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RELATED PAGES ON THIS SITE:
Colors
Table
Key Development
Timeline Touch Tone
Development
Other Decorator phones: TeleConcepts TeleQuest Northern Telecom Lamps K-type Handsets |
After 1984, the Design Line was continued by AT&T and phones got the AT&T logo. They are not covered here. They were featured prominently in Phone Store displays, such as shown above. "Friendly" boxes were used, so some of the inventory could be stored on the floor, ready for quick sale. This page is intended to be a quick summary of the models produced and major functions. Western catalogs and technical documentation only show the models that were in production or service at the publication date. To understand the full scope of models produced we must compile data from many years of documents. Each model had suffix letters that defined variations. Details can be found in the Bell System technical documentation (e.g. BSPs - Bell System Practices). The Design Line Sets are covered in the Station Service Manuals that were published from about 1975 to 1980. Models changed from year to year, so it's important to view them all! Most info in the chart is from manufacturer catalogs and ads plus discussions on the ATCA and TCI listservs. No claim is made regarding accuracy or completeness. There's a great 1979 video highlighting the Design Line sets on the AT&T site: http://techchannel.att.com/play-video.cfm/2012/12/13/AT&T-Archives-Design-Line-Fashions1 If you're enjoying looking at this level of detail and haven't joined one of the phone clubs yet, see the links page. If you're identifying a phone, you still need to check the internal components as many phones were refurbed and had internal components changed or removed. If done in a Bell System refurb facility, the code on the bottom was usually repainted or remarked. Many independent shops or field mods were not remarked with the accurate model number. As with the 500 series, a W suffix indicates sets made without Bell System markings, and M indicates a Modular set. More details on set coding are found on the 500-series page. Many also apply to Design Line sets. For color information, see: Phones in color! This page is a work in progress. Please send comments, additions and corrections. Last update: August 13, 2020 |
Most rotary Design Line set
components are in the model 581A “Telephone Set Bases”,
which was intended for use with customer-supplied
housings and handsets. See we581.html
“G” was often
inserted after the letter to indicate an internal
polarity guard on TouchTone models. (Higher BSP number apparently documents this change.)
Names in bold
are the Western Electric names from the BSPs. Help fill in the
blanks and guesses!
881
--
American Telecommunication Corporation (ATC) / DecoTel. The housings were also used by GTE (with their internals) and in the Deco-tel line. A 1978 modification added a set of contacts to the line switch, causing a variant change in most ATC models. |
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MODEL |
MAJOR FUNCTIONS |
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NOTE: see
Table Key for
prefix and suffix codes and reference info. |
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100 101 110 112 |
Chestphone (ATC) – A-hardwired (MD77), B-mod (MD78), C-line switch (78+)
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503-200-107 12/74 503-200-119 |
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102 103 104 |
102-Antique Gold, 103-Mediterranean, 104- Early American
(e.g. 881B104 Early American Cradle Phone)
Rotary Only. |
503-200-108 12/74 503-200-120 |
105 106 107 108 |
Candlestick
(ATC) – A-hardwired
(MD77), B-mod (MD78), C-line switch
(78+) 105- Black, 106- Red,
107- White, 108- Stars and Stripes; (e.g. 881C108 Stars & Stripes Candlestick)
Rotary Only. (GTE used tone pads as in the Genie phone)
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503-200-109 12/74 |
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109 |
Character standing on a rectangular base with wood grain sides and red top. All were available with add-on lamp kits, but haven’t found a Bell ordering number.
Mickey Mouse (ATC) – 109 Standing, holding handset in right hand. |
503-200-111 3/77 503-200-122 |
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881 |
111 |
Snoopy (ATC) – 111 Standing with Woodstock. |
503-200-112 7/78 503-200-123 |
2881 |
113 |
Winnie the Pooh – (CS2881CG113) [ATC model TBM 8020 (Rotary) and TMIF 8021 (TT).] Note: ATC also
made a similar Kermit model, not yet found in
Bell literature, but seen with Western internals
(including rotary, as shown below). Photo
from Tom Heckhaus |
503-200-117 |
Coquette (USTel) – 200-White; A-mod (MD78), B-line switch (78+) Rotary Only. |
503-200-110 12/75 503-200-124 |
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Stowaway A300-Roll-top,
A400-Cherry “jewel box”;
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503-200-127 |
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Butcher Block
CS2884A100
, Wall mount. L2D Handset (Maple).
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503-200-135 WE Catalog Card |
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2900 |
Exeter AD-initial
release,
B-2 added line switch leads; 1-Customer applique , 2-Alligator,
3- Etched Metal, 4-Green Vinyl, 5-Floral
and Irridescent appliqués, 6 -Floral and etched
metal appliqués; in white-58, brown-104 and green-105; K1A handset. (e.g. 900AD2-104 Exeter
Alligator brown)
[See 2953
for later wall model] |
503-200-100 (74) 503-200-125 |
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2902 |
Sculptura A1;
[Also seen in pink (painted), but no
BSP reference reported.] DecoTel had a similar shaped phone
called the CirclPhone (on right below).
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503-200-102 1/77 503-200-126 |
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Big Button AG1
and AG2; in white-58 (e.g. CS2903 AG1-58) N1 handset. Seen with orange/yellow or blue/green buttons.
