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A Western Electric relay assembly built for Bell System central-office switching. Two wire spring relays on a plated mounting frame, point-to-point wired, with a 225A terminal block on the face and WE 542F capacitors. New old stock, still in its original carton with the factory inspection tag tied on.
Wire spring relays were Western Electric\'s high-speed multicontact relay, in mass production from the early 1950s. They were used heavily in the markers (the control frames that route calls) of No. 5 Crossbar offices, and later in No. 1 ESS, where they were among the few electromechanical devices in an otherwise electronic system. The AF and AJ families use palladium contacts.
Markings, exactly as they appear on the unit:
- Relays: AJ40 (stamped C) and AF125 (stamped R), both under 178J covers
- Terminal block: 225A, twenty screw terminals in two rows
- Capacitors: WE 542F, 2.0µF ±12½%, Hawthorne, date-coded 3-78
- Factory inspection tag: W 013876
The 3-78 capacitor date code puts this assembly\'s manufacture at March 1978. The wire spring relay design dates to the 1950s. This particular unit was built late in the type\'s service life, when these were still running in working offices.
Sold as a collector or display piece. Not tested. Ships carefully packed in its original box. Photos are part of the description.
