Enough to make a grown man CRY like a BABY :-( AKA Ray's Colored AE Find!

[kleenax]

Found this "hoard" some time ago, but wanted to share.

Anyone EVER seen a RED AE35?  I hadn't until now!

Found all of these in 2 wooden crates in an OLD Pullman (yes, Railroad) car. This car was sooo old that it was made entirely out of wood! Frame and everything! And yes, the roof was coming in, etc.  What a shame; these would have looked grand in their day. Most are beyond repair from shrinkage and weathering. I did salvage a few of them though.

[teka-bb]

Hi Ray,

Great find. The phones you make look better

Hopefully you will be able to save some of these.

[Dennis Markham]

Ray, did you see this one that recently sold on eBay?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5483.15

[kleenax]

Ray, did you see this one that recently sold on eBay?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5483.15

Hey Dennis;

Yes, I did see that. I think that was the 2nd time that he had listed it for some reason. Looks like it went for just about the right price.

[AE_Collector]

Wow Ray...how do you find this stuff! I wish my train would come in one day. Nice Haul! Did you get everything?

I know that they look pretty beat but those are all going to look decent once you get finished with them aren't they? Maybe not suitable for a few of the colored AE collections that we have at least seen pictures of but decent none the less.

My colored AE collection consists of a Red and an Ivory 40. The Red 40 is badly shrunk and the Ivory 40 has alligator skin all down the back.

I have one of Steve Hilsz Beige 50 Ships phones that is just discolored so not a total write off.

The best one of them all is my Ray Kotke Clear 40 but of course as you know, in your eye's (not mine) it is a reject as well.

SO...if there are any of those you have there that are likely to be in my "basket cases only" price range, let me know.

Oh and finally, if any of the coding is visible on any of them I would like to add the details to my AE Codes Survey.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5514.msg67058#msg67058

Terry

[JorgeAmely]

Thanks for sharing, Ray.

[kleenax]

Wow Ray...how do you find this stuff! I wish my train would come in one day. Nice Haul! Did you get everything?

I know that they look pretty beat but those are all going to look decent once you get finished with them aren't they? Maybe not suitable for a few of the colored AE collections that we have at least seen pictures of but decent none the less.

My colored AE collection consists of a Red and an Ivory 40. The Red 40 is badly shrunk and the Ivory 40 has alligator skin all down the back.

I have one of Steve Hilsz Beige 50 Ships phones that is just discolored so not a total write off.

The best one of them all is my Ray Kotke Clear 40 but of course as you know, in your eye's (not mine) it is a reject as well.

SO...if there are any of those you have there that are likely to be in my "basket cases only" price range, let me know.

Oh and finally, if any of the coding is visible on any of them I would like to add the details to my AE Codes Survey.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5514.msg67058#msg67058

Terry

Thanks Terry.  I will look at them for some coding.

[kleenax]

Thanks for sharing, Ray.

My pleasure Jorge!

Ray

[GG]

Ray, be careful, many hazards in abandoned rail cars; a friend of mine busted a meth lab that was concealed in one. 

Interesting haul you found there.  Probably worth preserving as far as possible despite the damage; somewhere someone could make use of some of those as part of an exhibit or something.   Or possibly as fodder for your research process in some way. 

One has to wonder how many more of those kinds of finds are out there, preferably in salvageable condition. 

[kleenax]

Hi Ray,

Great find. The phones you make look better

Hopefully you will be able to save some of these.

Thanks Remco!

Here are photos (before and after) of the first 2 of the "hoard" that I have been able to restore. I think that they turned out really nice!

[kleenax]

Oops!

Posted the wrong Jade Green! Here is the 1A before photo.....

[Wallphone]

Great job Ray! Unfortunately I never seem to be at the telephone shows when you put on your Buffing Clinics. How many RPM's is your buffing motor?
Did someone say Meth Lab? Sorry, I just found this picture in my files yesterday and had to use it.
Doug Pav

[GG]

Holy cow, Paul, those restorations are nothing short of amazing.  Do you have the line keys working on the 2-line set?  And which version is that?   (I'm going to guess it's:  Left key = "line 1 / line 2", and right key = "hold on/off for both lines at once.")

[kleenax]

Well, I don't know who Paul is, but I posted the phone photos ;-) 
The phones are simply for display, and haven't been wired back up to work, but I have no doubt that they would. I do still have the original 11-conductor (matching color) cloth linecord too! The model is AE-31B I do believe. At least that is what is shown in my original AE catalog.

[ESalter]

Those look absolutely amazing Ray!!!  I can't believe you were able to bring that much of a luster back to them.