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Take a Look at this Beauty!! Gray Telephone Pay Station - Model 75

Started by Doug Rose, October 31, 2015, 08:51:07 AM

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Doug Rose

Kidphone

dsk

Never seen one like that! Nice.   :D
To the payphone experts: Isn't that a post pay relay?

dsk

rdelius

I think you are right about the relay.Coils are later style.I would have expected a wooden terminal block on the backboard instead of pheonolic. I also think it would have had a flat coin vault door

TelePlay

This phone is worth preserving in its entirety, as listed, so here is the seller's description, the eBay listing and all photos within that listing. It is indeed a fine looking beauty. Would have made a great contest had I seen it 5 days ago.

===========================

"The Gray Telephone Pay Station Company
VINTAGE MODEL 75 (or 76?) PAY TELEPHONE

If you are a vintage Gray Pay Station Telephone collector, or simply enjoy unique vintage telephones, than this one deserves a 2nd, and maybe even a 3rd look! The internals appear in very good condition, and has the date of what appears to be "I-35" on the coin hopper. This is the only date that I can find. All coins travel properly through the lead coin chute, and ring the bells & gong.

As you can see by the photos, it has been completely disassembled and painted with the "optional" Statuary Bronze finish. It also has a very scarce 2A coin box (notice the unusually large inlet for the lock). It is also fitted with a very scarce 139A "L" bracket for facilitating the mounting on a counter or flat shelf in a booth. Of special note is that this 139A bracket is Aluminum.

This is a very nice and fairly scarce example of one of the scarcest 3-slot pay telephones that were ever made by Gray Telephone Paystation Co. for Automatic Electric. Notice too that is is fitted with a cast-bronze coin gauge (re-plated) that was especially cast to accept not only regular 5-cent pieces, but also specially designed for the UBER-SMALL Canadian 5-cent piece.

As in all of my auctions, I have posted many large photos for you to study. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have concerning this auction.



On Oct-28-15 at 17:10:16 PDT, seller added the following information:

NOTE: I have been contacted by the "Patent Police" on this Gray Telephone Pay Station, stating that some of this phone's components do not match what is shown in the original patent, or in examples owned by senior Patent Police (in Western Electric circles, they are also known as "BSP Police"; (they hold dual credentials). Certainly by now, we all know (or should know) that telephones were frequently altered with parts on-hand, and happened more frequently where independent, less-profitable agencies prevailed.

I sincerely try to authentically represent my restorations, and have used original/period components (with noted exceptions). While there are certainly more knowledgeable pay phone experts out there than myself, I have neither the patience or documentation to dispute or confirm these allegations. Therefore, anyone that has bid is certainly welcome to cancel their bid(s). I personally think that this is a beautiful and desirable example, and I am confident that the winning bidder will be totally satisfied, and will display this beautiful and unique Gray paystation with pride."

DavePEI

A message from Stan S.:

"There is absolutely NOTHING CORRECT about that 'payphone' (?).  It is   NOT a Gray 75A.  In fact it's actually nothing but a bunch of parts    screwed together.
       
1- The wiring harness is not a 75A harness.  In fact it's not only not a 75A wiring harness, it's not even a harness for a prepay payphone.  It's for a postpay 3-slot.  Look closely at the horizontal contact fingers on the wood strip  mounted to the backboard.  One of them has a screw.  That was only used on postpay harnesses.

2- The hook switch isn't Gray it's from an Automatic Electric.

3-  The payphone's top is stamped steel. 75A tops were cast iron.

4-  The hopper is the wrong vintage.  Should be put together with screws and nuts.

5-  The coin track  the top is from an Automatic Electric. It is a 'dime only' no nickel shoot with an aluminum top plate and the solenoid removed.
       
6-  That coin gauge was never used on early Gray 75As.

7-  The coin relay is connected to nothing because there's no way of connect a prepay coin relay to that wiring harness.


Below is a link to an article written by Mike Davis many years ago describing his 75A.

http://www.atcaonline.com/Gray75A.html
                                   
Compare all this to what's in that auction.

To the members of the forum who are impressed by that payphone;  I can only say 'if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and smells like duck, it ain't a chicken.  Compare all the info and draw your own conclusion about the authenticity of that auction."

