of British Telecommunications Engineers Journal
Institution of Post Office Electrical Engineers Journal
Post Office ‘N’ diagrams
P.J.Povey & R.A.J.Earl - ‘Vintage Telephones of the World”
Rocom Catalogue
Siemens/AEI catalogues and advertisements
Standard Telephones & Cables Catalogues
Sterling Telephone & Electric Co Ltd catalogue
Telecom Heritage Bulletin/Journal & TH News
Telephone Design Notes for Students - Design Museum

Various Post Office and British Telecom sales literature and telephone instruction pamphlets

I have used illustrations from most of the above mentioned literature plus quite a few of my own
photographs... thanks to those people who’ve allowed me to photograph their instruments at
swapmeets (sometimes unwittingly!)..
and finally a thank-you to those of you who have helped me compile this document so far by
contributing ‘missing’ instrument numbers & illustrations, especially

Robin Clark, Andrew Emmerson, Jim Foster, Bob Freshwater, John Goldfinch, Alan G. Hobbs,
Ian Jolly, Mark Nimmins, Norman Pearce, George Tondryk, Warren Vipond, Peter Walker, Tom
Wall and A.F.Whitehouse for searching out and sending me much additional information.

Happy Hunting! Click - Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Rob Grant

Introduction
Issue 3 Section i Page 2
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Section ii
Manufacturers Codes
The British Post Office (BPO) purchased telephones and other apparatus from various
manufacturers. On a lot of equipment the manufacturer can be identified by the use of a
manufacturers code. I have employed these codes within this catalogue where possible.
Some entries however have ‘BPO’ in the ‘Manu’ column rather than a manufacturer’s code
- this signifies that the actual manufacturer could have been one or more of those listed be-
low. Also where a PO factory code is shown means that the equipment has been made or
refurbished by one of the BPO factories. Quite often these codes are on labels stuck over
the top of the original manufacturers code. At present these are still a ‘grey area’ and not
necessarily correct!

The following codes can be found on Post Office/BT equipment and I have used them in
this publication with the exceptions in the table following. Thanks to many articles from the
THG, especially the list compiled by Graham Wooten in Telecommunications Heritage Bul-
letin No 22. This listing contains not only codes pertaining to telephone instruments, but
other products used by the Post Office/BT (and Mercury Communications Ltd) such as
manhole covers etc.

Code Manufacturer

AEG : GEC Telecommunications, Glenross, Scotland

AEK : GEC-AEI Telecommunications, Kirkaldy, Fife, Scotland
AK : Peel-Conner Telephone Works Ltd - became GEC
ASW : Armstrong Stevens & Sons - Willenhall, Staffs
ATL : Austin Taylor Electrical Ltd - Bangor, N. Wales
AUC :
BDA : unknown
BLD : unknown
C : General Electric Co, Coventry
CCA : Carron Co
CWL : PYE Telecommunications, Cambridge
DAE : A.P. Besson Ltd, Hove, Sussex
DAW : Duct & Access Covers PLC, Wales
DEK : unknown (seen on duct cover)
DFM : Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd
E : Ericsson
EEC : Elliott Ltd, West Midlands
EET : Plessey, Beeston, Notts (formerly Ericsson)
EEX : Plessey, Sunderland (formerly Ericsson)
FB : GPO Factory, Birmingham
FBR : GPO Factory, Birmingham (Refurbish)
FEN : unknown (seen on duct cover)
FGB : Sontronic Ltd, Edgware
FH : GPO Factory, Holloway
FHA : GPO Factory, Holloway (Assembly)
FHB : GPO Factory, Holloway (Construction)
FHR : GPO Factory, Holloway (Refurbish)
FID : Fidelity Radio Ltd
FNR : GPO Factory, Edinburgh (Refurbish)
FRA : Ferranti Ltd
FRG :
FW : GPO Factory, Wales (Cwmcarn)

Manufacturers Codes
Issue 3 Section ii Page 1
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier
Code Manufacturer

FWG : STC Consumer Electronics, Cwmcarn (formerly BT)

