TRANSISTOR MUSEUM Historic Transistor Photo Gallery
Transistor Size (5/16”L X 3/16”W X 5/16”H) Date Code 12-53 (Month 12, 1953) on Back Color Code (Grey, Green, Grey = 1858) Packaging - None	WESTERN ELECTRIC 1858 TYPE Germanium NPN Grown Junction USAGE Voice and Carrier Frequency Telephone Equipment DATE INTRODUCED 1953 CASE STYLES Silver Metal AVAILABILITY Rare (Limited Production)
HISTORIC NOTES One of the first documented production uses of transistors was in the telephone carrier systems manufactured and installed by Western Electric. The WECO Allentown Laboratory was active in studying the widespread use of the new transistor technology that had been developed at Bell Labs. For example, the February 1958 Bell Laboratories Record publication contains the article “Transistors for Rural Telephone Systems”, which documents the use of the 1858 Western Electric transistor (shown above) in an early field trial of transistors in carrier equipment. The testing was done on a system installed in 1953/54 in Americus Ga. The results of the testing proved largely satisfactory, with follow on deign improvements required for the 1858 – this led to the development and release of the Western Electric types 4B and 4C transistors, which were used in the production version of the carrier system.
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