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 TELEPHONES USED BY THE GENERAL POST OFFICE (GPO) & POST OFFICES TELEPHONES 1960 - 1980

GPO

 Post Office Telephones

GPO

Quick Find for 1960-1980 Telephones Section
706 710 711 713 722
740 741 746 756 764
766 772 776 (Compact) 782 786
8746 N625 (Planset) Magneto Datel

Trimphone

706 Telephones

Fact-file: When the Telephone 706 was first introduced in 1959 it was known as the Modern Telephone. It was made in two versions, the Mk. I version was conventionally wired, whilst the Mk. II version used a printed circuit board. The Mk. I had a plastic base on which all the components are mounted and interconnection made by conventional wiring. Mk. II and IIA had a metal base on which is mounted a printed wiring board with most of the components soldered directly on to it. All electrical components other than the gravity switch, spring sets and bell mechanisms are identical in each version. Each instrument is supplied with an extensible coiled hand-set cord which extends from 200mm to about 1524mm. Line cords were available in lengths of 3.00m, 5.0m and 8.0m. The telephone handset weighs 255g and the complete instrument weighs approximately 1.6kg.
 
706 Mark I 706 Versions 706 Mark II
     
Mark I - uses conventional wiring with a plastic base   Mark II - uses a printed circuit board with a metal base
 

The 706 was available in seven standard colours, go to the bottom of this page for further information.
 
 
Red 706CB Ivory 706CB Black 706CB Blue 706CB [courtesy of Steve Walker]
Table Telephone without dial Table Telephone without dial Table Telephone without dial Table Telephone without dial
Type: 706CB Mk.II Type: 706CB Mk.II Type: 706CB Mk.I Type: 706CB Mk II
Year: 1964 Year: 1965 Year: 1968 Year: 1963
 
Mayfair 706  Black 706R Mk.I Brown 706R Mk.II Black 706L Mk.II
Mayfair Table Telephone Table Telephone with Recall button  Table Telephone with Recall button  Table Telephone 
Type: 706 Type: 706R (Mk.I) Type: 706R (Mk.II) Type: 706L (Mk.II)
Not standard GPO issue Year: 1959 Year: 1967 Year: 1961
Circuit Diagram  View Inside Circuit Diagram  View Inside Circuit Diagram  View Inside
       
       
Ivory 706L Green 706L Red 706L [Courtesy of Chris Harper] Ivory 706F
Table Telephone with Recall button Table Telephone  Table Telephone with bell on/off button Table Telephone with plain dial bezel & recall button
Type: 706L Mk.II Type: 706L Mk.II Type: 706L Type: 706F
Year: 1961 Year: 1966 Year: 1964 Year: 1961, refurbished 1975
View Inside Circuit Diagram  View Inside View Inside
       
       
Two-tone Green 706F Mk.II Black 706F Red 706F Yellow 706L
 Table Telephone with plain dial bezel Table Telephone with numbered dial bezel Table Telephone with plain dial bezel Table Telephone with lettered dial bezel & recall button
Type: 706F (Mk.II) Type: 706F Type: 706 Type: 706L
Year: 1966, refurbished 1980 Year: 1968 Year: 1968 Year: 1962
Circuit Diagram  View Inside
     

Non GPO 706 / 746 based Telephones
     
Black 7P Modernphone Black Tele61K GEC TEL/69P/ATS [Courtesy of Ray Clear]
Table Telephone ModernPhone Table Telephone Table Push Button Telephone
Type: 7P Type: TELE61K Type: TEL/69P/ATS
Made by GEC Made by GEC-AEI
       
Red N1900A55 Topaz Yellow N1900A55 N1900E245 Grey 706 with chrome dial
Table Telephone Table Telephone Table Telephone Table Telephone with numbered dial bezel & chrome dial
Made by Ericsson Made by Ericsson Made by Ericsson Type: N1900E244
Type: N1900A55 Type: N1900A55 Type: N1900E245 Made by Ericsson/Plessey
    Not standard issue  
       
Grey N1900T Black 706 with chrome dial [Courtesy of Manuel Rodriguez] Transparent 706 [Courtesy of Ron Buckwell]
Tropical Table Telephone (with vent) Table Telephone with numbered dial bezel & chrome dial Transparent Table Telephone Table Telephone with handset clamp and PTT switch.
Type: N1900T Type: N1900 Type: 706 NSN: 5805-99-527-8637
Made by Plessey   Not standard GPO issue Made by Denis Ferranti Meters
  View Rear   View base

710 & 713 Telephones

Fact-file: Telephone 710 was first introduced in 1959 and was based on the 706 telephone. The case was been adapted to take up to four push buttons and one or two lamps. Push in dummy buttons are fitted when no switches are used. 
 The 710 was available in three standard colours, go to the bottom of this page for further information.
       