FWR : GPO Factory, Wales (Refurbish)
G : General Electric Co (GEC) - see C
GAB : Greenwood and Butler
GEC : GEC Telephones, Coventry
GEN : GEC-AEI Telecommunications, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
GNA : Pye, Aidre Factory (TMC from 1970) - see TMA
GTE :
H : Automatic Telephone & Electric Co
HA : Hall Telephone Accessories Ltd (later HAS)
HAA : Plessey Strowger Works, Liverpool (later GPT)
HAS : Hall Telephone Accessories Ltd (formerly HA)
HCA : BICC Cables, Warrington
I : Ibex (later IBX)
IBX : Ibex Telephones, Harrow (formerly I)
JEK : (unknown - see on footway cover)
KRN : Krone (?), Germany
M : P.O. Factory, St Johns Road, Dublin
MXB : Motorola, Basingstoke
OAA : Gent, Leicester (formerly O)
OE : (unknown)
PEH : Pye, Hastings
PER : Plessey, Romford
PL : Plessey (probably at Ilford)
PLA :
PLS : Plessey, Swindon
PLU :
PLX : Plessey, Newport, Gwent
PX : Phoenix Telephones, Hendon (later PXA)
PXA : Phoenix Telephones, Hendon (formerly PX)
RAA : Landis & Gyr
RIA : Rathdown Industries
RLE : Ripaults Ltd, Enfield
S : Siemens Brothers, Later retained for AEI after they took over Siemens
SBM : Salford Electrical Instruments, Manchester
SER : Siemens, West Hartlepool
SID : Salmon Industries Ltd, Northern Ireland
SLV : (unknown - seen on duct hole cover)
SLW : Plessey, Wigan
SPK : Plessey, Speke, Liverpool
SS : (unknown)
SSA : (unknown)
SSG : Splintex Safety Glass Co, London
SSS : Smiths Industrial Instruments Ltd
STC : STC, New Southgate, London, N11
STM : STC, Belfast
TBE : Telerelays Sales Ltd, Braintree, Essex
TCH : STC, Larne, Northern Ireland
TCON : Team Concepts International Ltd, Hong Kong
TE : Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC) until 1939
TEA : TMC, West Dulwich from 1939 - 1979
TES : TMC, Sevenoaks Way, St Mary Cray from 1939 - 1939
TGR : Thorn Ericsson, Rochester
TGW : Thorn Ericsson, Scunthorpe
TMA : TMC, Airdrie, see GNA
TRA : Ernest Turner Electrical Instruments Ltd
TTL : TMC, Livingston, West Lothian (demolished late 70’s)
W : Western Electric (STC after 1925)
WER : Whiteley Electric Radio Co Ltd, Mansfield
WWI : Webb & Wells, Ilford, Essex
ZE : Zenith

Manufacturers Codes
Issue 3 Section ii Page 2
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Besides the ‘official’ manufacturers codes I have also used some codes of my own. Some of
the codes are for Companies not covered by Post Office codes (ie Telephone Rentals,Dicto-
graph etc) and others are used where a particular manufacturer has several factories/codes
and I do not want to be that specific... the code therefore only tells of the manufacturer and
not the specific factory.
Code Manufacturer

BPO : Could have been manufactured by any of the BPO suppliers... (see individual instrument)
AEI : Associated Electrical Industries
BTRL : BT Research Laboratories
CS : Communications Systems Ltd
DIC : Dictograph
NT : Northern Telecom
PL : Plessey (could be any one of their factories)
STC : Standard Telephones & Cables
STRL : Sterling Telephone & Electric Co Ltd
TMC : Telephone Manufacturing Company
TR : Telephone Rentals

Manufacturers Codes
Issue 3 Section ii Page 3
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Section iii
Abbreviations Used
adj adjustable
Aka also known as
alt alternative
Auto Automatic
A&B A&B type coin collecting Box
BS Bellset
BTRL British Telecom Research Laboratories
CB Central Battery (System)
CBS No 1/2/3 Central Battery Signalling Number 1/2/3
cc coin collecting
cct circuit
Co Company
c/o cut off
DEL Direct Exchange Line (a normal subscribers line)
Dept Department
diff different
DTMF Dual Tone Multi Frequency
Dual sig Dual signalling - ie loop disconnect or DTMF
DS Dual signalling
equiv equivalent to
Exch Exchange/s
Extn Extension
fuw for use with
HER 2/24 Telecom Heritage Group Newsletter issue 2, page 24
HFree Hands Free conversations
HiZ High impedance
(HS) Handset
IBTEJ Institute of British Telecom Engineers Journal
inst instrument
IPOEEJ Institute of Post Office Electrical Engineers Journal
LB Local Battery
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LD Loop Dialling
LNR Last Number Re-dial
LoZ Low impedance
Lspkr Loud Speaker
Mag Magneto System
Mem Memory
Misc miscellaneous
MF Multi Frequency
N.T.C National Telephone Company
No Number
Nos Numbers
OHD On Hook Dialling
Op Operator
PB Push Button
recall Could be either Earth Loop or Timed Break or both
SC Self Contained (Loop disconnect keypad)
sim Similar to
SNR Saved Number Redial (stores last No dialled for redial later)
S/S Shared Service
SSMF4 Signalling System Multi Frequency Number 4
Svol Speaker Volumes Control
tele telephone
(TI) Table Instrument
(T/W) Table or Wall mounting
UAX Unit Automatic Exchange (small rural exchange)
(WI) Wall Instrument
w/- with
xmission transmission
Xref cross reference
Manu Manufacturer
<nnnn> where nnnn is the model Number of range/instrument and a name has been specified
in the ‘Type’ column
[ text ] where text is a reference to a document etc

