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I completed the old k6 red telephone box a couple of years ago, so you could say this was my first old penny/sixpence/shilling slot machine!

That's brilliant, I envy you.

I've always wanted to see inside one just to be sure there was a bell. I never understood how the operator knew you'd deposited coins on a person to person call (was that a trunk call?)
Is there some sort of microphone that picks up the sound of the coins hitting the bell?

It's lovely.

BP

Inside the AB box is a small bell and a gong, some were fitted with an bellset 33, that is what you would here if someone rang you back.
The small bell had a transmitter, this enabled the operator to know when shillings and sixpences had been inserted.
The wire gong would sound when pennies had been inserted, the operator would able to hear this sound via the mouthpiece of the telephone.
To make a local call, you would insert 4 pennies and dial your number, if answered you would press button A, if the call was unanswered you would press button B, and your coins would return.
A trunk call, as I understand it would have gone through the operator, the operator would then tell you what coinage would be required.
The bakerlite telephone ( 705 series) was wired to the box in a way so that when the the number 0 and 9 was used on their own, the call was free ( usually connected to the operator )

Fantastic and not a cigarette burn in sight! What year did the last one of those come out of service Alan?

bloody 'ell Alan, you must have a good memory. Great job BTW.
We used to chuck these mechs out of the Moggie van to see what sort of noises they would make bouncing down the road & then take them back to wipe up to see if the old guy could fix them. Invariably, he could. Happy Days indeed.

Hi Jimmy
The black A+B boxes had nearly all be replaced by the grey type pay telephones by the mid 60's.
The very last A + B box in service was in the Shetland isles, that was changed in the mid 80's.

Have you got more pics Alan, great old boxes these.

I well remember as a little lad in the 1950s we used to go into these telephone boxes and were able to ring numbers without paying. We would lift the receiver and for every single number within the telephone number, we would tap the 'cut off' buttons under the handset that amount of time. So if a number was 4599 we would tap the button four times in quick succession, then five times, then nine times etc and we could get through to the other end. I have no idea how this worked but the irony of it was that none of us had a phone at home, or knew anyone who was on the phone in those days so we would usually ring a business number we saw on a van or shop, wait until they answered then hang up, and then do it again, and again. We thought it was all dam good fun whilst walking the streets in our short trousers and grey socks, which were invariably down round our ankles and just above the thoroughly scuffed shoes that my parents had saved up so much money for - I could not understand why they were getting so up tight about a bit of leather being scuffed off!!! - stupid boy.
Happy days

Hi Arrgee,
Your right, I think it was well known by many of the public in the mid 50's how to get free calls from these A+B boxes by making quick tapping noises on the handset of the telephone.
After decimalisation, some of the A+B boxes that was still in use where converted to accept 2p, 5p and 10p coins, but many people soon found out that if they used the old halfpenny in the 2p slot, the A+ b box would accept it, which made the calls cheeper.

great job, certainly qualifies as part of our hobby. out of interest,is the phone connected?

The phone is connected with the house by means of under ground cable, and can also be disconnected in the house when not be use. The light in the telephone box also works, I have it on a time switch, and come on when it has gone dark, stays on for a couple of hours.
Because the telephone exchanges in recent times have gone more hi tech, it is sadly not possible to connect the telephone line via the A+B box anymore.
You can still insert the coins, and the internal parts of the A+B box still work, but thats as far as it goes.

Im very impressed with that it looks fantastic, all you need are a couple of those massive phone books to put under the shelf

I assume the door closer still works, judging by the concrete block holding the door open. I well remember those viscious sadistic closers pulling the door shut with a rapid movement and slamming the door into your back if you did not get into the box quickly! And of course they always kindly provided a mirror on the opposite wall for you to see how much blood was oozing from your nose when the door propelled your body into the box and onto the back wall.

Lovely piece of nostalgia Alan for any garden.

Here you are Alan, the lads have contributed some of their favourites to add authenticity to your phone box ......

Here you are Alan, the lads have contributed some of their favourites to add authenticity to your phone box ..

careful BP,lets not get to authentic here...could do without the usual smell for a start. I remember an interview on TV news when it was announced that the red boxes were going ...a rather grubby tramp looking bloke said it would be an "inconvenience" to him

That photo is cropped badly BP ...can you PM me Vanessa's phone number

jimmy55 wrote:That photo is cropped badly BP ...can you PM me Vanessa's phone number

It wont do you a lot of good Jim, she is now 97 years old and living in a nursing home....

slotalot wrote:It wont do you a lot of good Jim, she is now 97 years old and living in a nursing home

I heard she was recently banged up in a box................

You're all very bad boys ... which entitles you to 10% discount from Vanessa.

She also wants you all to know that on Tuesdays she gives double Green Shield Stamps on three gallons and over.

BP

slotalot wrote:

jimmy55 wrote:That photo is cropped badly BP ...can you PM me Vanessa's phone number

It wont do you a lot of good Jim, she is now 97 years old and living in a nursing home....

I've always had a weakness for younger women! .....