Grey 710F Ivory N1906H20T Grey N1906A90T Grey DRG97445
Table Telephone with facility for four push buttons. Table Telephone with facility for four push buttons. Table Telephone with four push buttons & two lamps. Table Telephone with four push buttons & two lamps.
Type: 710F Type: N1906H20T Type: N1906A90T Type: DRG97445
Year: 1973 Principal set
Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue
       
     
710 [Courtesy of Robert Adamson] Grey 713 Pendant Telephone A picture of your telephone could appear here. If you have a photo of an interesting old phone, please send it in.
Table Telephone with six push buttons & two lamps. Pendant Telephone
Type: 713
Type: HES No.3/1 Year: 1977
Close up of buttons
  This telephone is used with a matching dial unit 21 suitable for mounting beneath the edge of a desk and a separate wall mounted bell.    

711 Telephones

Fact-file: Telephone 711 was first introduced in 1961 and was a wall mounted telephone based on the 706.  The telephone is mounted onto the wall with a 'T' shaped bracket. It has provision for four press buttons and two lamp opals. The 711 was available in three standard colours, plus red, go to the bottom of this page for further information.
       
Grey 741 [Courtesy of Tim] Red 711 [Courtesy of Steve Walker] Transparent 711 Saudi 741
 Wall Mounted Telephone   Wall Mounted Telephone   Transparent Wall Mounted Telephone   Wall Mounted Telephone 
Type: 711 Type: 711 Type: 711 Type: 711
Year: 1968 Year: 1968 Not standard GPO issue Made for Saudi Arabia
View Inside Not standard GPO issue
     

740 Telephones

Fact-file: Telephone 740 was first introduced in 1968 to replace the 710 and was based on the 746 telephone. It has provision for four press buttons and two lamp opals. The 740 was available in three standard colours, go to the bottom of this page for further information.
       
Ivory 740 Grey 740 Grey 740 tele2k_black.jpg (52337 bytes)
Table Telephone with facility for four push buttons Table Telephone with Handset No. 7 incorporating a neon calling indicator Table Telephone with facility for four push buttons.
 Made by GEC		 Table Telephone (without dial) with facility for four push buttons. With handset clamp.
Type: 740 Type: 740 Type: 740 Type: Tele 2K
Year: 1983 Year: 1970 Year: 1981 Not standard GPO issue
   

741 Telephones
 

Fact-file: Telephone 741 was first introduced in 1968 to replace the 711, it had the same body as the 711 but was based on the PCB design used in the 746 telephone.

The telephone is mounted onto the wall with a 'T' shaped bracket.
The 741 was available in three standard colours, go to the bottom of this page for further information.

The 741 wall mounting telephone measures 235mm high x 140mm wide x 102mm deep.
 
       
Ivory 741D Black 741 Grey 741 Ivory 741R
 Wall Mounted Telephone  Wall Mounted Telephone   Wall Mounted Telephone   Wall Mounted Telephone with recall switch
Type: 741D Type: 741 Type: 741 Type: 741R
Year: 1983 Year: 1980
View Inside
     
     
Red 741 Telephone Red & Black 741 Grey & Red 741 Wall mounted red 706
Wall Mounted Telephone Wall Mounted Telephone without dial  Wall Mounted Telephone without dial Wall Mounted Telephone without dial
Type: 741 Type: 741 Type: 741
Not standard GPO issue      
       

746 Telephones
 

Fact-file: The 746 was first introduced in 1967 and was available to all subscribers by 1970. It was a lightweight plastic instrument which incorporated a balanced armature receiver. All the components, including the gravity switch, were soldered onto a printed wiring board which was mounted on either metal or plastic base. One or two optional switches such as the 5A-4 (used for recall) or the 23A-1 (used for bell on/off) could be added.
The 746 was available in seven standard colours, see the bottom of this page for further information. With the advent of new style wiring the 746 was renumbered the 8746 and was fitted with a 4000 ohm high impedance bell and a new style line cord  fitted with a 431A plug. This model was also available in Brown.
The 746 table telephone measures 121mm high x 146mm wide x 229mm deep.
 
