Hi
My name is Phillip and I'm from Rowan NC. I have always been the tinkering kind that likes to know how things work. I recently found my grandpaws old western electric 500c/d he had in his shop till the early 2000s when he closed up. I cleaned it up and use it in my home. But know I'm interested in other phones. So why not join. Yesterday I picked up a western electric 1D2 payphone with a rotary one it that was refurbished by teleservice in 93. So I know I'm gonna need help with this one for sure. Thank for letting me be a member.
Welcome!
We'd enjoy seeing photos of your phones too.
:)
Welcome Philip, glad to have you join us.
~
Welcome to the forum!
I'm in Caldwell County, NC, is Rowan, NC in Rowan County?
Here are some pics of my 500. The picture makes the handset look very red. The cord is a cherry red which looks terrible. I ordered a rust red too see if its a closer match. The main case is faded from being on my grandpaws desk at his shop. The chassis dated 8-59 i think, but was refurbished in 76 by the sticker that was over the original date. Yes I'm in Salisbury (Rowan County).
Quote from: 1MFNPhone on January 07, 2021, 12:50:46 PM
But know I'm interested in other phones.
Welcome to the forum.
Since you are interested in other phones , you should vote in the 2020 'Find of the year' poll
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23454.0
Be sure to vote for 3 of your favorite finds .
Here is a link to photos of 2020's contenders.
The first row is 2019 and not part of the poll
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12971.msg234024#msg234024
Quote from: 1MFNPhone on January 08, 2021, 10:40:21 PM
Here are some pics of my 500. The picture makes the handset look very red. The cord is a cherry red which looks terrible. I ordered a rust red too see if its a closer match. The main case is faded from being on my grandpaws desk at his shop. The chassis dated 8-59 i think, but was refurbished in 76 by the sticker that was over the original date. Yes I'm in Salisbury (Rowan County).
The cord is definitely too red, but I don't think it's actually what Western Electric called "cherry red". This looks more like the red other phone companies used (or AT&T eventually used after divestiture). Your rust one might wind up being a bit too orange, but I guess you'll just have to try and see.
And welcome to the Forums!
Yea, its more of a maroon color. But any new phone cord will not be a perfect match because of the fading. I got out to the shop this morning and took a few pictures of my payphone
In the last picture is the only damage it had. I put a ad in the wanted classifieds for a good used one so it would closely match what I have. Of course it came with no keys, so I'm waiting for my friend to return my borescope so I can see if I can fish it through the back and retrieve the numbers on the lock. Would anyone happen to know what style lock that is on the vault?
Quote from: 1MFNPhone on January 08, 2021, 10:40:21 PM
Here are some pics of my 500. The picture makes the handset look very red. The cord is a cherry red which looks terrible. I ordered a rust red too see if its a closer match. The main case is faded from being on my grandpaws desk at his shop. The chassis dated 8-59 i think, but was refurbished in 76 by the sticker that was over the original date. Yes I'm in Salisbury (Rowan County).
What is the logo on the handset (not shown in the photo)? The housing and dial are color code -53 ("dash 53"), which Western Electric manufactured from about 1954-late 1980s. They switched to "Bright Red" (-114) for the refurbished lease sets around 1990. The bright red housings and handsets have "AT&T" logo rather than "Western Electric G3" or "Bell System Property Not For Sale." Or, as others have mentioned, other manufacturers introduced their own bright red colors earlier: ITT, Stromberg-Carlson/Comdial, Northern Telecom, or generic (no logo).
The handset has Bell South Property not for sale Western Electric.
Unless it has been repainted, I am surprised it is not a closer match.
The handset looks like it may have been painted at one time. Probably when refurbished.
Well I received my rust red handset cord from the old phone shop. Its about a perfect match.
Looking pretty. That phone definitely went through the refurb shops once or twice back in the day, hence the different shaped feet (and possibly the color differences). You can still often find new old stock western electric handset cords on eBay for pretty cheap. Given your history with the phone about the only thing I would do is give it a good clean and maybe try to treat/remove the rust on the base, some lemon juice on a cotton ball or paper towel pressed to the rust for a while will do a pretty good job. Avoid using water or rubbing alcohol on the steel base though, the water can cause the exposed steel to flash rust and alcohol will eat at the black paint, just use a dry toothbrush or cloth to remove any dust or dirt. The plastics can be cleaned up easily with just some soap and water
Welcome Phillip. I've been asking question on your opening your payphone thread. The guys & gals here are very helpful.