How to wire an Antwerp to work in the UK

STC ‘Antwerp’ phone

The STC type 4001-C (table model),  telephone, nicknamed the Antwerp phone by collectors, is found in both desk and wall versions. Although very much a British telephone, It has a strange Continental look to British eyes, which is not surprising considering its origin.

Around 1932 the Antwerp factory of the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTMC) was entrusted with the task of designing a universal wall and desk telephone that could be sold by all European subsidiaries of the International Standard Electric Corporation. STC in Britain was one of those companies and indeed the telephone was also made at the New Southgate factory of STC. For the UK market the design was modified to take a BPO No. 10 dial and intriguingly, engraved lines were moulded into the ‘ears’ of the cradle, making them look rather like animals’ paws. The handset used in Britain has an American look and is also similar to that used on the standard 1924 model of France and some UK Dictograph telephones. The same base plate is used for both the table and wall sets, which was said to make conversion easier.

STC type 4001-C (table model)	STC type 4004-B (wall model)

Externally identical telephones were used in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy and doubtless several other countries, the only variations being in the design of handset, pattern of dial and internal circuit details, which were tailored to the needs of each country.

After the war STC supplied 332 look a likes with STC's own type numbers (also in the 300 series).

Roger Conklin adds:
I note that the STC Telephone catalogue showing the same moulded bakelite telephones (but with different catalogue numbers, since they were equipped with the BPO dials) was dated 8-32.  I assume this was August 1932.   These bakelite sets are described in Electrical Communication Vol. XIV July 1935 Number 1, in an article titled "Developments in Subscriber Sets," by L Schreiber of BTM, but it does not state when this telephone was introduced.  This is substantially the same as the ITT and Ericsson sets made in Hungary and those made by Standard Electrica in Brazil and Argentina, continuing well into the 1960s.

I have one 2724 subscriber telephone with a near-perfect Standard Villamossági R. T. decal, indicating it was made in the Hungarian factory.  This telephone is identical, except for the dial finger wheel, to the same model made by Bell Telephone Manufacturing in Antwerp, and other ITT factories in Europe and South America.  The Hungarian finger wheel has a curved ‘window’ above the centre for the number card, rather than a round number card typical of 2724 sets made elsewhere. (There is a detailed description of the 2724 set in the July 1935 issue of ITT's journal Electrical Communication.)

It is worth noting that the same telephones can be found with an engraved metal badge with the familiar Ericsson script and the words MAGY. VILL. R.T. The Austrian version of this was manufactured by Czjeia, Nissl & Co (later Standard Telephon & Telegraphen AG).

Colours: Numerous  colour ways were supplied. In Britain the standard colour was black, with a choice of black or green cords, but orders could also be accepted for jade green, Chinese lacquer red, ivory, old gold and oxidised silver. The Belgian catalogue lists 16 colours: black as standard or by special order white, cream, oak, walnut, light mahogany, dark mahogany, brown, red, dark red, maroon, light blue, dark blue, light green, green and dark green. Black and green are the only colours seen by the author; the green was achieved by spray painting (and probably so were all the other colours).  There was also an imitation wood model.

Users: The Antwerp telephone saw limited use on PAX systems installed by STC, whose major customers were the LNE Railway, many electricity boards and some hospital groups. A note on the circuit diagram referring to Rotary exchanges may refer either to STC's own Rotary PAX's or else may imply these telephones were supplied to Hull Corporation's public system.

Locations where Antwerp phones were used for certain were Croydon Airport and on the Southern Railway at Victoria station UAX, London. The design, made by BTMC in Antwerp,  was adopted for public use by the Belgian, Czech,  Dutch and Hungarian state telephone administrations (and probably many others). The design was used additionally in Spain and south America, and it was also made by FACE Standard in Italy and is found labelled with the name of Ericsson in Hungary. On this basis it may rank as one of the most prolific and successful telephone designs ever made.

How to wire an Antwerp telephone for BT lines

To Diagram LP 39275

1. Remove the old line cord.
2. Remove the strap between E and L1.
3. Red of line cord to L2.
4. Blue of line cord to E.
5. White of line cord to L1.
   Green of line cord is spare and should be insulated.
6. Remove brown wire from capacitor. Leave red wire in situ.
7. Connect 3.3k resistor, one end onto the disconnected brown wire, the other end onto L1.
8. Install a rectifier element should also be fitted across TR and R to prevent loud bangs in the earpiece.

To diagram 9814AG4

1. Remove the old line cord.
2. Remove the strap between E and L1.
3. Red of line cord to L2.
4. White of line cord to L1.
5. Green of line cord is spare and should be insulated.
6. Remove red / black wire from capacitor.
7. Connect the blue of line cord to red / black wire (above) and insulate.
8. Connect 3.3k resistor between E and L1.
9. Install a rectifier element should also be fitted across TR and R (also numbered 2 and 3) to prevent loud bangs in the earpiece.

Last revised: January 14, 2008

FM