Western Electric Phone Booth

[kstt]

Anyone have one of these? How can I get the round diffuser and the light bezel off for cleaning and lamp replacement? It's all plastic, and I DON'T want to crack it! I can't find any 'release' and it is not accessible from the top of the cabinet.

[MoonDawg]

        Looks like the whole light cover would unscrew but you've probably tried that.

        The ceiling was the last panel to be installed in that little room and from the screws I see so far, it should be quick to remove if you want to be really safe.

[kstt]

I hadn't even thought of removing the entire panel. That could be the answer. I'm sure they wouldn't make it real simple, or the public would tend to tamper with it.

[rayg]

That's nice looking phone booth you  got ...always wanted one since I started to work for Ma Bell...  I seen some of them with astray's ... back in the day when everyone smoked!

[kstt]

Ash tray? Hmm, I don't know that I remember those. This, of course, has the exhaust fan, which I'm sure was used more than once, to pull the cigarette smoke out.

[rayg]

I don't know if the ash trays were original or a add-on they were little metals one, as far as I can remember.

[Kilroy]

I believe they were an add on.  I had to make the table for my WE so I can't speak for mine,  and it did not have the outside lamp and ledge.

My bowler on the other hand, and the  Chicago coin rifle game both have a cigarette holder.

[Creighton]

Really nice booth you have there!!
I recall PB's with ashtrays.
Just a chrome soap dish type of thing screwed into the wood wherever.

A booth is on the list. Have figured it will be easier and cheaper to just make one in the basement.
That is where all the woodworking tools are and not spending 1K and having to move the awkward beast.
Is a big plus.
Creighton

[kbareit]

Really nice booth you have there!!
I recall PB's with ashtrays.
Just a chrome soap dish type of thing screwed into the wood wherever.

A booth is on the list. Have figured it will be easier and cheaper to just make one in the basement.
That is where all the woodworking tools are and not spending 1K and having to move the awkward beast.
Is a big plus.
Creighton

It is a nice booth and I have to agree that they are a heavy beast. I got one last month and haven't had the ambition to move it in the house.

[Kilroy]

If you are using VOIP ( AT&T, Magic Jack,  phone service from cable)  you may need a pulse to tone converter to make calls - if your payphone has a rotary dial. I guess it depends on your tel-co provider,  I needed one  for AT&T, qa my  buddy  had to getone  on magic jack,  but I've heard WOW  works with out it

http://www.dialgizmo.com *

If you're going to have a booth, may as well use it all the way



* I have no financial or personal gain  from mentioning this site. I bought my converter from them and was happy with the  purchase

[Cokemachinesandmore]

what year is your booth, i had one just like it. I believe mine was from 1964. if you get in the booth and close the door look up in the corner of the door it will have the date

[mznb1u]

I hace a couple of old dial telephones--Automatic Electric Jukebox phone and and older Automatic Electric Wall phone and they both work fine on Vonage using the rotary dial.

  Tim

[ClassicCokeLover]

How do I get my Magic Jack to work on this? LOL

[scalebowler]

How do I get my Magic Jack to work on this? LOL

I bet you can actually dial numbers on a phone like that. I know that you can quickly tap the hang up button on a phone the number of times for each number in the phone number that you are dialing and if you are fast enough the phone system thinks that you just dialed using a rotary phone

[mznb1u]

How do I get my Magic Jack to work on this? LOL

I think you have to call Mr. Drucker over at the general store and he will put the call through for you!  Or perhaps, Mr. Haney has something in his truck full of sundries and notions that will make that phone dial out!

  Tim

[ClassicCokeLover]

Too funny! Sam Drucker, wow that brings back the memories. This phone is a pre-dial dated 1930. It came out of the last operating magneto office area in Maine, back in the late 70's early 80's. I've owned it for the past 31 years. Works too!

[jholmgren]

I have a lot of family in rural Ireland.   

Until the very early 90's we would have to call the local general store who would take the message, dispatch someone on bicycle to the farm to get the person to come back to the store.  They would wait there and we would call back from the US in an hour to talk to them.

Now everyone has mobile phones, kind of a bummer.

Jim

[kstt]

My booth (original post) is a 1966. I ended up with a push-button ATT payphone. It works like a regular phone - that is, it doesn't require coins. And, I don't have keys for the coin box anyway. I always wanted to swap it out with a rotary, but........$$$.

Anyway, I still have not been able to get the lamp bezel or fan difusser out. I removed the moldings on the perimeter - that didn't help. There's a 1/4" plywood top on the cabinet; I removed that, and it exposed the fan, but clearly, the lamp and diffuser are NOT accessible from the top. There HAS to be a way to remove the diffuser from inside the booth, and that probably exposes the access for the lamp bezel. But I'm still stumped. I may have to get a better photo of that for you guys.

[Kilroy]

I have a '53 WE,  and it uses one thumbscrew to  drop the light bezel. 
 
Have you tried  prying the laight straight down? I would think it would be on arms that lower allowing access to change the bulb.   It has to be something inside the   booth to access,

[kbareit]

I got mine in the house today as a surprise for my wifes birthday. Thanks Tim (MZNB1U) for the booth and Slider Bob for finding the light up telephone sign. I still need to clean it up and get a phone but my wife should be happy it's in place now.

[mznb1u]

Looks good Ken!

  Tim

[rayg]

Hi Ken, 
it looks good, especially next to you coke machine, really like the telephone sign...anything the lights up is cool. What type of phone do you want to put in it?

Was you wife surprised?

Ray

[kbareit]

I'm looking for a 50's era dial pay phone. When the weather breaks I'm going to wire the ringer that's still in the booth as my doorbell and might get fancy and wire in a relay so it will light up also. And yes my wife was surprised that I had it in even though she admitted seeing the sign when she pulled in the driveway.