3 way wiring question?

[The Cobbler]

I was going to change a 3 way switch at my house. when I took off the plate & took out the switch, it looked odd to me. there's white & red used as traveler , the black is connected to the neutral on a feed line that also feeds an outdoor light switch . the hot comes from that line as well, to the hot terminal on the 3way switch .
the other end of the 3 way has the same configuration, black on the "hot" screw , red & white as travelers . In the light box, the blacks go to the fixture, the reds & whites are tied together by colour . there's no way by looking to identify what is hot in the light box.
House was built in 1950 and most of it has no ground, not that that has anything to do with this issue.
I always thought red & black were travelers?
is this layout kosher or should I be looking at changing something?
Thank you

 

[The Cobbler]

I'm assuming I should do like this

 

[Terry D]

It sounds like both commons are in that box. Red and white are your travelers. Are you sure that is a neutral that the one black is connected to. I bet the power comes in at the light. That black and white in the box that the 3-way is in is just a switch leg, which is your two commons. This was probably a single pole switch circuit at one time, and someone added the 3-ways. There are probably no neutrals in your switch boxes, the neutral is up at the light. In some 3-way switch circuits the white is a neutral when you are carrying the neutral from the power source , through the switch boxes to the light

 

[The Cobbler]

no, the way I explained it is correct, there is no power at the light, just 2- 3 wire cables. the power definatley comes in at the one switch box. it seems to be wired like the diagram I posted, but the colours in mine are as noted above. this was always 3way circuit.

 

[Terry D]

So one 3-way box the white is a neutral and the other box the white is a traveler. That's fine. Just identify the commons. One common is always the hot coming in and the other common is the hot feeding the light. always, no matter what configuration it is wired

 

[The Cobbler]

white & red are travelers on both ends, they are tied together in the light fixture box. . the light fixture has 2 blacks (one is hot & 1is neutral) so no way to know from looking which is hot & which is neutral .

 

[Terry D]

white & red are travelers on both ends, they are tied together in the light fixture box. . the light fixture has 2 blacks (one is hot & 1is neutral) so no way to know from looking which is hot & which is neutral .

now I see, someone used the wrong wires. If you had a induction type voltage tester, you could find the hot and the neutral at the light.

 

[The Cobbler]

yes, I think I'll wire it as shown in the diagram.
My dad built the house, and I think I recall him saying the electrician was sub par. it was just after WW2 and things were tough for my parents. the electrician literally used as short a wire as possible hanging out of the boxes, and the light switches are high ( to save a foot of wire on each one. some of the house is grounded, some not. I've replaced a bunch of it to grounded wire that can easily be gotten to. one circuit had no ground wire from the panel, junctioned in the basement to wire with ground...
Thanks for your input

 

[Terry D]

Sorry for not understanding it all at first. I have 3-ways that I added in my house that used to be just a single pole. All my power comes in the light fixtures and are just switch legs at the switches. thought that might have been your case.

 

[Jim greengo]

Hook it back up the same way,save yourself lots of headaches.

 

[The Cobbler]

No, I think I'd rather the correct colours be used at the fixture . tomorrow I will attack it and switch the wires around !