I have three antique telephones. These telephones work. I have connected two of the telephones together, connected each up to a dc power supply and talked between both of them. And yes, the bells ring when the magneto crank on either is turned.
Below is a candlestick phone and its associated ringer box. This phone was manufactured by Kellog Switchboard Supply of Chicago. The magneto in the ringer box had been replaced, but it is functional. However the coil for the transmission network had a broken winding where the magneto had apparantly hit it. I was able to repair it to make the phone functional. The telephone itself had no hookswitch, so I purchased a replacement that I had to modify to make it compatible with this telephone. After all of this, the telephone works now. The cosmetics of this telephone are not the best with rust on the candlestick and a chip out of the mouthpiece, but it is a nice old working telephone.
Below is a picture of the electrical schematic inside the ringer box.
Below is a wall-mounted telephone from the same era as the candlestick telephone shown above. This wall-mounted telephone was manufactured by Western Electric and is a Model 317AH. The telephone requires three dry cell batteries. This telephone is is excellent condition except for the cord for the earpiece. However, only the outer covering of this cord is frayed - the inner two conductors are not frayed. This telephone worked when I received it.
Below is a picture of the inside of the telephone.
Below is a picture of the magento. It is a model 22A three-bar magento with a patent date of July 17, 1894.
Below is a picture of the inside of the door.
Below is a picture of the electrical schematic on the door. Below the schematic the phone model number 317AH is stamped in the wood.
Below is a closeup of the electrical schematic inside the phone.
Below is a picture of a Western Electric Model 315H ringer box and desk cradle phone.
Below is a picture of the inside of the ringer box.
