Practices (BSP) Documents

For those of you wondering what the "BELL SYSTEM PRACTICES" are/were, they are/were the technical documents used by Bell System employees who did repair and maintenance of the telephone system including payphones, central office equipment, the telephone and wiring of your home, cable installation, etc.

This Site contains links to complete BSP manuals and also selected "sections" from various BSP manuals of Western Electric telephones and other Western Electric products and parts.  These sections generally have schematics, mechanical drawings, photos and technical information that was used by the "telephone man" of the Bell System days to install, test, and fix Western Electric telephones and associated circuits.  Remember those "Ma Bell" days before 1984 when the Bell System owned your phone(s) and they made house calls to repair your phone for free? These sections should be a great help in repairing, testing, and identifying various Western Electric telephones and related products. Or perhaps you have a payphone you have no idea how to put to use - well, there are two complete BSP's on this Site on payphones!

Master Index of BSP Sections - Contains descriptions and BSP Section number for all BSP sections available as of 1979.  Note: This index is for reference use only and is NOT an index of BSP sections on this Site.  Only a select number of BSP sections of common telephone equipment have been scanned and made available on this Site.

Here are the BSP sections on this Site categorized by product/part name or topic:

Princess Telephone - Rotary Dial Model (7XX)

 

502-721-402
(Oct. 1981)
702B AND 702BM

C38.670.40
Date unknown
Model 701 wiring

502-710-200
(January 1963)
701, 702, AND 711
C38.670.00
(October 1960)
701 and 711
         

Princess Telephone - Touch-Tone Dial Model (27XX)

  502-723-401
(June 1981)
2702B, 2702BM, and 2702BMG
502-723-401
(Oct. 1981)
2702B, 2702BM, and 2702BMG
   
         

Trimline Telephone

 

502-303-102
(Oct. 1981)
220, 226, 2220, and 2226

502-303-102
(June 1982)
220, 226, 2220, and 2226
502-320-100
(Nov. 1967)
220A and 1220A
502-322-400
(July 1981)
AC- and AD-Type Telephone Bases
with 220-, 226-, 2220-, AND 2226-Type Hand Telephone Sets
  502-322-400
(June 1982)
AC- and AD-Type Telephone Bases
with 220-, 226-, 2220-, AND 2226-Type Hand Telephone Sets
     
         

"Hang-up" Telephones (A.K.A. Hand Telephone Sets)

 

D353.252
(May 1938) Mechanical drawings, no schematic

C38.337
(Aug., 1957)
Model 211A, B, C, D

C38.351
(Aug., 1957)
Model 212A, B, C
C38.473
(Aug., 1957)
Model 211E, F, G, H
 

211J and 211L
(August 1957)
211J, L

502-320-401
(Feb. 1971)
212L

   
         

634YD - Local Battery - Connections

 

C38.253
(Aug., 1957)
634YD Local Battery Connections

     
         

Model "200" series - Rotary Desk and Wall models

  C38.323
(May 1959)
Identification and Assembly of Parts
C38.325
(Sept. 1957)
200 Series Maintenance
C38.443
(August 1957)
Models 202E, F, G, H
 
         

Model "300" series - Rotary Desk and Wall models

  C38.545
(March 1958)
Identification and Assembly of Parts
C38.549
(March 1960)
300 Series Maintenance
C38.567
(August 1957)
Model 309A, C
 
         

Model "304" and "5304" Rotary Desk model

 

C38.555
(April 1958)
304A, C, 5304C

     
         

Model 5300 SERIES

 

C38.685
(Sept., 1957)
5300 Series Identification and Assembly of Parts

PLANT LETTER    
         

Model "500" series - Rotary Desk and Wall models

  502-501-120
(Aug. 1978)
503B, 503C, 503CM, and 513B
502-521-402
(July 1979)
500C/D and 500DM
502-521-402
(June 1982)
500C/D and 500D/M
502-521-410
(Nov. 1980)
554A/B, 554F, 554AM, 554BM, 554AMP, and 554BMP
  502-580-412
(May 1981)
514B and 514BM
502-580-408
(May 1977)
500R/S and 500SM
502-580-408
(July 1979)
500R/S and 500SM
502-580-411
(July 1981)
500W/Y and 500YM
 

502-531-410
(May 1977)
558F AND 558FM

     
         

Model "2500" series - Touch-Tone Desk and Wall models

  502-543-405
(Dec. 1980)
2565HK, 2565HKM, and 2565HKMS
502-523-401
(May 1982)
2500D, 2500DM, and 2500DMG
502-523-401
(June 1982)
2500D, 2500DM, and 2500DMG
502-523-402
(May 1982)
2554B, 2554BM, 2554BMP, and 2554BMPG
  502-523-402
(June 1982)
2554B, 2554BM, 2554BMP, and 2554BMPG
502-503-120
(July 1982)
2503-Type Telephone Sets
502-543-403
(Dec. 1980)
2565GK, 2565GKM, AND 2565GKMS
502-533-403 (June 1977)
2511F/H/HM

 
         

Information on Modular Connectors, Adapters, etc.

