Lawrence, again thank you for your generosity with the additional photos.
The '58 GE line-up is near and dear to my heart, and I've always felt this particular model was an oddball.
In the original publication of the 1958 R series Service manual, as well as the '58 Owners manual, the first version of the 850R/855R control panel is featured which is basically a slightly restyled 1957 P 850, sans pedestals and florescent light.
In the 1958 Product Man, GE mentions that the 850R1 was introduced in January of '58, with pedestals and the revised panel design that takes the pattern of the 950 panel and incorporates the toggle switches.
What I'm curious about is if GE even made the first version, which I'll call the 850R0, knowing GE never sold an revision 0 washer or dryer and started production models with a 1. The master parts catalog does not have a dedicated diagram for the original 850R0 version of but only the panel version of the 850R1. There also was a revision later in the spring of '58 for the 853R1/858R1, which has the revised 850 panel, sans the pedestals.
But, if the original version had been produced, why didn't GE give the revised panel an updated revision number, say 850R3?
As anyone ever seen in person the original version of the '58 850 control panel?
Ben
