Trade List last updated 30 Aug. 2004

• 41. Bunnell KOB with Skirrow sounder -- Unusual Skirrow sounder; the coils are horizontal rather than vertical.  The armature is vertical.  Real clean.  photo.
• 42. GPO polar relay -- British GPO vertical relay used in multiplex telegraphy.  Vertical style with brass tube case and beveled glass top.  Very Nice.  photo.
• 45. Pair of Foote Piersen pen registers -- Similar to pen registers shown in Bunnell catalogs. One has a serial number in the 3,XXX range and the other in the 8,XXX range. One has the glass window broken, and a stretched spring. The other does not move the gears well. From the two you can build a good one. I'll even throw in a roll of paper tape for it. These are very heavy, so prefer local pickup, but will ship if really needed.
• 48.  MESCo One Line Pegboard -- One line pegboard made by Manhattan Electrical Supply Co. photo
• 50.  Marconi key -- Replica of wireless key used on RMS Titanic.  Made from photographs and measurements of the key from the Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic.  Very high quality brass and wood.  Only a few made by Don, W2CUV, now a Silent Key. photo
• 67. Lionel J-38 -- This key was used at the big coastal ship-to-shore station KLC at Galveston, TX. Authenticated by K6HL. Used to test a MacKay Radio transmitter. The key is rather beat up, but a part of history.
• 69.  Branston Tri-lateral coils --  Three honeycomb coils mounted on adjusting device to vary the coupling between them..  Used on front panel of early receivers.  Like new; best I've ever seen.
• 71. FADA detector -- 1920s vintage detector.  Mineral and cat's whisker are in a capped glass tube.  Very nice condition.
• 72.  Loose Coupler -- Unmarked small size loose coupler (called receiving transformers in the teens.)  c. 1915 - 1920.  Complete.  One binding post is slightly large than the others, but from the same maker.  Made for amateur and experimenter market.  photo
• 74. Vibroplex Dual Lever bug -- This one has a C3 nameplate and is serial number 76742. Has the less common 'cloverleaf' frame. The base appears to have been professionally refinished. It has a very fine black wrinkle finish and the brads holding the label have been replaced with screws. The jam nuts do not look original but curiously all of them match. Nickel plate dull.  Otherwise clean and works fine.  photo1 and photo2.
• 75. Loose Coupler -- Larger square looking loose coupler.  Has "Navy" style primary taps on bakelite face.  Unmarked.  Very clean.  Looks like it has been recently restored.  photo.
• 76. McElroy CP-500 bug -- This is just like the McElroy P-500 except the base and frame are smooth gray; a seldom seen model.  Weight and fingerpieces not original.  Label shows rusting.  photo.
• 77. Martin Original -- This one has a B4 nameplate and is serial number 50591. The paint is in very good shape for a bug this old, although a lot of the gold striping is gone. Very dirty, missing weight, but otherwise all original except for the rubber feet.
• 78. early Vibroplex Original -- This one has a 'bug' nameplate and is serial number 99792, placing it in the early 20s. This bug is perfect in every regard except for slight loss of gold striping. A real handsome piece! photo1 and photo2.
• 79.  A-to-Z bug with Albright label and preloading dot spring collar -- This A-to-Z has had the original label removed and an Albright label has taken its place.  The telltale "1" is cast into the base.  The Albright serial number is "124" with "WUTCo" hand stamped next to it.  The dot spring collar has a seldom seen pretensioner on it.  The label is devoid of any paint.  This bug has a shortened pendulum and the damper has been moved accordinly.  Nickel plated base with four mounting holes.  Rubber feet not original.  Knob not original.  No circuit closing lever.  This bug sends good code.  photo1.
• 80. Martin #4 / Blue Racer -- serial B1623. jappaned base, not blue like some. Paint in fair to good shape, Nickel average for Martin this old. Has two weights, one has original screw, the other gone. Missing finger button. Paddle not original. Missing Martin label. I have kept this #4 in the garage for many years thinking I'd use it for spare parts. However, I've not been able to bring myself to rob parts from it. With a Martin label, it would be a nice bug.
• 82.  Signal Corps J-38 --  Brass signal corps J-38.  No makers mark, but looks to be made by Singal Electric.  "U.S.S.C." stamped into oval base under gap adjusting screw.  Knob not original.  Remanant of silver paint where someone tried to be handy! photo1 and photo2.
• 83. Toy Electric Motor -- c. 1910.  Novelty electric motor from teens.  Brass plate on top reads "Little Hustler."  Wood base not original.  Photo.
• 85. Unmarked 'bull nose' sounder -- 'Bull nose' design, probably made by New Haven Clock Co. c. 1885. Solenoids do not appear to be original. Otherwise fine, though a little dirty.  photo
• 89. Moorehead tubular audion -- This tube is shown in Stokes "70 Years of Radio Tubes and Valves", page 26 It has a split plate with the marking "E.R." on it, signifying "Electron Relay". This tube is vintage 1917.
