News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Gray-Western 174G PayStation Company Phone

Started by MagicMo, April 21, 2013, 12:53:20 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

MagicMo

I found another payphone last night. This one is marked as a Gray PayStation, see pics. I don't see any model numbers on it anywhere but it has the date of: 4-29 marked on it twice and the letter F. Anyone know about this phone?
Thanks,
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

AE_Collector

#1
I am guessing that it s a fairly old one but not 1929. Maybe 4-59?

It looks as though it is attached to a desk or wall mount? Some of those mounts are highly prized.

Terry

MagicMo

Quote from: AE_Collector on April 21, 2013, 01:03:31 PM
I am guessing that it s a fairly old one but not 1929. Maybe 4-59?

It looks as though it is attached to a desk or wall mount? Some of those mounts are highly prized.

Terry

It is clearly marked twice as 4-29. Maybe that is not a date? I don't know?
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

AE_Collector

Someone else will have to give their opinion but I don't think that 3 slot phones go anywhere near that far back in time.

Any markings on the back and is it mounted to a separate piece on the bottom and back?

Terry

MagicMo

Quote from: AE_Collector on April 21, 2013, 01:11:34 PM
Someone else will have to give their opinion but I don't think that 3 slot phones go anywhere near that far back in time.

Terry

Maybe it's just old parts or something put together, it just looks like it all goes together, I dunno.
Thanks
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

MagicMo

Nothing on the back. It does look like the back/bottom could be easily separated, the back and bottom are all one piece. The bottom has a number: P 295374
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

MagicMo

Upon closer inspection, on the front panel I found a faint number: 50 C.
Does that help??
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

AE_Collector

50C is probably just the instruction card holders part number. Someone will know what that back piece is called, something like a 172? That might be worth some money but I am not much into this stuff. Someone here will know more.

Terry

rdelius

#8
Yours is an old 50 series set upgraded with  a handset I see a cast iron upper housing and backboard which are on earlier units. If you remove the instruction card, you should find mounting holes for the transmitter. inside photos would be helpfull. Look for a 10g key to open it. You might have the older parts to convert it back in your collection.That 29 is a date.that backboard and base assy is valueable by itself .This is not an ordinary 3 slot but needs to be put back as built

kleenax

Quote from: MagicMo on April 21, 2013, 12:53:20 PM
I found another payphone last night.
Thanks,
Mo

Mo;

You (again) have found a "Holy Grail" for vintage telephone collectors! The L-shaped cast shelf that the payphone is mounted on is a Model 139, and was made so that you could mount a payphone right on a flat surface such as a table or counter and bolt it down so that it couldn't be stolen. This bracket alone (I would sell it separately) is worth $400-$600 by ITSELF.

As for the payphone itself, it is also rather sought-after being of the VERY early cast-iron grays. I would remove it from the L-bracket so that you can photograph it better. As Terry or someone mentioned, you will need to find a key marked "10G" to open the top-housing to see just how old the internals are. With it having a handset mounted, it will probably have been updated to 10-cent service and have a stainless coin-chute mounted instead of the original cast-lead chute.

Additionally, Terry is (unfortunately) NOT correct on the "4-29" date; 3-slot payphones were indeed around at that time. The MOST sought-after 3-slot "50A", Gray's first "real" 3-slot as well all know it, is listed in the Gray 1913 catalog; I am searching for the actual patent dates.

By what I see, it looks like one of those "150GJ" or something like that. Still, it has some very desirable components like a cast-iron top.

Photos when I can locate them will be posted.
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

kleenax

Here's the 1st patent that I could lay my hands on that shows a 3-slot payphone patented on behalf of Gray (by George A. Long) on July 5, 1921. I have copies of earlier patents but I can't locate them right now (on the wrong computer!).

Anyway Mo, your's has been "updated", and has some OLD/Original parts there that are rather sought after. Especially note that your's still has the (very desirable) open coin-return, and not a later (less desirable) pull-down bucket. THAT indicates a old bottom housing that has not been updated (thankfully).
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

MagicMo

Thank you for all the info, I knew someone here would know about it. I will look for the key and open it up and I will post pics of the internals. It sure is a heavy phone.
Thanks Again!
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

kleenax

Quote from: MagicMo on April 22, 2013, 05:51:49 PM
Thank you for all the info, I knew someone here would know about it. I will look for the key and open it up and I will post pics of the internals. It sure is a heavy phone.
Thanks Again!
Mo

It's heavy cause it's solid cast-iron; just like a boat anchor! ;-)

If you don't have a 10G key, I can send you one to use, but you gotta send it back (or trade me something for it :)
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

MagicMo

Thank You for the offer!! I appreciate it. Let me do some searching and I will let you know.
Thanks
Mo
Practice Kindness :)

MagicMo

Wouldn't ya know it. He has a 10g key! I opened it up. It def is not original. It looks like it is a 174G,. This was in his brothers bar in Chicago back in the day. Do you know anything about a 174g??
Thanks,
Mo
Practice Kindness :)