Abbreviations Used
Issue 3 Section iii Page 1
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Section iv
Cross Reference Charts
Where a telephone appears in more than one place within the identifier I have given
it a cross reference number (Xref) The existance of an Xref indicates that the same
telephone (or similar) appears elsewhere within the identifier. If the entry that you
are interested in has an Xref then first look down the Xref column of the current sec-
tion that you are reading and search for the same number. Also look within these
charts against the Xref for other sections that contain your selected telephone. Re-
member that there could be more than one appearance of the Xref within a section.

Xref Manu Type Where ? Figure Xref Manu Type Where ? Figure

0121 BPO Tele.121 Section 1 fig 1-121 0710 BPO Type.710 Section 4 fig 4-05
0121 C K8384 Section 8 0710 E Plan-Etel Section 7
0121 S Section 9 0710 C Type.710 Section 8 fig 8-04

0150 BPO Tele.150 Section 1 fig 1-150 0712 BPO Type.712 Section 4 fig 4-22
0150 C K8385 Section 8 fig 1-150 0712 BPO Type.722 Section 4 fig 4-22
0150 S Section 9 fig 9-01 0712 STC Deltaphone Section 5
0712 STC Deltaphone Section 10
0232 H T4072 Section 6 fig 6-03/06 0712 STC Deltaphone Section 10
0232 BPO Type.232 Section 2 fig 2-01
0232 S Section 9 fig 9-09 0740 BPO Type.740 Section 4 fig 4-11
0232 S Type.310 Section 9 fig 9-05 0740 C Type.740 Section 8 fig 8-06

0248 BPO Type 248 Section 2 fig 2-05 0746 BPO Type.746 Section 4 fig 4-10
0248 C Gecophone Section 8 fig 8-11 0746 BPO Type.8746 Section 4 fig 4-10
0746 BPO Yeoman Section 5
0311 BPO Type.311 Section 3 fig 3-05 0746 C Type.746 Section 8
0311 E Section 7 fig 7-08 0746 TMC Type.746 Section 13a
0746 PL Section 12 fig 12-01
0312 S Type 300 Section 9
0312 S Type 312 Section 9 fig 9-11 0756 BPO Type.756 Section 4 fig 4-13
0756 TMC Type.756 Section 13a
0332 BPO Type.332 Section 3 fig 3-01
0332 E Section 7 fig 7-02 0766 BPO Type.766 Section 4 fig 4-23
0332 C Section 8 0766 STC Delta'Delux Section 5 fig 5-12
0332 S Type.350 Section 9 0766 STC Delta'Delux Section 10
0332 H Section 6 fig 6-06 0766 STC Delta'Delux Section 10
0766 STC Qckstp Dlta Section 10
0333 BPO Type.333 Section 3 fig 3-06
0333 TR Section 11 fig 11-02 0772 BPO Type.772 Section 4 fig 4-12
0772 TMC Type.772 Section 13a
0704 BPO Type.704A Section 17 fig 17-07
0704 BPO Type.704B Section 17 0776 BPO Type.776 Section 4 fig 4-25
0704 TMC Type 704 Section 13a fig 17-07 0776 PL Compact Section 12
0704 TMC Type 1705 Section 13a fig 17-07
0786 BPO Type.786 Section 4 fig 4-24
0706 H Type 6 Section 6 fig 6-10 0786 BPO Type.8786 Section 4 fig 4-24
0706 CS Section 14
0706 E Etelphone Section 7 fig 7-11 0983 C ......... Section 8 fig 13-09
0706 E Etelphone Section 7 fig 7-17 0983 CASE Studio Section 13e fig 13-09
0706 C New Gecoph' Section 8 fig 8-02
0706 PL Section 12 fig 12-01 0984 STRL U410 Pri- Section 13d
0706 S Type 800 Section 9 0984 STRL U412 max Section 13d fig 13-18
0706 STC Type.7006 Section 10 0984 C K7867 Section 8 fig K7867
0706 TR Section 11 fig 11-03
0706 BPO Type.706 Section 4 fig 4-02 0985 STRL U427 Pri- Section 13d fig 13-19
0706 BPO see through Section 4 0985 C K7888 max Section 8 fig K7888

