| Name | Variable Tarif Long Barrell, combined handset, Grey. Reinforced case (early versions were green). |
| Date | 1965-1980 |
| Manufacturer | PMG Sydney Workshops |
| Usage | Booths and unsupervised public locations |
| Notes | The standard 1970-80s phone (along with the AB Box and CT1). Also known as the Long Tom. Usually painted grey, although some early versions are green. |
Development of the Reinforced Variable Tariff Payphone
| 1975 LOCAL CALL BARREL REVISION: The local tall fee was raised to ten cents in 1975, necessitating the changing of coin chute and a new roll design coin head. The type of instrument this applied to are those depicted in Fig. 23, and this was the final change to the barrel type instruments before they were replaced. VARIABLE TARIFF HANDSET CONVERSION: The early 1960s saw a shortage in the availability of bell receivers and fixed transmitters, and a new type of Variable Tariff instrument was adapted to replace the former transmitter and receiver type, with a combined 300 type handset. The bell receiver fork was replaced with a moulded one able to accept a handset, and the hole where the transmitter had been fitted into the face of the mechanism compartment was ‘blanked’. Also, the circuit was improved using an anti side tone induction coil and by dispensing with fixed transmitters which had inherent problems of their own. REINFORCED SYDNEY WORKSHOP TYPE (1970s Standard grey version): The basic long and short barrel PT’s remained the same in appearance (Fig.23) the only modification being reinforcement to overcome heavy vandalism following silver coin conversion. They Sydney Workshop type with different lock and reinforced steel front is depicted in Fig.24. Instead of the pressed metal door of the older version, it has a reinforced steel plate with an unconventional locking pattern. Earlier instruments were dark green with traditional enamel dial plate, while the later model was metallic grey without the dial plate. Both of these models were handset operated. Coins were again placed on the coin-head ready to roll down the chute when connection was made, and no refund facility was provided. As with the earliest VT’s details of ‘lost coins’ were reported to the operator who arranged for a refund to be sent out by mail. |
| Below (left image)- the two units on the right are early versions of the reinforced VT (green). |
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