pay phone story

Name	Western Electric Charge-A-Call
Date	1978
Manufacturer	Western Electric

Picture 1 – Instruction Card. Picture 2 – Modified for amplification.
Picture 3 – Bell Logo embossed in phone. Picture 4 – Number of phone (sorry, no incoming calls!)

Various pictures of a Western Electric Charge-A-Call phone, taken in May 2005.
Source: Johnston Ridge Visitor’s Center at Mt. St. Helens in Washington State.

Development of the Western Electric Charge-A-Call Payphone

Western Electric Charge-A-Call Though the Charge-A-Call phone does not take coins, it still qualifies as a Pay Phone since it is used beside other pay phones and works with primarily the same technology. Western Electric Charge-A-Call (Model 10A) Although the Charge-A-Call telephone does not accept coins, it is classified as a payphone because it was installed alongside conventional coin telephones and operated using essentially the same central-office–controlled infrastructure. The Charge-A-Call (Model 10A) was introduced in 1978 by Bell/Western Electric as a low-cost alternative intended for locations where users would place calling-card, collect, third-number, or other operator-assisted calls rather than coin-paid calls. Production continued until the 1984 AT&T divestiture. All units were manufactured in blue and produced exclusively in Touch-Tone (DTMF) format. Instruments supplied to Bell Operating Companies feature an embossed 1970s Bell System logo at the lower rear of the housing; units supplied to independent telephone companies do not carry the embossed logo. Technically, the Model 10A was a central-office–controlled (“dumb”) instrument, lacking internal rating intelligence or COCOT-style electronics. Call processing depended entirely on the network. Line programming restricted calling to toll-free destinations or to TSPS/OSPS operator systems via 0+ dialing. The product did not achieve widespread adoption. At the time of introduction, most users still relied on coin-paid calls, and the non-standard appearance reportedly discouraged some potential users. Below- Western Electric 10A Charge Phone Western Electric 10A payphone. This vintage 1980 telephone was made to replace a coin phone. It didn’t take coins but was used to make S.O.S. calls, credit card and collect calls. New England Western Electric Tel 20A Western Electric 20A “Charge-A-Call public phone. Similar to the 10A but made to flush mounted like a 235G or similar phone. This one came from the New England Telephone Company. To open it a T key and 29A-71 key is used.