Cross Reference Charts

Issue 3 Section iv Page 1
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Xref Manu Type Where ? Figure Xref Manu Type Where ? Figure

0986 C Contempra Section 8 fig 5-03 0997 PL Mickey Mse Section 5 fig 5-02
0986 CASE Penthouse Section 13e fig 13-08 0997 PL Mickey Mse Section 5 fig 5-21
0997 PL Mickey Mse Section 12
0988 TR HES 2+8 Section 11 fig 14-03 0997 PL Mickey Mse Section 12
0988 TR HES 2+8 Section 14 fig 14-03
0998 PL Plesseyphone Section 12 fig 12-04
0989 PL Section 12 fig 16-15 0998 TR Section 11 fig 11-04
0989 PL Section 16 fig 16-15
0999 H Monphone Section 6 sim 9-08
0990 C Gecophone Section 7 fig 8-12 0999 S Type.311 Section 9 fig 9-08
0990 DIC Junior Section 13f
1000 E Type.1000 Section 7 fig 7-09
0991 E 300 type Section 7 fig 7-15 1000 E N1373B Section 7 fig 7-24
0991 S magneto Section 9 fig 7-15 1000 C Type.1000 Section 8 fig 8-07
1000 TR Section 11
0992 C Gecophone Section 8 fig 8-01
0992 E N1010A Section 7 fig 7-01 1706 BPO type.1/706 Section 4 fig 4-04
0992 TR T50 Section 11 fig 11-01 1706 E 1/706 Section 7
1706 C New Gecoph' Section 8
0993 H Section 6 fig 6-04
0993 S Section 9 fig 9-12 9000 BPO Statesman Section 5 fig 5-40
9000 C IXL Section 8 fig 12-06
0995 PL Section 12 fig 12-05 9000 PL PBT1nn Section 12 fig 12-06
0995 PL Section 12 fig 12-05 9000 CASE T1021 Section 13e fig 13-10

Cross Reference Charts

Issue 3 Section iv Page 2
 The Rob Grant (Vaguely British) Telephone Identifier

Section v
Plug & Socket Connections
The diagram on the right is a sche-
matic representation of a master
socket and its connections to the
outside world. An extension socket
contains no capacitor or resistor. It
would be connected in parallel to the
master socket - Terminal 2 - 2 , 3 -
3, 4 - 4 & 5- 5 using a four wire
cable.The colour convention of the
(Colours shown are
wires used are:- those of the telephone
connecting cord)
Note:- there is also a surge
2 = Blue arrester connected across
the A & B wires to minimise
3 = Orange lightning/storm damage. Note:- Wire 4 is used to provide
a local earth for earth recall
4 = Orange/White telephones.

Prior to PSTN working telephone bells were low impedence and were connected in series where several instruments were on one line. With
PSTN working the bells are high impedence and are connected in parallel. The master socket provides the bell capacitor. The use of old
telephones (with a low impedence bell) that have been converted as below could cause problems with more modern instrument’s bell cir-
cuits when connected to the same line. Where it is desirable to ‘mix’ such instruments a suitable resistor should be placed in series with the
low impedence bell.

The following modification methods are for reference only and should not be used on any
telephone that is to be connected to the public telephone system.

Tele No 232
Connect cord as follows:- White - T1, Blue - T2, Red - T3, Green - spare.

Tele No 312
Link/Strap T1-T2, T12-T13
Connect cord as follows:- White - T1, Green - T7 (spare), Red - T8, Blue - T11

Tele No 332
Link/Strap T1-T2, T8-T9. (Remove T10-T11 if necessary).
Connect cord as follows:- White - T1, Green - T7 (spare), Red - T9, Blue - T11

Tele No 706/746
Link/Strap 4-5-6, 16-17-18-19.
Connect cord as follows:- Blue - T6, Red - T8, Green - T15 (spare), White - T18.
(Bell is connected to T4 & T16)

Plug & Socket Connections

Issue 4 Section v Page 1