Strowger 2000-type two-motion final selector, made by British Telecom, British, 1936-1980.

The earliest practical automatic telephone exchange equipment was developed by Almon Strowger, an undertaker from Kansas City, USA. Strowger exchanges were used in Britain from 1912, when the first automatic exchange on the public network was installed at Epsom, Surrey. The 2000-type selector dates from 1936. It was a refinement of the basic design based on the experience of using automatic exchanges made over two decades. The new design was more reliable and was easier to maintain. The final Strowger exchange in Britain to be decommissioned was in Crawford, Scotland, which was taken out of service in 1995.