Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion I cant figure out what this gas statation thing is

I am trying to figure out what this thing is. It was hanging up in the rafters of the station im moving. Theres some barbq sauce on the camera lens and isnt part of it. We just had some more of them barbq samitches from Subway. I think i could live on them things. im thinking maybe it is any early internet connection or something electrical.
is it a rare item. Ive heard American pickers pays good money for gas staion items. Thanks

could it be part of the driveway bell system?

I think it might be an old style telephone interface where the outside wiring meets the inside wiring.

BBQ sauce looks good!

American Pickers would buy it cheap and sell it high to somebody who wants to be on TV real bad.

THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING AS WELL

The Station is from the late 20's I am guessing from some of the stuff I found in the attic. Has anyone ever heard of a buzzer for a bell. Or better yet would anyone have a electrical schematic or know the years it would have been used? Thanks

Looks like the one that was in the basement back when I was a kid.

knob and tube wiring when it was just a single 110vac service

Jim is correct

Its a very old NID Network Interface Device. Your dialtone is coming in from the right side on single pair drop (away from the bulb) the left side is cloth inside wire to your phones. The red tube is your lightning protection. The porcelain clamps pinching the drop we still use today. The bulb has me wondering if was for a bell ringer.

Booby trap!frank goes for them things $$$$$$$$$$$$$. You plug it in and leave on counter.have helper washing floor,somebody's bound to pick it up!

From the late thirties..early forties. It's a connector for the internet. Probably used by the mechanics to get online for service data or goof off browsing oldgas.

Just a guess.

telephone lightning arrestor.

It is what was called a "Station Protector" (as in telephone station NOT gas station) for the incoming phone line, vintage 20's--30's. Today they call them a SNI for Subscriber Network Interface.
The two black carbon blocks inside the screw on brass cap are lightning and/or surge protectors. The metal tab between the carbon blocks would have been connected to a ground rod. Red things are fuses, should be another one on the other side. With a lightning or power hit the fuses would blow and the surge would arc across the carbon blocks to ground reducing the surge to the phone and inside wiring.