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Gray #14 Paystation

Started by DavePEI, January 23, 2012, 12:43:49 PM

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DavePEI

I just had to share a couple of my latest finds with you.

First, was a Gray #14 coin collector for use with a candlestick phone. It was received a couple of days ago, and cost me a mere $75 dollars. It was missing the arm which supports the candlestick (and didn't include a candlestick), but I have lots of candlesticks here. I had ordered a replacement support arm for it, unfortunately, its package arrived today, ripped open and arm missing.

I just heard back from the supplier, and they are sending a replacement for the missing arm.

I will post a photo of it later on with a WE20-AL candlestick mounted. Meanwhile, I am cleaning it up. When the support arm arrives, I will still need either a new lock for the coin box, or have a key made for the current lock, which was sent key-less inside the box.

Let me know if anyone on the forum can make a new key for the lock. I know Paul Vaverchak can, but he is difficult to get hold of. Local locksmiths don't stock suitable blanks.

Its finish is in good shape, some scratches, but minor and not bad enough to warrant complete refinishing, and I am cleaning it up now. This, for me was an incredible find, and at a much lower price than these normally sell for. This now is my second Gray, my first received around the beginning of January, and was a Gray Model 11 designed for use with a wooden wall phone.

The difference between the two is that the Model 14 is designed for use with a candlestick, and incorporates a handle on the top to make it portable - often used as a courtesy phone in restaurants around the turn of the last century.

--

Also found, on eBay, a Northern Electric N43AB ringer, very similar to a Western Electric N43. It was often used as an extension bell with magneto phones.I paid $15.50 for it from a vendor in New Brunswick. I am currently refinishing it, and will again post photos when done.

Its been a great month!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

cihensley@aol.com

Dave:

There is an ad in the current TCI newsletter by a guy that says he makes keys and can re-key payphone locks.

Chuck

DavePEI

#2
Quote from: DavePEI on January 23, 2012, 12:43:49 PM

Its been a great month!

Dave

HI All: Here is a photo of the Gray Model 14 3 slot Coin Collector and the Northern N43AB extension ringer...

It is missing the candlestick side arm, but a replacement for the one lost in the mail is on its way! The arm mounts halfway up the left hand side  of the collector where you see the two screws, and clamps to the candlestick to hold it in place.

The coin box lock is on its way to California to be keyed.

I've been looking for one of these I could afford for a long time - $75 met that criteria. No, I'm not cheap, just that I have been buying too much lately for an old guy on Disability  :)

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

#3
Quote from: cihensley@aol.com on January 23, 2012, 02:16:37 PM
Dave:

There is an ad in the current TCI newsletter by a guy that says he makes keys and can re-key payphone locks.

Chuck

Hi Chuck:

Thanks, I will have a look at it. I downloaded my copy of the newsletter a few days ago... [Update] I have emailed Jody to get an idea of cost and today sent it to him.

Jody in his workshop doing payphone locks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoGRc-vB7EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAozhZZDwK4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

"I repair all payphone locks. All Ace tubular cam locks and keys repaired and cut. Hard to find key blanks. Northern, Western, and Automatic Payphone lock and keys."

Jody Haralson  Cell: (626) 219-4006, Home: (626) 692-9161
haralsonlock@aol.com

His Address: Haralson Enterprises
1422 Charlemont Avenue
Hacienda Heights CA 91745-2907

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

#4
Hi Everyone. I just had to do an update on this as I was quite amazed by something.

I mailed the lock off to Jody Haralson Tuesday at noon, at a rural post office near here in PEI.

Today, two days later, I decided to check the tracking on the ExpressPost package, and lo and behold, it was first at the City of Industry post office, then an hour later at La Puente, sorted out for delivery only a few miles from Jody. Jody signed for it at 1:30 pm.

Now, it only the Postal Gods can get it back here from California as fast as it got there, I will be truly ecstatic!

Doesn't take a lot to please this old guy!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

Hi All:

Regarding the notes above about Jody Haralson. I am totally impressed - he called tonight to let me know how the lock was coming, and to ask how I want it shipped back. It will be on its way back within a day or two, and sounds as though he did a great job!

I was nervous about sending it away, but would definitely send another one to Jody!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

#6
My replacement candlestick support has been received, and it is now on the phone. My lock and keys are on their way back from Jody Haralson, and will be back on the collector in a few days. I love it when a plan comes together!

New photo showing the end result!

Internally, this collector and the earlier purchased Model 11 (shown below the next message) are quite similar. Both consist of a Gray lead coin chute.

Either collector will accept nickels, dimes and quarters. When a dime is inserted, it will ring the bell twice, in quick succession. A nickel will ring it once. A quarter follows a different route through the collector, eventually ringing a gong. By virtue of the different sounds, the operator could determine how much the caller had inserted.  

The Model 14 has a cage around the coin box, presumably as it is considered portable and as a result, there had to be a means of keeping the coins inside the box as the phone was moved. The  Model 11 doesn't have this cage as it is used normally screwed in one place. The model 11 doesn't have the drilled and tapped holes for the mounting of the side racket or the candlestick strut, for the top handle, or for the candlestick under-plate that the Model 14 has. On the other hand, the model 11 has its larger back-plate designed to be screwed to the wall behind the wooden wall phone it is paired with.