 
At first glance the two 746 telephones pictured below look identical ...
 ... but look again at the same two telephones pictured from the side
The original 746 design, shown on the left, was released in 1967, however the recess for the handset to sit on the top of the phone was too broad. This enabled either the handset to be carelessly placed or to slip out of position off the switch hooks, which took the telephone off-hook. As can be seen from the picture on the right, in around 1971, the top of the 746 case was redesigned with a narrower recess to prevent the handset from sliding off the switch hooks.
 
Brown 8746 Brown 8746G Red 746L Black 746
 Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell and new-style line cord  Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell and new-style line cord  Table Telephone, an early version fitted with a lettered dial surround Table Telephone
Type: 8746 (Yeoman) Type: 8746G (Yeoman) Type: 746L Type: 746F
Year: 1985 Year: 1984 Year: 1968 Year: 1973
    Not standard GPO issue  
 
746 fitted with Bell79A [Courtesy of Ian Jolly] Green 746F with Bell 79A Ivory 746F with 2 buttons Green 746 [Courtesy of Shane]
Table Telephone fitted with bell 79A 
& ringer control		 Table Telephone fitted with bell 79A 
& ringer control		 Table Telephone with twin buttons/switches Table Telephone with twin buttons/switches
Type: 746F Type: 746F Type: 746F Type: 746F
Ringer control View Inside Year: 1973
       
Red 746 Grey 746 Green 746 [Courtesy of Chris Harper] Green 746
 Table Telephone Table Telephone with recall button Table Telephone Table Telephone with bell on/off switch
Type: 746F Type: 746 Type: 746 Type: 746
Year: 1978 Year: 1975 Year: 1970
Circuit Diagram  View Inside      
 
       
Ivory 746G Grey 746F Yellow 746F Yellow 746 (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs)
 Table Telephone with Handset No. 7 and Dial Surround Label No. 540A Table Telephone Table Telephone Table Telephone
Type: 746G Type: 746F Type: 746F Type: 746
Year: 1983 Year: 1975 Year: 1976
       
       
746_orange_yell.jpg (47723 bytes) Pink & Chrome 746 Brown & Cream 746 (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs) Blue 746 (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs)
Table Telephone - modified from a yellow 746 by a company in Greenwich & incorporates an earlier "300" lettered dial Table Telephone - modified from a cream 746 by a company in Greenwich & incorporates an earlier "300" lettered dial Table Telephone Table Telephone
Type: 746 Type: 746 Type: 746 Type: 746
Year: 1971 Year: 1968
Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue  
       
       
Ivory 8746 Red 8746 [Courtesy of Ken Dexter] Green 8746 Grey 8746G
 Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell, bell switch and new-style line cord  Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell and new-style line cord  Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell and new-style line cord Table Telephone, as left, but with Handset No. 7 incorporating a neon calling indicator
Type: 8746 Type: 8746 Type: 8746 Type: 8746G
  Year: 1983 Year: 1985 Year: 1982 Year: 1984
View Inside View Inside    
   
         

Plan 105A Internal Extension Telephone [Courtesy of Ivor Jones] [Courtesy of Bob Kearns]  
 Table Telephone, fitted with 4k high impedance bell, bell switch and new-style line cord Plan 105A Internal Extension Telephone
[contains additional buzzer & switches]		 Table Telephone, fitted with reverse dial for the New Zealand telephone System. Table Telephone, fitted with additional Watch Receiver No. 8T.  
Type: 8746 Year: 1991 Type: 746 Type: 746  
Year: 1982 Item Code: 870492 Not standard GPO issue    
  View Inside View Ivory Version   View rear  
     

700 Type Magneto Telephones
     
Black AEP Ivory 542562 100M
Magneto Table Telephone Transistorised Magneto Telephone Transistorised Magneto Telephone
Made by AEP in Portugal Type: 542562 Type: 100M
    Made in Ireland
 
     
Ivory AEP Shipton 30/1
Magneto Table Telephone Transistorised Magneto Telephone Electronic Push Button Telephone
Made by AEP in Portugal Type: 30/1
    Made by Shipton Automation
 

Push Button 700 Series Telephones
       
Push Button 706 type Telephone N25242A1 724L 726L [Courtesy of Ian Jolly]
Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone Push Button LD Dialling Secretarial Table Telephone Unusual 2x5 Push Button Table Telephone Unusual 2x5 Push Button Table Telephone
Type: N25242A1 Type: 724L Type: 726L
Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue Year: 1964 Year: 1967
   
       
 

Fact-file: The 756 was a push button loop disconnect telephone first introduced in 1979, based on the 746 telephone. With the advent of new style wiring the 756 was renumbered the 8756 and was fitted with a 4000 ohm high impedance bell and a new style line cord  fitted with a 431A plug.
 

