A new find.

[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