  503-100-100
(April 1979)
     
         

581A Telephone Set Bases
Used in many Design Line Telephones

  503-100-120
(Aug. 1978)
     
         

P-Type Ringers - Identification and Maintenance

  501-259-101
(June 1979)
     
         
C-Type Ringers - Maintenance
  501-250-303
(Sept. 1978)
     
         
Selecting Outdoor Locations
  502-120-202
(Jan. 1971)
     
         
Selecting Outdoor Locations - Patios and Swimming Pools
  502-120-202
(August, 1962)
     
         
Selection of Indoor Locations
  502-120-200
(Sept. 1980)
     
         
Telephone Booths
  508-230-201
Issue 1
(April 1960)
508-230-200
Issue 2
(
August 1964)
508-230-100
Issue 3
(
August 1964)
508-230-100
Addendum Issue 2
(November 1967)
         
Plugs for Portable Telephone Sets -  Identification and Connections
  461-630-105
(February 1967)
     
         
Transformers - Identification
  501-136-100
(Nov. 1979)
     
         
Dial - Type 72 (this is the newer Touch-Tone dial replacing the type 35 series.  The buttons had a shorter stroke and clicked when pushed.)
  501-165-117
(Sept. 1982)
     
         
Handsets type G6-, G7-, G8-, G13-, G66-, & K6 (Amplifier types)
Identification, connections, conversion, and maintenance
  501-211-102
(May 1982)
     
         
Radio Signal Supression for Telephone Sets
  500-150-100
(January 1974)
     
         
"TOUCH-A-MATIC®'' 12 AUTOMATIC DIALER -  Models 1200AR 1 AND 1200AT 1
  501-164-203
(September 1982)
     
         
"TOUCH-A-MATIC®" TELEPHONE SET, S SERIES - Model 5001T01A
  503-400-100
(July 1982)
     
         
"TOUCH-A-MATIC®" TELEPHONE SET, S SERIES - Model 5011 T01A
  503-400-200
(July 1982)
     
         
"TOUCH-A-MATIC®" TELEPHONE SET - Model 2872A1M or 2872A2M
  503-603-101
(Oct. 1980)
     
         
Key Service Units 550- AND 551-Type
1A2 Key Telephone System
  518-215-407
(June 1981 &
May 1982)
 
         
Console Sets
 

C38.721.00
(November 1962)
Models 1A and 2A

C38.723.00
(February 1963)
Models 5A and 6A

 

 

         
Outdoor Telephone Set - Model 325
  C38.816.00
(March, 1958)
     
         
         
CROSS REFERENCE LISTS
Cross Reference List - B Series to Plant Series
  000-020-002
Sept. 1960
     
         
Cross Reference List  - C Series to Plant Series
  000-020-003
Feb. 1964
     
         
Cross Reference List  - E Series to Plant Series
  000-020-006
March 1967
     
         
Cross Reference List  - G Series to Plant Series
  000-020-008
July 1961
     
         
Cross Reference List  - M Series to Plant Series
  000-020-011
Dec. 1966
     
         
Cross Reference List  - 950 Series to Plant Series
  000-020-025
May 1961
     
         

TOOLS AND GAUGES FOR MAINTENANCE PURPOSES
IN LOCAL MANUAL CENTRAL OFFICES AND MANUAL P.B.X.'S

  X-65518-01
APRIL I, 1932
     
         
         
         
DESIGN LINE Telephones
  Candlestick 503-200-109
(Jan. 1976)
   
  Mickey Mouse 503-200-111
(March 1977)
   
  Sculptura 503-200-102
(June 1977)
   
  Celebrity 503-200-104
(Feb 1975)
   
  Coin Decorator Set 503-200-113
(Sept. 1975)
   
  Cradle Phones 503-200-108
(March 1976)
   
  Coquette 503-200-110
(Dec. 1975)
   
  Country Junction
(see below)
     
         
         
PAYPHONE Manuals (Complete BSP manuals)
  Public Services Crafts Manual for Station Network and Testboard

If the above link does not open properly on your computer, it is probably due to the fact you are using FireFox for your default browser rather than Internet Explorer, If this is the case, click on this link to view a more compatible but lower quality version of this document which FireFox can properly open or find the file PublicServices1.pdf and open it with Adobe Acrobat directly rather than using your browser.
 
  Public Services Station Manual

If the above link does not open properly on your computer, it is probably due to the fact you are using FireFox for your default browser rather than Internet Explorer, If this is the case, click on this link to view a more compatible but lower quality version of this document which FireFox can properly open  or find the file PublicServices2.pdf and open it with Adobe Acrobat directly rather than using your browser.
         
         
The following scans were sent to me by others:
         
LINE AND RINGER CONNECTIONS
MAIN AND EXTENSION STATIONS
  C63.269      
         
Country Junction
  503-200-115
(July 1980)
     
         
2960A01M "TOUCH-A-MATIC" 16 TELEPHONE SET
  503-301-101
(July 1982)