Real Telephones.

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
PBX ? on the front.
It had the facility for a Private Branch Exchange - sometimes found on commercial phones, but it wasn't necessary to use it for the phone to work as a normal phone.

Did they have rooms with extensions in, perhaps?
 

Laurie61

Well-Known Forumite
It had the facility for a Private Branch Exchange - sometimes found on commercial phones, but it wasn't necessary to use it for the phone to work as a normal phone.

Did they have rooms with extensions in, perhaps?

No, there was just one phone in the main entrance to the building. To start with I didn't realise it was a phone, the club had one arm bandits in the lounge and I had decided, as this box had slots for money, it must be some sort of games machine and asked if I could have a go. I was then informed it was a telephone.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
It would work as a stand-alone phone, without using the PBX facility.

Older, proper phones would sometimes have a "Call" button, where the small rectangular blanking plate is, in front of the handset. This would alert the in-house exchange to a request. Again, it would work as a normal basic phone without needing to use that and it would be blanked off on most phones, especially in domestic use.

New_Zealand_Rotary_Telephone.jpg
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
We were on a party line, occasionally, the 'other party' would leave the phone off the hook. Bit annoying and dangerous, especially how my dad used be rushed into hospital several times a year. We eventually found out who we shared it with and mum gave them a piece of her mind, shame, she didn't have much start with!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
As mentioned elsewhere, proper people still have real telephones.

This is my current one in service. It is in the hall, of course, where all decent people keep their house phone.

6KA3Fz2.jpg


The handset cord has gone a little bit 'tacky' with age, but it all still functions correctly.


And this is currently a 'project' - I really wanted the one with the onboard memory - i.e., the little drawer for the list of useful numbers at the bottom.

BsZcYG8.jpg


Attn, @Gomez
I currently have some sort of 'issue' with the phone wiring in my house and am using the real phone, in the hall, like a proper person would.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
I currently have some sort of 'issue' with the phone wiring in my house and am using the real phone, in the hall, like a proper person would.

Are those pulse dial analogue phones or have they been converted to digital?

If the former I wonder how old the exchange they're connected to is.
 
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