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503-200-118 |
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Photo from Steve Schlink |
Glow Phone
(CS2905AG1-58) In
white-58. N1 handset. Front
is all black until the handset is lifted when the
numbers all glow. There's
an electronic ringer with slider volume control on the
back of the set and a pushbutton ringer cutoff on the
right side toward the front. Requires
a transformer (3110C 5 volt @ 5.6va) . |
503-200-134
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Stowaway A10-Oiled
Walnut,
A11-Mediterranean Oak; in black-03 and ivory-50. K1A handset with handset cord
retractor. Early Stowaway models had the Bell
Logo and model name hot stamped into the plastic near
the dial. Housings made by Nelson Industries Presentation sets were customized
with brass plaques or designs burned with a laser in the
top of Oiled Walnut and Roll Top models. Late additions: see model 2883 above for additional styles. |
503-200-101 (74) 503-200-127 |
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Telstar A1-in black-03, K1A handset with handset cord retractor. |
503-200-105 7/78 503-200-128 |
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921 |
Accent (x920 models have a cord retractor, x921 models have modular coiled handset cords) A-tall case (MD78), B-short
case
(MD80) in ivory-50, white-58, yellow-93, lime green-106 and blue-115; K1A handset. (e.g. 2921B22-106 Accent
short case, wicker in lime green.)
Early Accent models had the Bell Logo
and model name hot stamped into the plastic, as was done
on the yellow 2920 set shown.
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503-200-106 (74) |
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2930
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Elite (930, 2930) A-Leather, B-vinyl; 30-Green/gold in green-105, 31-White/silver in white-58. (e.g. 930B30 Elite, green vinyl with gold trim, green plastic base and handset.) K1A handset.
The 2930A Touch Tone sets have round
buttons, while the 2930B sets have square buttons.
Elite Commemorative (2931) B33-with Medallion, B35-Non-medallion in black-03, TouchTone only. |
503-200-103 (74) |
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2940 |
Celebrity A40-Chrome
trim,
3 feet (MD78); B40-Gold trim, 3 feet (MD78);
Later C40 Chrome, C41 Gold; D40 Chrome, D41 Gold, 4 feet. L1 Handset standard. L2 handset
without plating.
[Late addition: 2940DG41-03 – TouchTone black with gold trim. ‘82: In the 6/83 price list] |
503-200-104 (74) 503-200-129 |
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Country Squire (CS2941AG1) Wood desk set with french-style handset (L2C). |
503-200-132 |
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Director (CS2942AG1-03, or
CS2942A1G-03) Black Trimline Touch Tone handset with a rectangular wood-cased base (cherry). |
503-200-144 |
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950 |
Noteworthy A1-Half round matching frame in yellow-123 and rust-124, A2-Half round contrasting frame in white-58 with light oak trim, A3-Sculptured frame in brown-104. Has room for telephone directory and reversing cork/blackboard. Trimline handset. A4- Cork front with large
clock in almond-148.(late production). |
503-200-114 6/78 503-200-130 |
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Country Junction
(951A1) Oak wood
with nickel trim, small box wall set with oak-handled
handset.
There was also an optional matching
storage box with slanted writing shelf that could be
mounted on the wall just below the phone. |
503-200-115 (79) 503-200-131 |
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Americana Wall Telephone (952A2)
Oak wood with nickel trim, 3-box long case with separate
receiver and transmitter. The oval tag under the gongs reads:
"BELL SYSTEM - AMERICANA EDITION - Circa 1882"
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503-200-116 6/80 |
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Exeter Wall (CS953A, CS2953AG) e.g. CS2953AG7-58 7-Floral appliqué, in white-58. [See 900 for
desk models and other codes.] |
503-200-125 |
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Big Button Wall (CS2954AG1-58) in white-58 N1 handset.
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503-200-133 |
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Looks
like a slightly larger version of the Exeter. K
handset, bell ringer. |
503-301-100
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“Olympics
‘84”
special edition (ZCS2960COI) Has red,
white and blue stars logo over Olympic Rings logo,
then "AT&T: Telecommunications Sponsor 1984
Olympics".
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2961 Shown with
Equestrian Statue |
“Showcase Olympic
Commemorative Telephone” -- 1984
Olympics (CS2961AG2-3)
- - - - -
A special
edition of the Showcase was made in 1986 to
commemorate the closing of the Indianapolis plant, where the phone was made - along with
most other Design Line and single line telephones.
In addition to the plaque, the phone differs in that there is no Olympic text on the front left and no model number on the bottom. Click for more Indianapolis Plant commemorative items. |
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Coin Decorator
Issue 1 of the BSP describes the conversion process for modifying a 236G coin collector. By Issue 2 (10/77), other sets were being modified. “The D-180574 telephone set is a modified 220-type, 223-type, 230G, 234G, or 236G coin collector. The modification, which is performed at the service center, removes coin handling and security features, converting the coin collector to a general purpose telephone set.” In black-03, green-51, beige-60 “or as offered by the local telephone company.”
Available mounting: 144 or 174A backboard, table top base in walnut (841385719) or maple (841385727) or table top stand with drawer for subset in walnut (814385735) or maple (814385743). Rotary Only. |
503-200-113 9/75 |
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