2LaneCruzer
Super Star Member
I remember a cerftain type of payphone that had a metal hook on the side for the handpiece doubled as a switch, when it was raining and you were barefoot (common practice here) if you depressed the switch by hand rather than hanging up the phone you were rewarded with a kick, a linesman told me it was the line voltage and I think it was a about 90vdc.
We were in the outback in the early 80's and found a few old payphones that still had the winder on the side to get the operator as there was no dial.
Bet it's in here:
Kellogg crank telephone - Google Search