WW2 Phone WE653AX

[Ron6519]

I've just entered the old phone market with the purchase of what I've found(thanks to "Mikes Vintage Telephones" website) out to be a WW2 wall phone, WE653AX.  I would like to source a key for this so I can open it up. Any direction would be appreciated.
Here are the photos.  More below.
Thanks
Ron

[TelePlay]

This is the basic help topic for posting photos:

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=8990.0

Make sure the largest size of the photo is not more than 2500 pixel and you should have no problems uploading the image.

[Ron6519]

Teleplay, thanks for the photo information.

[Ron6519]

Here are the other photos.
Though it's not technically a pay phone, it is a pay phone body.  From what I learned on Mike's website, the phone was put together from parts of other (older?) phones.  I don't know if that is going to help or complicate identifying the correct key for it.

[RotarDad]

I believe the upper lock would have been a 10G for the payphone, although that is an old cast iron upper (perhaps an expert can chime in.... Stan S. or Jim?)  It looks like a 10G in your pics.  If it is a  10G, the locks are all keyed alike and repro keys are available. For example:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13782.0

or

https://m.ebay.com/itm/201131168640

I wonder if the lock is gutted for a non-public phone like this?  Did you try to gently turn it with small screwdriver?  These locks normally turn clockwise about 120 degrees to open.

[Ron6519]

I just picked up a Western Electric WE 653AX.  From what I've read, it's a cobbled together WW2 phone they made from a variety of parts to satisfy the need for telephones during the war.
As you can see from the photo it looks like a payphone without the coin box and the top coin part.  I'm sure there are missing chutes inside where the coins would travel down to the vault.
The question is; can this be converted to a payphone?
Are there parts available for the conversion?
I'm also looking for a key to open the box.  From the research I've done, there are a variety of choices. I just don't know which numbered key will work.
Thanks
Ron

[rdelius]

You would need almost everything-backboard.coin vault, door etc . Very expansive parts for a Grey/Western 50 series set.This set might be more valuable as it sits than converted back

[RB]

Agreed. that thing looks awesome just like it is. And if you did convert it, what would it look like?

[TelePlay]

Agreed. that thing looks awesome just like it is. And if you did convert it, what would it look like?

Yes, a true historical item in the era of telephony that would best restored and used as is. A unique item and probably quite rare as well.

[HarrySmith]

Also agreed, a real WE made instrument, not a homemade cobble job. Definetly should be kept original. I also agree it is a fairly rare item, not a lot of them out there.

[Ron6519]

Thanks for the advice to leave well enough alone.
Now to get it open...  RotarDad suggested that it might take a 10G key.
General consensus on that direction to go?

[HarrySmith]

It's worth a try. Did you try turning the lock with a small screwdriver? Sometimes the locks are gutted and will turn with a screwdriver.

[Haf]

I like this phone as is too. As I'm informed right, those where made when production of new instruments where stopped due to war reasons, but Western Electric had to provide customers with phones somehow. So they improvised with what they just had. A real historical whitness of war time restrictions. And as others stated before, for a conversion what you need is more than what you have. And some parts are nearly impossible to get, early coin gauge, two coil coin relay etc. And I guess most of this phones were used to complete 50G payphones for collections, I believe this one is even more rare than a 50G.
And I tell you this as a payphone collector myself.

Haf

[Fabius]

I've just entered the old phone market with the purchase of what I've found(thanks to "Mikes Vintage Telephones" website) out to be a WW2 wall phone, WE653AX.  I would like to source a key for this so I can open it up. Any direction would be appreciated.
Here are the photos.  More below.
Thanks
Ron

Scarce phone. Wartime conversion. Here's a link to the forum discussion on the one I have which includes a 1944 photo of one in use.

https://tinyurl.com/y82892e4

[Ron6519]

It's worth a try. Did you try turning the lock with a small screwdriver? Sometimes the locks are gutted and will turn with a screwdriver.

I tried turning the lock with a screwdriver, but no success.  The lock looked like it wasn't tampered with.