Chrome Northern Electric 3-slot payphone labeled NE233QE.
On the back is a line of numbers printed in red (81C5765). The chrome is in fairly good shape, but there is some blistering on the left side of the bottom housing. The handset has a coiled cord. The finger wheel is plastic and has a crack, but the dial spins fairly well. The coin vault door is missing the key. Inside is a single coil relay. The coin channels are missing, so any coins dropped into the gauge on top may fall onto the tray in the bottom housing, instead of into the coin vault. This phone is not wired to work, and the parts have not been tested.
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Repro
Doors
: Thick flat aluminum doors, I may need to get more of these made.
But I can't make old doors; and I don't know where to buy them; and
at 87, not terribly concerned (in June 2023). The thick flat
aluminum doors we can “glue” a wood block on to the inside of it
and hook the spring inside the vault. We'll probably keep using these
in chrome payphones unless you say something.
Doors
for Payphones
: Recognizing in April 2021 the need for a conservative approach for
doors, locks and a key, I began thoughts on what to do.
If
you have an old vault door on your payphone, an original lock with
key will cost $65 extra, a modified lock and key will cost $55 extra.
About
old doors : If you are
discriminating about them let us know. If you want to lock the vault
for any reason, we need to know, and to discuss your options. Click
on our profile for information. To have an old door with original
lock and key would be to have a Northern Electric – Western
Electric style (I call N.E. “Canadian Western Electric “ since
they are so much the same) and were began with the help of Western
Electric or/and Bell engineers) and would cost $73 additionally. One
of the challenges we face is that seldom, the Automatic Electric and
Western doors don't always fit in good, interchangeably wise; there's
a little snag in each one fitting the other well. I don't know much
more than that about any of this.
Old
doors without locks or with locks absent keys
: We can put a spring on the back side and hook it inside the vault.
$43 additionally.
I
will continue to list payphones on eBay until I die or until they are
all gone. If someone buys them all before either of those things
happens, so be it. If payphones are left after I'm gone, there may
be someone come along to see them pass off somewhere. As I visit
this subject, it is though they sit around in a warehouse situation,
but this is not real. They are apart. I am referring to two main
situations: one where by these are the remains of hundreds that were
taken apart 30 or so years ago, refinished and not yet ever
re-assembled. A
well known payphone collector and wheeler dealer Paul died earlier
last decade. Paul would have been 86 in January 22, 2021 a month
younger then myself. The manager of his estate sold to me 200 tops,
200 bottoms and 200 backboards. About 70 are left (7-2021). Each
piece went through an ordeal. The beige or black pieces were
repainted. The chrome pieces were polished. Almost all of the old
painted bottoms have been sold; gone. We are now left with chrome
bottoms both Western Electric style and Automatic Electric. Both
1948 style A.E.'s and 1955 – 1972 A.E.'s. There are still about 15
1948 style bottoms (chrome) and 15 1930s – 1954 tops remaining.
There are enough pre 1956 backboards to accommodate these phones, a
few 1956 – 1972 chrome bottom housings (7-2021). All
this stuff lately gets put together. We used to wire them all up to
work. Since several years ago, we've now simply assembled them with
what we have and not made them work except by request. In around
1997 or 1998, I engaged a manufacturer to make replica tops (replica
of 1920 – 1926 tops and 1932 – 1939 Western Electric bottoms).
I demanded fairly exact replication to imitate the era they were to
represent. If any of these parts are used, I will label. You will
be informed of their use. Assembling these old payphone units is not
a simple quick task. There is much involved which I'd gladly share
if you would call me afternoons – evenings. It is a time involved
time consuming project; and making them work correctly is another
involved project. In the early 2000s, while we had Levi with us
(from 1991 until 2018) we did up some genuine Western Electrics that
well represented 1940 – 1956. These had original numbers 181, 183,
191, 193, 197, 200, 203 and 223. A few yet remain. That's it! I
will not pursue the acquisition or investment into old payphones
again in my life. Assembling all the parts is slow and tedious. We
may run out of old coin gauges and that may end our offering, unless
I find more old ones or get someone to make them. I have a small
work force for 20 – 22 hours a week, so not many (maybe 2 or 3) can
be offered per week.
Please be sure to read the description as the payphone is sold as shown and described; and if you have any questions please
call us at Phonecoinc. No returns. We are not responsible for your mistake for not reading our description.
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