HO public telephone booth - where to get these?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi

I’m getting down to detailing a lot of my PRR / NYC HO layout set in 1954 and I’m trying to find HO scale public telephone booths. Those booths with the accordian door made of metal not wood. I’ve searched Walthers and the internet but to no avail. I’m sure someone must make them. Anyone know? If not, does anyone know the dimensions so I could make them myself?

Thanks guys.

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How´s this?

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Thanks Ulrich.

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Try Osborn Model Kits made in Canada. I got mine from MB Klein. Four in each kit. Doug

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http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Model-Power-HO-Park-Scenes-p/mdp-5710.htm

Here is another one in a set but I think it only includes one phone booth.

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Nit-picking alert!

Are we sure these booths are appropriate for 1954? I was just a kid then, but I think these booths may have been introduced around 1960 or so, with most or all public phones being indoors prior to that.

Could be wrong. Can anybody clarify this, one way or the other?

Tom

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These are from Gold Medal Models:

http://www.goldmm.com/hoscale/gmhphone.htm

2 booths for $12. They’re on sale for $10 at Walthers. I have a pair, but I haven’t put them together yet. The cut metal sheet looks sharp and clear. I do have a set of their bicycles which came out very well.

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“The first telephone booth in London, England was probably installed near the Staple Inn in High Holborn in May 1903. It was operated and located by the Grand Central Railway. However, some sources[who?] claim that there was a telephone box called “Fernsprechkiosk” in Berlin in 1881.” – Wikipedia.

And then there’s this piece of history from 1942:

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I don’t know if you can still find them but Walthers DID have a street detail set that included a late '50s early '60s era phone booth.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3535

Lots of drug stores, hotel lobbies and railroad stations had the wood booths like the one Superman is getting undressed in but they were always protected from the weather… indoors.

http://www.foxvalleyhobbys.com/ho-city-accessory-package-kit-933-3535-ol-1/

2 in stock? Might be worth a call…

Hope that helps, Ed

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That little $10.00 station kit from Walthers comes with a phone booth included. There are always lots of these stations in the junk boxes at train shows for $2.00 a pop.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but it made me think a scene in a movie where a bunch of reporters ran into a row of phone booths in a rush to report a story and the whole row fell over. What movie was that?

My phone booth may have to go as I think an earlier era is in order for my layout.

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Airplane!

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That’s it! Thanks Mr. B. Still makes me[(-D]

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Here’s another option:

http://www.rocousa.com/preiser_17213_letterboxes_telephone_boxes_kit.asp

Bob

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I remember seeing PhoneBooths in a Woodland Scenics package with people and other items.

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That is how I accumulated the phone booths on my layout. Real world wake up call came when the young grand daughters could not find them, because they had never seen one. Just another reminder of the perils that come with my increasing sense of becoming more and more vintage in my outlook.

Sigh.

Don H.

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Those are German booths, I think the OP is looking for American booths.

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They are so rair that when we found one with phone book attached in the city, we had to take pics with it!!!

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The glass & steel outdoor phone booth that most Americans (who’ve seen enclosed phone booths anyway) associate with operational enclosed phone booths (to distinguish from kiosk & pedestal type payphones), and which model manufacturers usually offer, are called Airlights, and were introduced right around 1954 (here’s an Bell System ad from that year), and stayed around right thru the turn of the century (in decreasing smaller numbers, of course) - here’s more information about the 1978 Model KS21716 Airlight III then you’d ever want to know unless you’re restoring one to display in your backyard or something.
For 1954, a wooden outdoor booth like this may be more appropriate. Of course, as metioned before, you might be better off just mounting a scale version of this sign on your building, directing customers inside.

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Hi Chutton01

Superb details. Thank you! And yes I already have the Bell … phone from here signs.

Hi All

Thanks for all the pointing in directions for available HO phone booths. Very obliged guys!

Thanks

Barry

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Chutton:

That’s the info I’ve been waiting for in this thread. During the 1950’s, most of the phone booths I remember were indoors and made of wood. By about 1960, I think the metal outdoor booths were becoming more and more numerous. When a business establishment had an indoor booth, they would display one of those Bell signs outside. Since nobody had ever heard of a cell phone at the time, this was a good way to get potential customers into the store.

Tom