Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Pay Station Telephones => Pay Phones - General Discussion => Topic started by: poplar1 on February 02, 2017, 03:57:40 PM

Title: Pay phone ID needed -> WECo 3A
Post by: poplar1 on February 02, 2017, 03:57:40 PM
Is this a Western Electric phone? If so, what model? I've never seen one of these.
Title: Re: Pay phone ID needed
Post by: Jim Stettler on February 02, 2017, 05:42:19 PM
That is a WE 3A payphone. It was the last model before the break-up. They made 200 light gray and 200 dark gray sets for field trial. The light gray were field trialed in Northern CO and the Dark gray in Northern CA.

They didn't do well in CO. The light grays were redeployed to Northern CA. They may of produced more of the sets later.

The 3A sets had some self diagnostic features, With dip switches you can set them to count a $1 coin as 4 quarters. The coin chute can take $1.00 coins, however the coin slot is too small to accept $1 coins.

Paul Vaverchack  ended up with many of these. some of the bases got swapped to standard SS telephones, Then he realized the tops wouldn't swap to standard bases, so there are extra tops out there.

These phones are noticeably heavier than a stand SS phone. The top hinges forward instead of removing.

I have the hard copy of a BSP for these somewhere.

There was a special enclosure to make these into panelphone appearance.
Payphone installer has at least 1 in his collection.
I have 2 of the Colorado  sets. I actually used 1 when it was in use during Field Trials.
Jim S.


Title: Re: Pay phone ID needed
Post by: Jim Stettler on February 02, 2017, 09:29:01 PM
The Light Gray /Dark Gray Refers to the upper housings. The bottom housings on all the field trials are dark gray. 

Much of the info I got about these phones was from a payphone installer who installed these phones.

I have a field trial tag inside of one of the phones.
Jim S.
Title: Re: Pay phone ID needed
Post by: andre_janew on February 03, 2017, 11:57:30 AM
All the pay phones I've seen on this forum so far have taken coins.  The last pay phone I saw was one that took credit or debit cards.  When did those first come out?
Title: Re: Pay phone ID needed
Post by: Jim Stettler on February 03, 2017, 05:08:47 PM
Quote from: andre_janew on February 03, 2017, 11:57:30 AM
All the pay phones I've seen on this forum so far have taken coins.  The last pay phone I saw was one that took credit or debit cards.  When did those first come out?

I think 1983.
Jim S.