A new find.

[flippa]

Not soda related, but pretty cool.

I dragged this monster home last Friday.  A local phone company was closing up & gave me a bunch of old equipment.

[flippa]

Another picture of the beast.  Not sure what I am going to do with it yet.

The dog approves of the new find; the wife just shakes her head.  She calls me Fred Sanford, but doesn't mind my hobby because I always make money on the stuff I bring home.  And, like I always remind her, it keeps me out of the bars.

I should be able to make a few bucks off it if I decide to sell it.

[flippa]

It came with a few phones; two modern ones & an old-school one which is painted.

Gonna disassemble the old one, get it stripped & paint it black. 

Anyone know where to get keys/locks for pay phones?

[Eric]

Check with Dave at oldtimephones.com .. I think he's kinda getting out of it... if he can't help you he will know who can.
He's restored several of my vintage phones... your payphone looks like a Western Electric... painted probably around 1976
But he will know for sure...
and of course ebay... but you will need to know what you have...
send some photos to Dave...
good luck!

Great booth! that's probably 1950s a keeper! should be a date somewhere on it...

[Eric]

I'd also ask and see if you could put a cloth cord and a F1 handset on that phone... also a daisy face dial....
that would take it back to the 50s look!

[Kilroy]

also  Phone Co. Invc is a great resourse for parts.
http://www.phonecoinc.com/

it's a Western electric phone booth, the  mfg date will be stamped  on the inner door, along the glass, usually midway or below, i'm guessing early 1950's

And I agree with Eric,  i had my phone redone with the F1 handset, cloth cord and daisy, it was so worth it. I'll post a pic so you know wwhat we are talking about. 

[rayg]

Hey Jim, That's a good website, the scary thing is I still  see allot of that old stuff at work.

[Ken R]

Interesting.  I know I keep talking about this auction we're going to have, which the date has been set for 14 and 15 October by the way, but we also have a solid oak phone booth in original condition with phone, light, fan, etc.  It has a phone similar to the one you have, but is solid black.  I was guessing the date to be around 30s or 40s, but with the info you guys have provided, I'll look to see if there is a date on it.  If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll post a couple pics.

[mznb1u]

Nice phone booth!  That looks similar to mine and I would agree with Kilroy--probably mid 50's.  On mine the date is stamped in the wood on the inside of the door near the top.  You have to get inside and close the door to see it.  I think mine is a 1957 Western Electric--it came out of a dorm at Marygrove College in Detroit complete with grafitti!

They are heavy but a great addition to the man cave!

  Tim

[flippa]

Thanks for the responces guys.

I found the information on the door and it is a Western Electric.  It has the date stamp, but is not that clear. 

I am looking to do a quicky paint job/restoration on the phone to make it black again.  I was thinking of just using the rustolium textured paint (hammertone?); or should I make it flat (nontextured)?  I will change the handset to a black one to have it look right.

Eric, could you post a few pictures when you get a chance? 

[Eric]

strip it and use a black satin finish... that is what the originals had.
Did you contact Dave or Phoneco... they would have the cord (cloth or black spiral) and F1 handsets.
borrowed this from Dave's sight that is the F1, black cord and daisy face with metal dial.

[Kilroy]

I forgot yet another resource
http://www.oldphoneworks.com

[Ken R]

I took a look at the phone booth we have to see if I could find a date on it inside.  As you're standing inside the booth looking out the door, up to the left at the top, there is a tag there with what appears to be a serial number.  Also to the top, but on the right side, there is another tag with some numbers on it, but doesn't appear to be a date.  Am I perhaps missing something or misinterpretting what is on the tags?

[Eric]

Ken your phone looks like an American Eletric... with a '60s G1 handset...
don't know about the booth though it's a nice one.

[BrianB]

Ken & Eric,

I agree! Eric, not trying to be nit-picky (guess I am...) but that is an Automatic Electric. I have the exact same phone that a buddy of mine found at a yard sale a couple of town's north of me for pretty cheap. My phone was originally that beige-ish color and came with a much newer handset and an armored cable handset cord. I totally disassembled it, beadblasted it and repainted it black and gave it a G1 handset with the coiled rubber cord.

I chose that combo purely because it's what I remeber from my childhood. Our local community theater had an old 3-coin payphoine that looked just like it and it was still in operation up untill the early 80's!

[Eric]

You're right! American Electric?.. I think I made that up... Dave would be so disapointed in me
(I should have stuck with AE)... But I got the G1 handset correct.. Whew!
It should say right above the coin box debossed the hand cradles are different on the Westerns... I work at AT&T and we have a
gift shop with Western Electric telephones restored with AE cradles! drives me crazy...

Great NK sign and the art department had a old payphone in the lobby.... old rotary wish I had that one.

[Ken R]

Gents,
   Thanks for the information.  I'll get some more detailed pictures next week and if I have an other questions I will be sure to ask.  Thanks again for all the knowledge!!

Ken

[flippa]

Hey guys

Thanks for the information.  

The phone that I have is embossed below the coil return with a "NE" and "Made in Canada".  Are parts for the American Electric & Western Electric interchangable with this phone?

The handset has 4 wires; can this use the F-1 type handset with the fabric covering or should I stick with the coiled one?  

I am not entirely sure, but it may be wired for home use; only two of the four wires to the cord are connected.  THe other two have tape covering the ends.  I really have no way of testing; I have a "majic jack" for a house phone & cell phones only.  Never got a landline for the new house; only telemarketers would call the old house so we decided to go without.  I don't think the majic jack would recognise a rotary phone.

I took it apart by removing the screws from the rear of the lower section.  It looks like I can simply unscrew the locks from teh front covers.  Can keys be made of do the locks have to be changed out?

[Eric]

Northern Electric... Call phoneco or see if Dave at oldtimephones can help or direct you.. the small desk phones I can wire but the Payphone I have no idea. some parts can be interchanged... those folks will know.

[Kilroy]

Magic jack won't allow outbound calls, but it should ring and be able to accept inbound. Uverse (AT&T) won't let me call out, but I can talk

there are system boards  that can be installed that will allow your rotary to make/receive calls

But like Eric mentioned, anyone at the parts sites should be able to help

[flippa]

Ypu guys are the best!

Thanks

Larry

[BrianB]

There are (2) keys for AE 3-Coin Payphones. A Coin Vault Key(10L) and a Upper Housing Key (29S). They are available from various sources from Ebay to other vendors onlibe like www.oldphoneworks.com

[flippa]

Thanks Guys

I ended up ordering a bunch of parts from Phoneco.  They were very nice & had the keys & everything else I needed.

[BrianB]

Awesome! Make sure to keep all of us updated on your progress, can't wait to see the finished product!