30 April 2011

Radio Ray pin -... .- .-.. .-..




1937 Crossline



Study the illustration . . . notice the black lines criss-crossing back
and forth on the board. They're part of the panel design--but shoot
a ball across any one of those lines and--presto!--the totalizer adds 10
to the score! Uncanny! Mystifying Yet based on a simple, scientific
fact. "Magic Mirrors" throw an invisible "Radio Ray" along the black
zigzag lines--and totalizer operates every time a ball rolls through the
Ray! "Radio Ray" Action ELIMINATES ALL DEAD SPACE FROM
PLAY FIELD.

NEW "BALLOON TIRE' BUMPERS!
Another Bally creation! Pure gum rubber rings mounted on metal "mush-
room" posts. "Balloon-Tire" Bumpers, together with new "Rubberail"
Coooooooo along edge of board, give the ball a peculiar "English" full of sur-
prize twists and twirls . . . and the ACTION which INSURES "PIN GAME"
SUCCESS!

BE FIRST! CLEAN UP BIG PROFITS!
Radio Ray" Action is today's best bet for a bigger crop of novelty nickelia.
And in CROSSLINE you get "Radio Ray" Action GUARANTEED TROUBLE-
PROOF BY BALLY" Be first with this new revolutionary idea. Don't wait till
the other fellow beats you to the choice locations--order CROSSLINE today!


BALLY MANUFACTURING COMPANY
2640 Belmont Avenue Chicago, Illinois




A Bally Product.
1937 Crossline, model No. 156, serial No. 53

Jack Atkins /Ogden, Utah

He’s the man that provided us the original flyer jpg.
(He provided 132 vintage pinball flyers for the IPDB)
He also owned this pinball machine ...
(I’m pretty darned tootin’)!

The month of March Madness luckied me charms. I came across some very early pinball machines and various 1930s playfields. The collection had to be had fast - true antiques: get it when you see it or it won’t be there when you return. Wowo ... onlookers were still oogling over the 1930s stuff over the 2 Medieval Madness pins and like company sitting there. Amazed gamers’ eyes lookin’ at true ‘pins’ ... and more than one. Incredible artwork locked in deco metal and vintage wood.

It was filthy. Someone had left the exposed field under some seeping oil can or something too; however, it was complete and it even had the instruction cards and key. Moreover, it had a working back box/sweet glass! I had 5 days to detail it for the pinball expo: removed the metal parts (no pins on this one) and got 3-4 days in the tumbler. Novus 2 ... just incredible, no water-base perfect cleanliness polished done. Mirrors off only one-at-a-time with screws, carefully hand polished with Simachrome, exact placement reinstalled. “New balloon tire bumpers” with some sweet WICO white rubbers from the BK kit (I need another pbresource order anyway), and the nice glass from the Blackout. Glad I keep a hoard of hardware around (lots of houses helped), got every nice old screw and bolt I needed.

Sweet Bally Moxie!



Cool .. just too cool. I wish I had the time to get this all working on the insides. It’s soooo close. No time .. disassemble with the 1992 Data East pin, get them to the showdown! I think it was happy there admired, getting to sit between some classic 1950s pbms and some nice 1930s pure mechanical pins. I only regret that it didn’t get placed on the expo manifest. I don’t think this game had seen the light of day for 30+ years at least. I was proud to see it showcase to an expo of more than 100 other pinball machines and all the minions of great folks. I’m bringing this back next year with another one --both working I swear. Hold that Tiger, Jobber!



Hey laughing boy, t'row me a clue will ya!

OK - brass tacks:
If you..
..know anything
-about Mr. Jack Atkins
-about this pinball machine
-about Moseley Vending Machine Ex. Inc.
-or any information
please contact me!

There will be more restoration showcases of these finds I promise. These pins are gorgeous!




01 April 2011

The Dark Forces



Starry-eyed Battles

So the gameroom with the newly rockin RFM needed another ‘new’ pin that I knew was close to clean and enjoying game. Bless my forgiving wife for having 80% of this Data East pin all over the adjoining room for 3 months! Fast approaching Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown 2011, April 29. Sure, why not .. might as well bring this 3pO and enjoy bumping some elbows with some pinheads .. show off the 150 LEDs I just put in under that mass of sparkly-repaired plastics. Mad last week of assembly and frustrations with the LEDs that were (after first power up new lights) giving me a seizure, I crossed a 12v wire and blew something. Oh well, at least someone at the show could help me; perhaps I can get it fixed there and bring it home working. My hasty last week before the expo was also given crazed to a 1937 pinball I wanted to finish and bring as well. Suffice to say that I managed to get both of the pins there - greatly admired for their cleanliness but painfully devoid of working game. Oh well, at least the Tron and the Defender videos were being loved. I am a video collector after all first. : )

I surely got to know a ton of new and good things. I learned a lot more about pinball and its minions of worshipers. I found out more of what I like about it myself. Perhaps a bit like a wookie at this point ... my acquired pins and playing passions are definitely showing (I vow to take this DE SW back 2012 working with ‘some interest owed’). I take from this show in particular the festive beginning of a new venture and chapter; new phase of this Colorado collection. All of these games and all of these hard efforts are with a refreshed promise and a shared dream. Realities are as real as a few good friends who care like you do -- as fun as a Stargate mini or a perfect Galaga game.

Rock On Targets!