A vintage wall mounted oak cased hand cranked Railway telephone Type 211. This is a large and imposing item made from solid oak and still containing the original working components, the "Skeleton" handset is particularly stylish. The front has a sloping shelf and a small card insert with a card which reads 'British Rail', this, assumed to have been added at a later date. The inside door has a wiring diagram and there is a battery box in the base.
 
This type of telephone was developed as early as 1880 and still in use as late as 1940. Early telephones used batteries for producing the speech currents and a hand-cranked magneto for generating the alternating current needed to ring the bells. To make a call the caller turned the magneto a few times and then lifted the handset. The operator connected the call manually using cords and plugs at the switchboard. At the end of the call both users turned their magnetos again to signal to the operator that they had finished. This was called 'ringing off', there is a lever inside the handset with the wording "PRESS THIS WHILE SPEAKING".
 
A beautiful and original piece of vintage Railwayana.
The telephone measurements are 55 x 22 x 32cm (21.65" x 8.66" x 12.60") and weighs 8.4kg (18.51lbs).