The 756 was initially available in two standard colours, ivory and grey, later a brown version was added. See the bottom of this page for further information on colours.
 
 
Ivory 755 Brown 756 Ivory 756 Ivory & Grey 756 [Courtesy of Ken Dexter]
 Wall Mounted Telephone, based on 756 phone    Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone   Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone  Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone (modified)
Type: 755 Type: 756 Type: 756 Type: 756
Year: 1980 Year: 1979 Year: 1982 Year: 1981
Circuit Diagram   View Inside Circuit Diagram   View Inside Made by Plessey Circuit Diagram   View Inside
Not standard GPO issue Not standard GPO issue
       
 
Ivory 8756 Ivory 756 Grey 756 Grey 758
Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone
Type: 8756 Type: 756 Type: 756 Type: 758
Year: 1985 Year: 1986 Year: 1980 Year: 1980
Circuit Diagram   View Inside
 Circuit Diagram   View Inside
       
       
Ivory 764 [Courtesy of Tim] Grey 1/764 Grey 772 Ivory 772
Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone Push Button LD Dialling Table Telephone  Push Button LD Dialling X-Press Call Maker Telephone   Push Button LD Dialling X-Press Call Maker Telephone 
Type: 1/764 Type: 1/764 Type: 772 Type: 772
Year: 1978 Year: 1976 Year: 1980 Year: 1978
View Inside
     

       
Grey 782R Grey 785 Grey 8782R Arabic Push Button Telephone
Push Button MF Dialling Table Telephone with Recall button Push Button MF Dialling Table Telephone with Recall button  Table Telephone, with  recall switch and Amplified Handset No. 17A incorporating a neon calling indicator. Centril Arabic Push Button MF Dialling Telephone
Type: 782R Type: 782  Type: 8782R    Dialing: MF View Inside Made in Portugal
Year: 1979 Year: 1983 Year: 1986 Not standard GPO issue
Ver. SA4258

       

Planset Telephones (N625)
 
Fact-file: Plansets Telephones have a base with piano key style switches which are used to switch the line to and from the main telephone or one/two extension telephones. Communication between the main and extension telephone(s) is also possible. The switches perform the functions: Speak to Exchange; Speak to Extension, Exchange held; Extension to Exchange.
The telephones can be type 706, 710 or 746. Type 711 or 741 are used for the wall mounted version. The telephones are wired up using extension plan 105, 105A, 107 or 107A. Plan 105/A uses a main telephone and two extensions telephones. Plan 107/A uses a main telephone and one extension telephone. 

 
 
Grey Planset-A 706 & N625 (Courtesy of The Telephone Museum) Ivory Planset-A N625 [Courtesy of Robert Adamson]
Table Telephones mounted on Planset-A N625. They connect to one or two extension telephones. Wall telephone mounted on Planset
Type: 706 + N625

Type: 706 + N625

Type: 706 + N625

 Type: 711 + N625
Year: 1981

Year: 1975

 Year: 1979 Year:1972 

View inside    View underneath   Circuit Diagram
     

 
746 & N625 (Courtesy of John Griffiths) Ivory Planset 746

Planset 625 /Mk3

N625 [Courtesy of Andrew Tebutt]
Table Telephones mounted on Planset-A N625. They connect to one or two extension telephones.
Type: 746 + N625 Type: 746 + N625 (Mk2) Type: 756 + N625 (Mk3) Type: 756 + N625 (Mk3)
Year: 1978 Year: 1979 Year: 1981 Year: 1981
    Item Code: 372954 with recall button
 

Datel Telephones
     

Phone & Modem 13A.

 4040 Datel Telephone A picture of your telephone could appear here.
If you have a photo of an interesting old phone, please send it in.
Telephone & Datel Modem
Max speed 300bit/s		 Datel Telephone    
 Type: No.13A
Made by GEC DRG6751505A 		 Type: PSTN 4040    
Year: 1979 Year: 1984    
View Inside Phone    
View Inside Modem    

Trimphones
 

Fact-file: The 712 trimphone was first introduced in 1964 and was available in two- tone blue, green or grey. An improved model, the 722 was introduced in 1966. A loop dialling keypad version of the trimphone was introduced in 1976 as the 766. An MF keypad was then produced as the 786 in 1979.  The TRIM-phone stood for Tone Ringing Illuminated Model. The trimphones were all fitted with a tone ringer which initially warbled quietly and then louder. The dial plate is permanently illuminated from within by a self-energised tritium gas tube which does not require a power supply.
With the advent of new style wiring the model numbers were prefixed with an '8' and were fitted with a 4000Ω high impedance ringer and a new style line cord  fitted with a 431A plug.

