ThinkGood,
Hello, & welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the link -- I already found the NavyRelics site a few months ago, along with several others. I've probably spent more hours than I should have done listening to the narrated recordings on the Phone Trips site as well, but telecoms is a particular aspect of the electronics field that has always fascinated me (I used to work the phone co. over here).

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I sorta' like Hyacinth Bucket's white slimline with last-number redial

Sounds like we have a PBS fan here! The 746 phone is more "Are You Being Served?" era. [Linked Image]

Steve,
I don't think I know that movie. If it involves telephones, I should!

Tex,
The modem situation you describe is pretty much how it was in the U.K. as well. There were certain Post Office modems, generally available for rental, and connection of any non-approved equipment was strictly "verboten" as you would say. That's not to say that certain people didn't do it, of course! (Why is everybody looking at me? [Linked Image])