Very Rare Western Electric Payphones Pictures 10 Button

[Payphone installer]

Years ago when I worked at Cincinnati Bell Telephone I was digging through some paper work and came across these pictures. I just found them again down in the basement. These are 10 sets that were produced by W/E note they are single slot payphones. Not 3 slot,I know the 3 slot 10 button was produced and in the field. I do not know if these were ever in the field. These are Bell Labs Photos. Note the phones have parts like early 1A sets like gray upper on single slot. Plastic buttons and plastic switch hook levers.

[Payphone installer]

Typo should be 10 Button sets.

[paul-f]

Interesting. Thanks for posting these photos, Jim.

It's curious that the panel model has a numbers only dial, with no "Operator" marking.

There may have been something published in employee magazines. Are there any dates or other text on the photos that might help narrow the search?

[mentalstampede]

Whoa! I wonder if any of those even exist anymore.

[Payphone installer]

No only says Bell Labs and they are copies of copies of copies.

[trainman]

Probably only one 10 button single slot top ever made. Bet it was the one and only prototype.

[Jim Stettler]

The standard style phone may of been a field trial set.  Someone on the forum has a field trial single slot w/the same color scheme. The 3A single slot field trials had 200 two tone (light/dark Gray), and 200, (dark/dark gray= black) field trial sets.


They did make a 10 button 3 slot panel phone.

I think these are either prototype/lockups or field trial sets. Either way, I assume that since they were made,  that some still exist (somewhere).
JMO,
Jim S.

[paul-f]

Similar 10-button panel sets were deployed at the 1964 New York World's Fair, as part of the promotion surrounding the announcement of Touch Tone Service.

Here's a photo from the internet:
  http://blog.nyhistory.org/its-a-small-world-of-tomorrow/

[rdelius]

My 1961 field trial single slot is the same color scheme.There is an old thread

[AE_Collector]

There is this topic:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3579.0

Terry

[Jim Stettler]

There is this topic:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3579.0

Terry

That is the set I was referring to.
Jim S.

[Stan S]

Hello group.
Wanted, a Western Electric F-55880
A white, 10 button, 3-slot, Touch Tone Payphone.
Used only by New York Telephone at the 1964 Worlds Fair.
Not just a white WE-1234G. It is internally different.
None seem to exist any longer.

Number 1 on my wish list.
Willing to pay whatever it takes!

See below.
Stan S.

[RotarDad]

Stan - I'm sure you've researched the World's Fair payphones in great depth in your quest to find one.  With the extensive documentation of the fair, and the likely ability to still talk with folks who were involved back in '64,  it would seem possible to locate a survivor payphone, if one exists.  What are your thoughts after years on the hunt?

[Stan S]

Paul
You know what they say, where there's life there's hope.

Honestly?
Nope!

Stan S.

[Jim Stettler]

Stan,
I will be on the look out for one for you

.
You just doubled your chance of finding it.
Jim S.