[dfields69]

[Image: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t...e=614921C0]Found this set in on Facebook Marketplace this evening, looked on the Gallery here and Google etc. It has a 655 chassis in it and the 655 tube layout chart is glued over what looks like a previous tag. I've owned and fixed up a lot of Philcos but have never seen this one before? Can anyone shed any light on it?

[Ron Ramirez]

Can you post photos of the inside, please? I'm particularly interested in what that is below the main 655 chassis.

I have seen that cabinet in Philco Furniture History. I will look and report back later.

[mikethedruid]

Wow ! That cabinet looks familiar. It reminds me of the RCA C9-4 I just finished a couple of weeks ago.
[Image: https://64.media.tumblr.com/2eafd5654e9f...bb7691.jpg]
I think it is from the same year, or within a year of each other. Interesting how styles influence each other in the commercial market.

[Ron Ramirez]

Philco Furniture History identifies the set as a 650WRX.

The cabinet was first built for Philco by Smith Cabinet Co., beginning July 23, 1935 so it was at the beginning of the 1936 selling season.

The number of cabinets made is not given. There is no documentation of the 650WRX electronics.

To the OP (dfields69) - Can you confirm whether or not it has a 650 (4-band) or 655 (3-band) chassis inside? What about the additional electronics with the three extra controls below the 650/655 chassis? This is something quite rare and previously undocumented.

[Ron Ramirez]

Additional info:

Philco Furniture History identified four five other oddball models for the then-new 1936 season which I have never seen pictures of, or seen personally "in the wild". Those are as follows:

116WRX
620WRF
WR-5-F
WR-5-B
WR-6-X

The latter two appear to only have whatever chassis that is below the OP's radio with only three knobs and no dial. I can post pictures later, but be aware the images are very poor quality (from a second generation photocopy or worse; it's all that I have).

[dfields69]

Ron, let me get other pics of the back and sides and post them. Should I get this thing?

[Ron Ramirez]

You haven't bought it yet???

Wait...let me think...

ummm...

YES!!

Good luck!

[dfields69]

[Image: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t...e=614A4FD7]

[Jayce]

Cabinet looks like an RCA and the knob arrangement looks like an Atwater-Kent!

[dfields69]

[Image: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t...e=61493338]

[dfields69]

[Image: https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t...e=614954BF]

[dfields69]

I'll ping them now and see if they will take $40.

[dfields69]

Sold. I'm picking it up Sunday for $40.

[Ron Ramirez]

Congratulations.

When you get it home, please take photos of what is under the 655 chassis, on the second shelf behind the cover with the round holes. I'm curious as to what those three extra controls are for.

[Ron Ramirez]

Well, since these oddballs are starting to come out of the woodwork, so to speak (where have they been hiding, anyway?), let's document all of them here with all the pertinent/useful info from Philco Furniture History.

Information deemed not useful such as grille cloth part numbers (Philco called it grille silk), part numbers of panels, finish used and packing, as well as packing weights, have not been repeated here.

I should mention at the outset that no production figures are available for any of these. And since dfields69's 655WRX is the first one I'm aware of to ever pop up, all of these must be extremely rare.

--------------------

Model WR-5-B

   

Part No. 10178D
Designer - Ben Nash (Benjamin S. Nash, whom Philco used as their main cabinet designer in the mid-1930s. You can see a mention of him, and see a photo of him, here).
Model No. 1829B (6-15-1935) (This date is likely the date when the cabinet design was either submitted to Philco, or approved by Philco for production.)

Cabinet part number - 10178D

Chassis - WR-5
Speaker - P (likely P-21 since the WR-5-F uses speaker S-15; both have 2850 ohm field coils)
First Produced By - Philco Plant #4, July 9, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 16-7/8"; Width - 12-7/8"; Depth - 8-1/2"

Cabinet Weight - 4-1/4 lbs.

--------------------

Model WR-5-F

(no photo available)

Part No. 10175F
Designer - Ben Nash
Model No. 1816 (3-1-1935)

Cabinet part number - 10175F

Chassis - WR-5
Speaker - S-15
First Produced By - Philco Plant #4, August 19, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 37-7/8"; Width - 23-3/8"; Depth - 11"

Cabinet Weight - 23 lbs.

--------------------

Model WR-6-X

   

Part No. 10176C
Designer - Ben Nash
Model No. 1855 (6-20-1935)

Cabinet part number - 10176C
Chassis - WR-6
Speaker - U (not specified which "U" speaker)
First Produced By - Red Lion Cabinet Co., July 19, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 40-7/8"; Width - 25-1/2"; Depth - 13"

Cabinet Weight - 48-3/4 lbs.

--------------------

Model 116WRX

(no photo available)

Part No. 10197A
Designer - Ben Nash
Model No. 1832 (6-19-1935)

Cabinet part number - 10197A
Chassis - 116
Speaker - U (The conventional 116X used speaker U-9. Whether this set did or not is not known.)
First Produced By - Harry A. Prock Lumber Co., July 19, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 45-1/8"; Width - 28-7/8"; Depth - 15-13/16"

Cabinet Weight - 44 lbs.


Notes: "Boomgates" are mentioned under Grille Silk, which must indicates holes in the cabinet for the acoustic clarifiers.

--------------------

Model 620WRF

   

Part No. 10196A
Designer - Ben Nash
Model No. 1826 (6-17-1935)

Cabinet part number - 10196A
Chassis - 620
Speaker - K (The conventional 620F used speaker S-14 with an 1140 ohm field coil. Whether this set's speaker field is of a similar value or not is not known.)
First Produced By - Philco Plant #4, July 23, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 39-1/2"; Width - 23-3/8"; Depth - 11-1/16"

Cabinet Weight - 21 lbs.

--------------------

Model 650WRX

   
Model 650WRX illustration from Furniture History.

   
The OP's Model 655WRX, which is obviously the same cabinet.

Part No. 10198A
Designer - Ben Nash
Model No. 1827 (6-28-1935)

Cabinet part number - 10198A
Chassis - 650
Speaker - U (Interesting. The conventional 650 console and chairside models did not use a "U" type speaker.)
First Produced By - Smith Cabinet Co., July 23, 1935

Dimensions:
Height - 41-11/16"; Width - 26-1/16"; Depth - 14-5/8"

Cabinet Weight - 46-1/2 lbs.

Notes: (1) In Furniture History, it appears to be listed as "650WFX". I believe this to be in error and it likely should be 650WRX. (2) Apparently these products were available for sale throughout the 1936 season, evidenced by the OP's unit having a 655 chassis. That would mean that a 625WRF was likely also produced, but not documented in Furniture History. The 655WRX is likewise not documented.