My first payphone.

[Greg G.]

Well, maybe.  I'm going to go look at it in about 3 hours.  I don't know a lot about payphones, so I'm gambling on this one, but at $65 it's a gamble I can afford.  Perhaps I'll recoup some of that with the coins.  All I know is from the ad, I didn't ask the seller much because I didn't know what to ask.  I'm assuming it has no keys, otherwise it would not be full of coins.  That would be my first task.

Just from the pictures, I can tell it's a WE, and old enough to be from a time when a call could be made for a dime.  Not quite sure when that era was, but I remember 10 cent calls as a kid in the 60s.

Here's the ad, any comments welcome:  

Old pay phone (full of coins!) - $65 (greenlake)

Cool old payphone. Rotary dial. Heavy (and full of coins!). Some chips (can be seen on front/ full-view photo) but they do not deter at all from the aesthetic.

[ESalter]

Definitely get it.  Just the upper housing pieces visible are worth the $65.  It appears to have originally been a  WE 1A1 which was a coin first phone.  The wedge shaped coin release lever, lack of a separate instruction plate in the upper corner, and old bell logo on the faceplate are the spotting features.  It's likely been converted to a C type phone(now designated 1C1).  C type phones can be either coin first or dialtone first.  The instruction cards indicate it's dialtone first, so that's why I'm assuming it's been "upgraded"  This upgrade likely took place in the early 70, only a few years after the phone was built.

When(if) you get it you can't find an upper housing key, there are enough of us around here that have cut these open before we can help you get into it.  The upper housing you should be able to bore the lock out without damaging anything but the lock.  The best plan for getting into the vault is probably going to be cutting the vault door off.  I've done this before and can provide measurements on where the best place is to make incisions.

Hope this helps!
---Eric

[Greg G.]

Definitely get it.  Just the upper housing pieces visible are worth the $65.  It appears to have originally been a  WE 1A1 which was a coin first phone.  The wedge shaped coin release lever, lack of a separate instruction plate in the upper corner, and old bell logo on the faceplate are the spotting features.  It's likely been converted to a C type phone(now designated 1C1).  C type phones can be either coin first or dialtone first.  The instruction cards indicate it's dialtone first, so that's why I'm assuming it's been "upgraded"  This upgrade likely took place in the early 70, only a few years after the phone was built.

When(if) you get it you can't find an upper housing key, there are enough of us around here that have cut these open before we can help you get into it.  The upper housing you should be able to bore the lock out without damaging anything but the lock.  The best plan for getting into the vault is probably going to be cutting the vault door off.  I've done this before and can provide measurements on where the best place is to make incisions.

Hope this helps!
---Eric

It does, thanks!  Although I was hoping a key existed somewhere to get it open in a kind and gentle manner, rather than resorting to invasive procedures like drilling and cutting.  Paying a locksmith would probably be too cost prohibitive.

[Greg G.]

I found these in my google travels.  The article on locks is discouraging, small wonder it's still full of coins, but there's hope.  Drilling and cutting would be a last resort.  

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/wecolock/

http://www.payphone.com/T-Key.html

[twocvbloke]

Looks nice, why haven't you got it yet?

I'd love to have that style payphone, they look nicer with a rotary dial...

[G-Man]

I found these in my google travels.  The article on locks is discouraging, small wonder it's still full of coins, but there's hope.  Drilling and cutting would be a last resort.  

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/wecolock/

http://www.payphone.com/T-Key.html

Give Kurt a call (206-484-1091) and verify that it originally was installed in the Seattle area.

If so, you should easily be able to have an upper housing key made by Woody or Paul. 

As Eric has stated, it is an early single-slot and well worth the money!

[Haf]

Nice phone indeed. Maybe if you're lucky and the locks are already missing and it is only locked with a T-Key. But if there is really money in it it's unlikely.
I just received a similar phone today but the later rotary version with the more rectangular coin return lever and the DTF sign. It came without instruction cards and I only had CF ones from early 70's, those where the ones your phone would have had originally.
If you just want the coins I would buy the upper housing from you if you like

Haf

[Greg G.]

I found these in my google travels.  The article on locks is discouraging, small wonder it's still full of coins, but there's hope.  Drilling and cutting would be a last resort.  