The Trimphone measures 107mm high x 107mm wide x 203mm deep and weighs less than 1kg.
 
       
Trimphone 722L [Courtesy of Andy Tyson] 722 Trimphone 722 Trimphone (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs) 722 Trimphone (Courtesy of Ian Jolly)
   Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone
Type: 722L Type: 722 Type: 722 Type: 722
Year: 1968 Year: 1974 Year: 1975 Year: 1976
Circuit Diagram Circuit Diagram
View inside View underneath View inside View underneath
       
           
8722 8722 8722 8722 Green 8722 [Courtesy of Andy Tyson] Black & Grey 8722 [Courtesy of Andy Tyson]
   Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone    Trimphone Table Telephone
Type: 8722 Type: 8722 Type: 8722 Type: 8722 Type: 8722 Type: 8722
Year: 1982 Year: 1982 Year: 1982  Year: 1982 Year: 1982  Year: 1982
           
     
     
     
 Beige 766R 766 Trimphone Triphone 8766 [Courtesy of Andy Tyson] Brown & Cream 8766 Trimphone 8766
 Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone  Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone  Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone  Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone  Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone
Type: 766R Type: 766 Type: 8766     Type: 8766     Type: 8766    
Year: 1980 Year: 1979 Year: 1982 Year: 1982 Year: 1982
Dialing: LD Dialing: LD Dialing: LD Dialing: LD Dialing: LD
With Recall switch View inside   View inside  

 
       
Beige 786 Trimphone [Courtesy of John Grifiths] Silver Jubilee Trimphone [courtesy of Tony Linton] Deltaphone  
Push Button Trimphone Table Telephone Trimphone Table Telephone Trimphone Table Telephone  
Type: 786  Silver Jubilee Trimphone Delta-Phone Deluxe  
Year: 1981 Year: 1977 Type: SR1016A  
Dialing: MF Item Code: 410533  
Available in red or green  
     

Compact Telephones

Fact-file: The 776 Compact Telehone was first introduced in 1974. Although based on the same circuitry as the 746 it was a smaller lightweight, space saving telephone and had a separate bell (bell unit 776) connected by a 3M extensible grey cord. A optional wall bracket (type 18A) for the bell unit was also available on which the telephone could stand.

The Compact was available in bright blue, light grey and mid-brown. The Silver Jubilee was released in 1977 to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee year. This was made in dark blue with a specially designed motif in the centre dial.

       
Blue 776 Compact Phone [Courtesy of Neil Carpenter] Beige 776 (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs) Brown 776 Compact Phone Blue 776 Silver Jubilee (Courtesy of Nigel Maggs)
 Compact Telephone with separate base containing bell  Compact Telephone with separate bell unit  Compact Telephone with separate base containing bell  Compact Telephone with separate base containing bell (Silver Jubilee Edition)
Type: 776 Type: 776 Type: 776 Type: 2/SA4271
Year: 1978 Year: 1978 Year: 1979 Year: 1977
View inside  Circuit Diagram View inside  Circuit Diagram View inside  Circuit Diagram View inside  Circuit Diagram
   

Key to suffix letters:

  •    CB = Central Battery (No dial)

  •    F = All-figure dial or dial surround

  •    L = Letters and Figures on dial or dial surround

  •    R = Recall button fitted

Identification Marking on Telephones

700 Series Telephones Colours
The 706 & 746 telephones were available in the following colours:
Black Concorde Blue Lacquer Red
Black  Concord Blue Lacquer Red
Topaz Yellow Light Green Dark Green
Topaz Yellow Two-tone Green
Ivory Light Grey Dark Grey
Light Ivory Two-tone Grey

My thanks to 'Telephobia' for photos of these colour samples

Further details of 700 series telephone colours availability:
  •  
 706                Ivory, Grey, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Green
  •  
 710/740                Ivory, Grey, Black
  •  
 711/741                Ivory, Grey, Black, Red (711 only)
  •  
 713                Grey
  •  
 746                Ivory, Grey, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Green
  •  
 755   Ivory
  •  
 756/772/782                Ivory, Grey
  •  
 8746                Ivory, Grey, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Brown
  •  
 N625 Planset                Ivory, Grey, Black

Further Technical Information:

My thanks to Bob Freshwater for his help in me identifying some of the phones on this page, see the links page for the link to his excellent site where you can find more detailed technical information on all kinds of telephones.

             

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