ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Electrical Nostalgia Old Switches

Mike, I wondered the same thing. I may even be a 4-way. It's hard to see all of the wiped contacts.

On second thought, probably not. 3- ande 4-ways usually don't have a white button.

Wow! That toggle is down=on! Weird...

Some old stuff I had on my desk because I was too lazy to put it away...

The three-way receptacle is actually like a US gem tap, it can be plugged in or screwed on instead of a single face plate. The rotary switch with the hexagon knob is probably not original. I found it in a former kids bedroom, missing the cover, just two layers of wall paper. The receptacle guts belong to a receptacle matching the switch with the glass plate.

Now with a few covers off...

Note the brown paper fuses in the receptacle.

Remember that there was junk made back then. It's just that almost all of it has long since wore out or broke, and had been replaced. Thus you rarely see antique low quality equipment today.

Actually I think that piece on the toggle moves with it. so when the lever is pulled down, OFF appears in the hole on the plate, and ON when flipped up. or at least that's how it looks from here.

True, you're probably right about the toggle.

I swear I have to pay Vienna a visit someday.

One of these days I'll post some of the small collection of British electrical bits I got from a fellow radio collector.

I've only seen one of those push button switches in person at my uncles house he was renting back in the 80's....when did they stop making them and does anyone know why?

I think I'd like those better than the typical toggle switches avaliable today.

Toggle switches are probably cheaper to make - not as many moving parts.