Manufacturing the future provides a valuable overview of western. Western electric was the captive equipment arm of the bell system and produced the majority of the telephones and related equipment used in the u. Timeline of pay phones timeline created by lynncomm72. Grays previous claim to fame was inventing the inflatable chest protector for baseball.
Call us today at 651 787dial 3425 i acquired a western electric 233g payphone that was fairly complete from bob bartlett bobs antique payphones. Western electric 233g pay phone 3coinslot type western electric 50g photos and schematic. The original baked black enamel finish is 99% intact t is no pitting or tarnish on the nickel surfaces dial numbers and letters crisp and clear dial turns and returns smoothly an open coin return model it comes complete with both keys needed to service the. The payphone features a black metal wallhanging design with a rotary dial, a traditional black plastic handset, and a coin mechanism for canadian quarters, dimes, and nickels. It will work on any att, verizon, sprint, tmobile phone line. It is my first experience with a payphone and my first major telephone refurbishing project so i thought id share my restoration experiences on my web site. It also assist the hook switch with placing the phone on and offhook. A wireless, 2 piece, 1940s 3slot, 5 cent, payphone w coin controller. Identifying popular western electric telephones in one step stephen p.
Its laboratories produced many major innovations in communication technology, building on the fundamental invention of. The history of the western electric phones is something of a history of the telephone itself. The pay phones journey from patent to urban relic history. Many have asked for a simple way to make their northern electric and western electric 3 slot payphones into working payphones. Electrics history, an excellent teaching tool for undergraduates studying the. The national payphone clearinghouse npc has over fifteen years experience in providing the service of dialaround compensation dac to interexchange carriers ixcs. I think that in the future the pay phones will almost be completely forgotten, because today with the cell phones and the home phones, barely anybody uses the pay phones, so it will probaly get worse in 2050.
An antique western electric3slot payphone with a working coin mechanism. In 1899, it invested in a 54% share of the nippon electric company, ltd. Bell had formed an exclusive partnership with western electric to manufacture its telephones in 1882. Instructions for mounting a western electric payphone using my install kit. Western electric, the equipment division of the bell system, was the major manufacturer of telephones and telephonerelated equipment in the united states for almost a century.
Payphone history book by author ron knappen old phone shop. This is the only antique payphone currently on ebay that has a coin mechanism that functions in a 100% historically correct way. Both phones were in poor condition and required restoration. For the first half of the 20th century, most payphones were built by the gray telephone and pay station co. Western electric telephone with 315h ringer box collectors. In 1889, the first public coin telephone was installed by inventor william gray at a bank in hartford, conn. In this article i am writing about what is not the oldest but probably the rarest payphone in my collection. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
After trying to explain it by scribbling on table napkins, i realized that an article describing the operation. Western electric was the manufacturing arm of the bell group of companies from the late 1800s to its demise in 1984. We offer many of the popular, working antique phones and other old phones such as the western electric 202 and the classic telephone designed by henry dreyfuss, the western electric 302. Understanding the western electric double coil coin relay. Western electric northern electric payphone make your 3 slot. See also bell telephone manufacturing of antwerp for european phones western electric used a complicated numbering system based on the model, ringer, whether it was for cb or auto use, etc. Antique and vintage western electric telephones collectors. Oct 20, 2011 the 3slot dial payphone was introduced in the 1950s when a phone cost a nickel, and then increased to a dime for local calls. Antique western electric three slot payphone youtube. Coinbox coin processing parts payphone parts parts. In that time it held patents over many of the major developments in telephony. Western electric products telephones payphones 233g. General purpose test set 3 dial for dial co testing panel crossbar step by step. The western cradle hook provides a resting area for the handset on western electric style payphones.
