The PHILCO Phorum

Here's the story: a close friend of mine is waxing nostalgic, and wants to find the radio she remembers from her childhood.  After listening to her description, and knowing her age, I showed her some possibilities, and she is certain the radio she had was a 49-1606.
According to her, she distinctly remembers the openings for the records, and the handle shape for the phono.
I thought I was home free, until she mentioned the phono played 45's, which rules out the 49-1606.
I looked through the gallery here, and couldn't find a later model that (a) looked like the 49-1606, and (b) had a 3 speed phono.
The 50-1720 was close, but she insists the albums were visible on their shelf without opening the phono door.

So... is her memory incorrect, or might there be such a radio as she remembers?

Thank you!
Ira

Its possible that the set had the phonograph swapped out for a more modern one at some point. These old phono/radio sets often have a phono that is not original to the set.

This Philco had M-9C record changer.

" . . . the phono played 45's, which rules out the 49-1606."

A crash course on the history of the 45 rpm record:

J. Krivine, in his book, JUKEBOX SATURDAY NIGHT,  assures us that Seeburg, ( the jukebox manufacturer), issued the FIRST  commercially-produced jukebox totally dedicated to playing the new 45 rpm record, . . .   . . . in 1949 ! 

It was the model M-100-B.

RCA had issued the 45 rpm record earlier that year, in response to Columbia's issuing of the the 33 rpm LP the previous year in 1948, and Seeburg took a full-fledged gamble on RCA's new format.

Some argue the 45 came even earlier , but  I disregard all undocumented suggestion.

My point is, while I'm not sure your friend had a Philco  49-1606, she could have very well had a 1949 something,   that played 45 rpm records.

...or she's is thinking of 33 1/3 rpm records rather than 45s. It did play those. http://www.nostalgiaair.org/pagesbymodel...014067.pdf

Actually this model used the M-9 changer - not the M-9C which played 33-1/3 and 78 rpm records. The M-9 was a 78 rpm (only) unit. It did not play 45 rpm records as they were too new to be included when this radio-phonograph was built.

https://philcoradio.com/library/download...8-1949.pdf

https://philcoradio.com/library/download...8-1949.pdf

If your friend's 49-1606 played 45 rpm records, the phonograph must have been replaced with a newer unit.

Thanks, everyone.  After addition discussion, my friend thought she might have been incorrect about the 45 speed, possibly hearing a track off of a 33-1/3 record.