• 92. Wheatstone Bridge -- Laboratory instrument by G. H. Stoelting Co., Chicago, Ill. For use with external resistance box and galvo. Has two strap keys on top. Resistors on underside of base wound with cotton covered wire. Label on bottom say "G. H. Stoelting Co. / No. 1900 / Article Wheatstone Bridge / List $6.75" Very nice condition. Not sure of vintage. Photo.
• 93-1. Book -- "Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers, Smithsonian Institution", 1964. This is the early stuff: telescopes, surveying, clocks, drafting, compasses, etc. NO TELEGRAPH.-- too early. None-the-less, interesting.
• 93-2 Book -- "Army Technical Manual TM 11-459 International Morse Code (Instructions)"  A simple primer on learning the International Morse Code including how to copy on a typewriter..  Also show drawings of a key and bug and how to set them up and use them.
• 93-7. Signal Electric Catalog -- small pamphlet, "Fundamentals of Radio Keying and Telegraphy for Beginners. No date, but probably 1930s. Shows the ubiquitous R-series and other keys we are used to seeing from Signal. Yellow and fragile but all there.
• 94. Vibroplex Presentation -- This is model with the gold plate on the base and the "LaHiff" adjustable pendulum spring. This one has been engraved by the factory and was a retirement gift. "To Gil Mears, Airline Pioneer, 73" followed by 12 names. As the engraving occupies most of the top surface the label is riveted to the bottom and the serial number is obscured by a connecting strap. Excellent condition.  Photo1, Photo2 and Photo3.
• 96. Greeley sounder -- All brass sounder c. 1890 minus the wood base. From the sub-base on up it is complete and very beautiful. Armature stamped "E. S. Greeley & Co. / Successor to / L. G. Tillotson & Co. / New York" This design is the one where the armature return spring is horizontal under the armature and in tension.   photo
• 98. Bunnell tape puller -- This is the more modern design. Windup motor. Painted battleship gray (original). Used to pull pen register tape or teletype tape. Works fine.  Photo.
• 105. "Albright" bug -- This is an A-to-Z bug that has had the label removed and replaced with an Albright license. "This machine is NOT guaranteed NOR made but only licensed by J. E. Albright., 253 Broadway, New York. W.U.T.Co No. 1331". There are at least four different types of Albright labels. Albright was a partner with Martin and sold these labels to owners of bugs made in violation of the Martin patents. This bug is complete but in rough shape. vintage pre-WWI. The original owner's initials must have been 'LX" as they have been scratched several times into the japanned base and punched several times into the damper and frame. The label is in very good condition. The is a large chip out of the thumb piece and no weight. Otherwise complete.
• 106. A-to-Z  bug -- This A-to-Z bug has had the label removed as have a large percentage of the bugs made in violation of the Martin patents. The frame, pinned lever and hardware are like the A-toZ bugs. It has the tell tale A-to-Z "1" cast into the base.   The binding posts are rather large and don't look like A-to-Z binding posts but do not look like replacements. No screw for the weight. No lever return spring.  Finger pieces have been reworked such that there are two paddles and a button. straps on bottom are newer.  Top trunion screw may not be original.  Nickel plated base. Handsome bug.  photo.
• 111. early SPEED-X bug -- This bug has a very strong resemblance to a "reverse frame" Logan. The knurling of the screws is, however different. This might be a very early Logan 500 or its predecessor at SPEED-X Radio Mfg. Black wrinkle finish. Original weight has been replaced with a very large one for lower pendulum speed. My friend Randy Cole has this bug's twin and he also thinks it is of Logan heritage. c. late 1920s or 1930s. photo.
• 126. Novelty Key Stapler -- Stapler made to resemble a telegraph key. Resembles a pole changer key. Ornate and real ugly at the same time..
• 127. 19th century Scottish Thermostat -- See photo at http://www.megasource.com/k5rw/scottish_key.jpg The base is cast iron, hollow on the underside. There is a piece of masking tape on the underside that says "Scotland 1882." The frame is hot, being connected to the near terminal. The upper adjusting mechanism is at frame potential. The Bottom contact and far terminal are isolated and connected. The lower adjusting screw has a contact, much like the anvil on a telegraph key. Along the top of the 'strap' is a material like gutta percha. It is held in place by 14 small rivets or brads. Similar thermostats shown in early MESCo and Bunnell catalogs.
• 130. Tangent Galvonometer -- Old style galvanometer by Griffin and Tadlock of England.  Hard to date; most likely from 1925 to 1950.  Proabably from physics or EE lab.  Works fine! photo1, photo2
• 140. W.W.I era Centennial ticker dater -- Dater used in railroad depots.  Japanned finish.  Die says "OFFICE OF BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE."  Interchangeable die.  Needs inking ribbon, otherwise complete.  photo1 and photo2.

