Not sure if this belongs in the 'Antique Telephones' section, but since it is key system related, I'll post it here...

Ask a guy who just scored an open box but seemingly unused 631DAMW1-60 Call Director anything:





Not sure if I linked these photos correctly.

I do have an operational 1A2 key system with 6 button phones. Now just to find a way to get this beast up and running...

Here is how to correctly post images:

Posting Images

Thanks, Dean. I did see that page but I guess I didn't copy the image properly...

That's my business card in photo #3.

I don't remember having owned or sold that phone, but of course I suffer from CRS/OPD (can't remember sh*t/ old person's disease).

To get it running, just plug the first amphenol plug into a 25-pair cable wired for a 6-button phone. That will get you started.

I suffer form "Sometimers".

@Arthur

Small world, isn’t it?
The phone was purchased from the collection of a former New England Telephone employee who went by Garth. He had been collecting all sorts of phone stuff (anything from old ringers to step-by-step parts) with the hopes of starting a museum.

If you would take a look at the model number, you will notice the letter "W" in the string of characters. That stands for "War" as in "War Department" as in "Department of Defense". Some will argue that it stands for "Western".

In either case, it means that the telephone was not issued to a Bell Operating Company, but to a government agency. In the past, W telephones were issued without the "Property of Bell System" stamping on the various parts. Another clue that it was not issued to a BOC is the fact that there is a copy of the practice included in the box. Since DoD employees did/do not have access to the BSP's, a practice was/is included in every telephone that is acquired from Western by the Govt.

All this means is that it did not fall off one of Mother's trucks...it fell out of an M151A1.

@Arthur

Thank you for the information on that. Now that you mention it, there are no “Bell System Property- Not for Sale” markings on the phone. Just AT&T on the handset and Western Electric on the base. It’s interesting that this phone was supplied to the government, as I did see a later model AUTOVON secure voice terminal at the sale as well.

I did get it up and running off a 551C KSU. Just out of curiosity, when these phones were installed, what did they ‘plug into’? I know smaller keysets could simply plug in to a female AMP connector or a 66e3 block. Would installers simply run a 200 pair cable to the location and break it out into ‘fingers’ like on the Call Director’s mounting cord?

Yes, the "W", the inclusion of the practice, and no "BS" markings are govt-issue indicators. (You know, of course, that the "M" in the string stands for modular.)

They plugged into 75-pair or 125-pair (in the case of 30-button CD's) cables, e/w (equipped with) either 3 or 5 female connectors, installed at the factory. Or in the event that the customer needed an upgrade to an 18-button CD, from a 6-button phone, the installer might run two more 25-pairs, or a 50-pair cable.

You might consider attending the TCI Lancaster PA telephone show that occurs this year on June 7th and 8th. Lots of neat old phone stuff, and a "Switcher's Corner" where members who are operators of nodes on C*NET assemble working PBX's for demonstrating the private network to which many of us are connected.

See www.CKTS.info for example.

You can count on me going again!