Rescuing a Payphone
There's a payphone somewhere and you need to save it!
A lot of questions come up regarding rescuing non functioning payphones from a location so they can be used again either in the same location or a different one.
If there is a sense of urgency you may want to rescue the payphone now and worry about opening it later.
I Have Keys
Obviously, the least destructive, fastest, and easiest way to get a payphone removed regardless of urgency is with its keys.
Most payphones require two separate keys: one for the upper housing and one for the coin vault. While the upper housing key may be “common” and shared between a number of phones controlled by an operator or phones in a certain region, the vault lock is always uniquely keyed and distinct for each phone. This was done in a way that still allowed maintenance workers to service phones via the upper housing and coin collectors to empty the vaults without worrying about loosing a key that could open every vault.
To remove a payphone you will need both the upper and vault keys as well as what is known as a T-Key or T-Wrench which is a tool used to separate the upper housing from the lower housing of the phone as well as the vault door from the lower housing.
Once both the upper and the vault are unlocked, a wrench of screwdriver (depending on if the phone is mounted with bolts or screws) can be used to release the phone from its backing board. These bolts/screws are typically only used to “lock” the phone into the board, while the phone actually stays on the board with a set of studs screwed into its back that slot into the backing board. This means you can remove the bolts/screws without the phone falling off the wall afterwards and to free the phone it can be pushed up to unslot it and pull it away.
I Need This Payphone Now
Payphones are typically mounted on a metal or plastic backing board via studs and bolts/screws, which is either affixed to a wall directly or an enclosure.
The easiest (but most destructive) way to separate a payphone from the wall with no keys is via a reciprocating saw or angle grinder with a cutting wheel. Placing one of these tools where the phone meets the backing board, where the backing board meets the wall, or where the enclosure meets the wall and cutting will ultimately free the phone. However you will likely damage the wall and/or back of the phone depending on where you cut.
NOTE: while cutting through a live phone line is unlikely to cause any damage to persons or equipment, cutting through a live electrical line will. Some payphone enclosures feature lights and have mains power run to them. Always do your due diligence to make sure any electrical lines are unpowered.
I Can Remove the Payphone Later
TODO
Acquiring Keys
TODO