Gray 62
Published: Nov 2012
Mike’s Vintage Payphone by Mike Davis This month’s examples are 2 Gray 62 paystations. These 2 phones pictured are both the same model. One is 2 piece and the other has a handset. While in appearance they look rather different electrically they are very similar. The 2 piece version has a capsule type receiver and Bakelite transmitter that contain elements found in a handset. The handset one has an AE 34 type spit cup handset. The photo of the inside of the upper housing is of the 2 piece one, this is set up for 5 cents. The handset one (not pictured) is set up for 10 cents, I am sure that conversion was done at some point after it was put into service. The 62 is an automatic (dial) prepay machine (meaning a coin would have to be deposited before a call could be made). The 62 was made rather late in the game for Gray. After Automatic Electric took them over they picked up at the same place and produced type 62s as well as some other models Gray was making at the time. All the housing parts are made of stamped steel. The handset 62 has the earlier bronze coin gauge and the 2 piece one has a stamped stainless steel gauge. Both paystations have Automatic Electric dials, both have nice porcelain “daisy” dial faces, the 2 piece one has a pot metal shroud, the handset one has a Bakelite shroud. These dial shrouds and porcelains while at a quick glance look similar to those found on Western Electric 3 slot paystatoins they are completely different. Due to space constraints I am limited to how many pictures I can include here so if you would like to see more of these two phones or any others in my collection please visit my site at mvtelonline.com.