I am NOT interested in:

• Foreign keys, except for spark keys , pre-1920 landline keys, pre-1930 wireless keys, Oeller style keys and unusual bugs.
• Post 1925 military keys, except for a Brooklyn Metal Stamping J-36 bug.
• Vibroplex bugs with a serial number higher than 5,000 (except for Norcross or Atlanta models, or models with red, green or blue bases, and the Vertical, Midget and Autoplex models).
• Fire Alarm Telegraph and Police Alarm Telegraph items.
• Johnson, Logan, Cedar Rapids, Telegraph Apparatus, Hi-Mound, or Lionel bugs.
• Keyer Paddles.
• Instructographs or similar paper tape machines.
• Post 1900 learner's sets, unless unusual design.

If you have something to trade and don't see anything you like here, perhaps I can dig a little deeper. Let me know what you are looking for. There are only a handful of items in my collection that I would not trade, given the right opportunity.

You could turn me on with a Postal Telegraph bug, A-to-Z bugs, Pump Handle key, red, blue or green Vibroplex, a "half frame" Martin, Bunnell mechanical learners set No 2, spark keys, most any camelback key, especially a Phelps, a pocket test set, early sounders (pre-1880) , weight driven registers, early relays, a J-1, J-2, J-3, or J-6, a U. J. Frye key, Milliken relay, cable keys, call boxes, Mallet perforator and bugs with an Albright label.

I've also got the hots for an IP-501, a "Navy" loose coupler, Western Union style tangent style galvanometer and a rotary gap.

If you have something I am really interested in, and we don't have an even trade, I will trade two, three or however many of my items it takes for an even trade.

I am an easy guy to trade with. Until you are happy, the deal is not done. Take a look at the key I send you. If you are not happy, send it back. If you like what you see, send me your stuff.

When corresponding, please refer to the item number. You may reach me in the evening at 1(972)234-1653 or e-mail me at k5rw@telegraph-office.com

73 de Neal, K5RW

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