Both are acoustically coupled to the phone. The operator would listen to the coin drops via sound transferred to the phone's transmitter acoustically though the brackets. The caller would call the operator as normal, and she would determine the rate, and ask them to insert the correct coinage. The Bell and gong inside the collector would allow her to ascertain that correct coinage for the rate had been inserted by the caller before putting them through.

If and when these collectors were used with a handset phone, a microphone/transducer was attached inside the collector, and that was wired in series with the handset transmitter to provide electrical coupling needed as the acoustical coupling was interrupted by the handset cord.

These are definitely cool devices, a big improvement over the so-called courtesy boxes used privately! Their design was the basis for later 3 slot payphones manufactured by Gray, then later under license by Western, Northern, and AE.

Gray 1912 Catalogue: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=5334&Itemid=2

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

#7
I am beginning to think my favorite colour is Gray. Here is a Gray number 11,  I found in December, about a month before I found the Gray number 14. The number 11 is designed to be used with a wooden wall phone. The dings and gong sound produced by the coin collector are acoustically transferred to the transmitter on the phone through the back plate. In the spring, I will be mounting it with my Strowger 11 digit phone in the museum, just as it is shown in the 1912 Gray catalogue.

This one cost me considerably more than the Model 14 - a little over $200, as opposed to $75 for the Model 14 bought a month later. I have replaced the original photo posted with a larger one.

I love my vintage payphones, but I think I love these early Gray coin collectors even more!

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

#8
Quote from: DavePEI on February 03, 2012, 01:08:27 PM
These are definitely cool devices, a big improvement over the so-called courtesy boxes used privately!
Example of a Courtesy Coin Box Company courtesy box. These mounted on the side of a home or business candlestick phone to try to recuperate the cost of telephone service. Voluntarily, the phone user was supposed to place the cost of the call in the box.

This was purchased today and will be mounted on one of my other candlesticks. It will make an interesting display situated next to my Gray #14 collector and stick.

There was no key with the box, but the keys for these are very easy to make, and I have several photos of keys which have been made for them, and intend to make my own.

For those wanting to do the same, below the other is a graphic representation of the key. These can be made out of a thin sheet of steel. The lock is very simple, so slight variances in the key are unlikely to make a difference. Even a properly bent paper clip will open them.

Feb 16 Update: The coin box was received today, and is one of the original dark green, almost black boxes.I really couldn't be certain before, as the green is so dark, in the photo it looked black. I consider myself quite lucky to have found an original for this price!
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Russ Kirk

#9
Quote from: DavePEI on February 04, 2012, 10:18:33 AM
Quote from: DavePEI on February 03, 2012, 01:08:27 PM
These are definitely cool devices, a big improvement over the so-called courtesy boxes used privately!
Example of a Courtesy Box. These mounted on the side of a home or business candlestick phone to try to recuperate the cost of telephone service. Voluntarily, the phone user was supposed to place the cost of the call in the box.


I read somewhere that there are reproductions of this  Courtesy Box.  If I recall,  the repo has something painted green.  From what I have seen on eBay it is tough to tell some colors.  
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

DavePEI

#10
Quote from: Russ Kirk on February 04, 2012, 01:48:32 PM
Quote from: DavePEI on February 04, 2012, 10:18:33 AM
Quote from: DavePEI on February 03, 2012, 01:08:27 PM
These are definitely cool devices, a big improvement over the so-called courtesy boxes used privately!
Example of a Courtesy Box. These mounted on the side of a home or business candlestick phone to try to recuperate the cost of telephone service. Voluntarily, the phone user was supposed to place the cost of the call in the box.


I read somewhere that there are reproductions of this  Courtesy Box.  If I recall,  the repro has something painted green.  From what I have seen on eBay tit is tough to tell some colors.  

Yes, I have been told there were a couple of reproductions made throughout the years, Green, Black, and Brass. Which is the original, I am not sure. This one is made out of cast iron and has a good aged patina, and have been since been told by three people that the one I purchased is an original, so it appears the dark green-black ones are original. Just pure good luck, not good planning!

It is a bit rough, and short of complete refinishing, I am thinking I will polish it with carnuba wax to bring out the finish and to protect it from rusting.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Vern P

The origial Courtesy Coin box are made of stamped steel and painted a Dk. Green. True in photos they may look Back, but they are Green.

Yes these have been repo, the 1st ones were brass and later one were steel painted Black.

The thing that give away the repo, is the decal. They look new.

I have an original for $115 or trade, or 4 of the repo's. 2 in Black and 2 in brass. $40 each.

Vern

DavePEI

#12
Hi All:

The Gray #14's lock came back in the mail this morning after being re-keyed by Jody along with two keys and has been re-installed. It works great!

Thinking about this it reminded me of something. Outside of the museum, I have an old Northern Electric MD9021 Superman style booth, in which I have a Northern Electric Centurion payphone mounted. Though the phone works, I have not connected it to the line to prevent anyone calling long distance on my normal line. As with all my payphones, I have all coins collected to the coin return. I do have signs on it saying that it isn't connected to a line, and is for demonstration only - obviously people don't read.

What I  didn't think of, is the booth is visible from the road. The following year, I was cleaning the booth, and discovered the coin return totally filled with coins! So, with that fist year, I recovered almost $3 of the purchase cost of the Centurion! Since then, varying amounts have been found in it each spring.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001