Photos below:

1- Gray Calalog 75S

2- Sample Gray 75S

3 - Gray Drawing.

Just passing on Stan's observations. However if one isn't a purist, it is a nice looking phone, and what a great looking finish.
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

HarrySmith

I was surprised at this thread, I saw the phone on eBay a few days ago when the owner posted it to the lists. Being as I have my forum settings to "older messages on top", the first thing I saw here was Stan's assessment. Then I saw the pictures. Quite a shock! The seller is a well know collector who, in my opinion, would never try to deceive anyone on a phone. If you read his edit to the auction you can see his reply to the accusations, it is entirely within possibilities it was modified in the field by an independent phone co. I believe this phone is as he received it and he never intended to deceive anyone as he believed it to be all original. Even if it's not all original it is still a beautiful Pay Station! If it was within my price range I would definitely add it to my collection!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

andre_janew

Even though it wasn't all original, it did manage to sell for $3,250.  It probably represents the type of  payphone once used in small towns in Canada at one time.  If it had been all original, it may have brought $5,000 or more.   

wds

I for one enjoy and appreciate the posts on these older payphones.  I hope to have one of these soon and these posts help me understand the differences between the original and the modified phones, and what to look for.  I learned a lot from this post and hope people that see these "modified" phones continue to point out the differences. 
Dave

dsk

If it had ended up on my wall, I would never had any idea of whats not like it should (as new) and I guess the explanation about modernizing during a long life is realistic, and gives it an other kind of value.  I am as you know interested in how they did work, so my question about the relay was just that, a question.  The seller stated that it was not as new, and gave the bidders a fair chance to redraw their bids, so I guess i would choose to trust "kleenax".  Thank you all for what you have learned me.

dsk

Payphone installer

What is a Strowger 75? The Strowger 75A is a very early payphone produced by Gray,Automatic Electric for a Strowger switching central office. There is no other phone quite like it in design. It is a defined model with very specific parts. This telephone is extremely rare. It is up there with a Gray Western 50A. If you start looking for it today with a fist full of money you will have the money for a long time. The Strowger 50A had a Gray only bottom. It did not say Hartford CT on it that was a much later housing. The lower housing read (The Gray Telephone Paystation Company). The upper housing was cast iron and had no dial cup. It was a very specific upper that I believe first was used on the Gray Model 101 or 102 a extremely rare model that I have never been able to find complete. The Gray upper can be indentified by a serial number inside at the front top in the cast iron. It is a P-Number. The chute in this phone is also extremely rare and the Canadian version which is the model 76 has a very rare chute that takes a silver very small nickel. The backboard of this phone is cast iron and is Gray. One of the fiirst Gray backboards. It should have 4 hole only and no bosses. The backboard is very fragile and was also used on the 50A. Coin gauge was cast and nickel. The shoe for the dial and transmitter was cast brass and round at the top,it did not have the ears to cover a dial cup because there was none. Phone had a early 21/2 inch dial made by A/E and the early round mounted transmitter mount with the nipple in the back which was A/E also. There are two models and two models only the 75A and the 76A there are no other variations there were no upgrades it is a model 75 or 76 or it is not. This phone will sell if you can find it for 4,000 to 6,000 dollars,if you can find it which you probably can't. So if you want one you have to decide if you are going to wait out finding one in your life time or by a repro made from A/E parts. That decision is up to you. But understand that these models are very specific and understood and that there is no substitute for the real thing. I will post some detailed pictures of this very rare very unique payphone. I have a extensive Strowger collection which I have worked on many years. I think the Grays and the Strowgers ar some of the coolest rarest payphones out there and ignorance of the models and understanding is everywhere. For instance Gray 34A8,34A9,34A10 and 34A11 then there were the A/E models 61,62,63,64,65, and 66 all extremely rare telephones. They all came in Gray and A/E. Happy Hunting

Payphone installer

Picture of 75A this one has 2nd style gray backboard

Payphone installer

note round top on shoe

Payphone installer

More pics

Payphone installer

75A has a 50A style hook with no half moon or also called hook stop. Very rare hook, first hook made by Gray.

Payphone installer

75A was a prepay like the 50A you can also see if you look through the chute the P-number on the housing and no dial cup. Also note two piece prepay hopper with nuts to hold it together. Very early. Also Gray 10-E lock upper