In the late 1950s, the Bell System issued its last cord switchboard, the 608. It was noticeably different than earlier models, with push buttons instead of levers and was white and modern instead of black and wood.
The 608 board had certain standard features that were not common or not available on earlier cord boards:
1) Automatically ringing: On most cord boards, the operator pulled the ringing key until the call was answered, and had to give progress reports to the caller. On the 608, ringing began automatically and an audible signal was provided.
2) Ring supervision signals: On most cord boards, the supervision signal indicated only on hook or off hook. On the 608 the supervision signal winked while the call was ringing. This avoided confusion between a call awaiting answer and a call that was finished on a busy board.
3) Automatic flashing: if a user wants the attendant, they must manually keep flashing the hookswitch until the operator responds. On the 608, a single movement causes the supvision signal to flash rapidly.
4) Universal cord: On most cord boards, only one cord of a pair (usually the front or left) will work on trunk circuits, while on the
608 either will work.
5) Thinner cords and jacks, modern appearance.
Presumably the 608 rented for a higher price than older models. However, I've seen all sorts of cord boards in service until the demise of cord PBXs. FWIW, my own observation was that the 608 was popular in motels and some apartment houses. The City of Philadelphia had twenty four (two banks of 12) of them for its Centrex; operators plugged into a dial group and dialed the extension.
I would presume the new features required considerable extra circuitry and relays.
I was wondering if the higher price justified the operational features. Automatic flashing and ringing are desirable on boards with heavy traffic since the attendant doesn't have to worry about such calls, and the board displays the difference between an awaiting call and a terminated call. But push button talk keys and universal cords seem a little frivolous.
Around 1960 console dial PBXs came out. They had the advantage of dial for users (see separate post) and no need to pull cords down after a call.
Does anyone have any experience maintaining or using a 608 board?
Thanks.
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