Western electric 233g three slot pay phone telephonearchive. We have put together a kit which includes a very easy to follow wiring diagram, along with all the parts you need so you can use your payphone like a regular home phone. Tools begin on page 163 catalog page 7, and include 2 indian motorcycles on page 175 catalog page 149. American bell telephone western electric magneto three jug or long distance telephone. Approximately 450 page history of the payphone, payphone booths and signs. Please send info on models and colors during the 80s. Since its inception in 1992 as the first dac clearinghouse, the npc has remained an industry leader providing quality customer service to all of its clients and responding. Telephone world pictures of automatic electric telephones. Unlike the first version with a body totally made of brittle cast iron this version has a steel lower housing. Gray western 50g 3 slot payphone original pay phone. Identifying popular western electric telephones in one step. As manufacturer in the communications revolutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, western electric made products that accelerated societys pace, such as telegraphs, telephones, an early computing machine, radios, radar and transistors. It is what i call the second version of the graywestern electric 50a. This is the card that goes in the chromeplated frame that mounts on top of a western electric model 233g and similar 3slot payphones.
Dec 27, 2009 this is an original three slot payphone made by western electric. Payphone history book by ron knappen gray payphones. Anticipating new competition once the bell phone patents would expire in 1895, the american bell telephone company began introducing several new models like this one in the early 1890s. The original baked black enamel finish is 99% intact t is no pitting or tarnish on the nickel surfaces dial numbers and letters crisp and clear dial turns and returns smoothly an open coin return model it comes complete with both keys needed to service the phone. Western electric 191g, 1950s, 3slot payphone with an external ringer. This is a fulllength history of the western electric company, which was the manufacturing arm of the bell system. This wall phone is perfect for your man cave, gameroom, garage, or retro style kitchen. It has been fully refurbished and it really takes a coin to dial out. Of all the 3 slot payphones sought by collectors the western electric 160 series are the most difficult to find. Compatible with virtually any bell style payphone including gtequadrum and western style. The model 500 line was designed by the firm of industrial designer henry dreyfuss, the product of several years of research and testing in collaboration with bell laboratories and western electric. Adams and butler deftly summarize important chapters in. All other parts no refunds or returns on any old or new telephone parts.
Your desk phone is a western electric model 202 manufactured around 192930. Prepaid calling cards also facilitate establishing a call by first calling the provided tollfree telephone number, entering. And this 50s style phone was the inspiration for the black crosley 50s payphone. A western electric m odel 233g, prepay, 3 slot payphone. Date in bsp column is the monthyear of issue 1, if known or year of best guess should be close to announcement date. A few members have asked me what the purpose of the permanent magnet is in a double coil coin relay. We offer a variety of desk, candlestick, wall and payphones including the rare and elegant kellogg 925 ashtray phone and the attractive, angular, automatic. In 1901 the name was changed to automatic electric. The coinbox stores all collected coins from completed calls. The wiring of the 1234g is dense compared to the other models. Its laboratories produced many major innovations in communication technology, building on the fundamental invention of alexander graham bell. Names in bold are the western electric names from the bsps.
For auction is this mint condition gray western electric model 50g 1925 pay telephone. A year ago i was fortunate enough to acquire two of them for my collection. The above picture is what the 3slot payphone looked like before restoration began. An antique western electric model 233g 3slot payphone. Western electrics history that have been covered more richly in the. Western electric vintage home telephones for sale ebay. Hello payphone pholks and you other types of people. Highpolish chrome finish compatible only with western electric style payphones left side coin slot. Western electric was the first company to join in a japanese joint venture with foreign capital.
Notice progression in governor case with an adjustment notch in one adjustment slot. This page provides general identification information on many western electric handsets, focusing on handsets made for commercial use after 1908 and before the bell system breakup in 1984. Western cradle hook western style parts payphone parts. Note that this phone originally came with a g handset but had an f handset added to it later. A modified western electric 191g, 1950s, 3slot payphone. Development started in 1946 with early sketches by bell engineer and dreyfussassociate. After trying to explain it by scribbling on table napkins, i realized that an article describing the operation of the double coil coin relay would be of value to at least 3 people. The western electric 500type telephone replaced the 300type which had been produced since 1936. Payphone history book by ron knappen paperback january 1, 2008 by phoneco inc ron knappen author 5. Western electric northern electric payphone make your 3. It was a postpay machine coins were deposited after the call was placed.
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