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/wecolock/

http://www.payphone.com/T-Key.html

...verify that it originally was installed in the Seattle area.

If so, you should easily be able to have an upper housing key made by Woody or Paul.  

As Eric has stated, it is an early single-slot and well worth the money!

I'll ask him when I meet up with him later.  He may not know, but I'll get it regardless.  I found this website, but who's Woody?  

http://www.islandregister.com/phones/keys.html

[G-Man]

Yeah, who is Woody!

Old age is creeping up on me, his name is Jody Haralson and his contact information is:

JODY HARALSON
(626) 219-4006
1422 Clarlemont Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA. 91475

Paul Vaverchak does not have internet service so I am not sure as to who's website you have come across but either one of them should be able to help.

I found these in my google travels.  The article on locks is discouraging, small wonder it's still full of coins, but there's hope.  Drilling and cutting would be a last resort.   

http://www.crypto.com/photos/misc/wecolock/

http://www.payphone.com/T-Key.html

...verify that it originally was installed in the Seattle area.

If so, you should easily be able to have an upper housing key made by Woody or Paul. 

As Eric has stated, it is an early single-slot and well worth the money!

I'll ask him when I meet up with him later.  He may not know, but I'll get it regardless.  I found Paul's website, who's Woody? 

http://www.islandregister.com/phones/keys.html

[AE_Collector]

Looks nice, why haven't you got it yet?

Briny isn't driving the right route today! When he is he will stop the bus out front, run in and get it and then explain to the passengers that he accidentally "knocked it over" with the bus and will take it back to the Phone Company later.

Briny:

Upper housing locks are typically the same as each other for a given Telco or service area meaning service people only need one key to get into the top (upper housing) of any payphone.

Lower housing keys (vault keys) are unique to each and every phone so that someone getting hold of one can't clean out every phone in town. Thus if the lock is in the phone and the key isn't with it, you have your work "cut out" for you.

Terry

[AE_Collector]

Yeah, who is Woody!
JODY HARALSON

Woody Haralson has been getting work lately hasn't he?

I wasn't aware that he had a business on the side now working on locks.

Cheers!

Terry

[Greg G.]

Paul Vaverchak does not have internet service so I am not sure as to who's website you have come across but either one of them should be able to help.

Not sure who's website it is either, but a link to Paul's profile was listed on it:  http://lchof.com/member_Vaverchak.html

[DavePEI]

Not sure who's website it is either, but a link to Paul's profile was listed on it:  http://lchof.com/member_Vaverchak.html

http://www.islandregister.com/phones/keys.html is one of mine - there are links to Jody's videos, and to Paul's mailing address and to his Lock Collectors Hall of Fame profile page.

Dave

[Greg G.]

Ok, here are the pics after a wipe down.  Inspection reveals a 1C stamped on the back.  The handset appears to be a later one marked "not for sale" and caps are on there real solid, a few nicks and scratches from use and abuse.  Seller said his wife put up the CL ad and may have exaggerated about it being full of coins.  It's heavy and there is something rattling around that sounds like it may have at least a few coins.  Dial is in very good shape, rotates and returns smoothly.  I used the modular cord attached to plug it in to my PBX to test it, it's dead as a door-nail, doesn't dial out or receive calls, but I'm not sure if the cord is hooked up correctly, I'll need to get it apart, however that's done.

[ESalter]

You're in luck!  It doesn't have an upper or lower lock, all you need to get it open is a T key.   Get yourself a skate key and pop that thing open and see what you've got.  It's more likely that it had the mounting screws bouncing around inside instead of coins.  ...just speaking from experience.

Also, if you're interested at some point, I'm sure I have a lower housing that'd be from the right time period that has much better paint.  Just throwing that out there.

The handset looks pretty early, actually.  The earliest ones I've seen don't have rubber boots where the lanyard exits the handset.  Is yours made without a boot or is the outside of it just missing?  It's hard to tell from the photos.  You mentioned the caps being stuck, that's because they're glued on.

You definitely got a nice phone, I look forward to seeing what's inside and you getting it up and working(usually not difficult at all).

---Eric