North Star Coin Machine of Montreal Canada

Canada had a few pinball manufacturers in the olden days.

Automatic industries Inc. of Toronto Canada who produced the Maple leaf and a Whiffle bagatelle home model

Ro-S-Co of Canada

But I think the most successful canadian pinball manufacturer, or the one that produced the most electromechanically complex games was the North Star Coin Machine company of Montreal Canada.

Robert Baraké wrote a good article one the North Star coin machine company: Montreal's silver marble games If you want to read a bit on the history of Montreal's pinball manufacturer and his personal adventures, I highly recommend it.

If you don't want to go through the whole article here's a condensed version of the story of the North Star coin machine company:

On November 17th 1947 a ban on the importation into Canada of all non essential goods was ordered to conserve a dwindling US dollar supply. Pinball machines and other coin operated devices were included in the list of non essential items affected by the embargo and could no longer be imported into Canada. The importation of metal pinball parts was still allowed however.

The brothers Jacques and Gerard Tremblay, that were Laniel employees at the time, saw the ban on importation of pingames as a business opportunity. They founded the North Star Coin Machine Company of Montreal Canada.

North Star Released two models, Sea Breeze and Richelieu. The machines were assembled in old army barracks. The company re-purposed Gottlieb cabinets and parts from 40's games. The art was done by their brother in law Louis Leger. Less than a thousand games were produced in total.

The gradual lifting of the embargo started July 1st 1950. Nonetheless, the canadian market was quickly flooded with low priced used US games. The orders for North Star pingames dwindled and the company folded. The Tremblay brothers remained in the Amusement industry as operators for decades to come.

So this is the History of the North Star games.



My history with the North Star Games started somewhere in 2012 or 2013. I dont remember how or when, but I think it was while perusing the IPDB. At that time, I thought it would be completely impossible to own a North Star Game.

Then in December 2014, I decided to show up to a Friday night pinball meet at Robert Baraké's loft. At the time I didn't really know Robert, but we later became good friends.

Here's a short video from youtube that gives an idea of how those Friday pinball meets colloquially known as PowWows (PW) could be. Anyway, It was at Rob's loft that I first saw a North Star pingame in person. The game was Richelieu

On January 23rd 2016 I went to the North Star machine a Piastre's grand opening. The pinball bar is named in honour the the defunct Montreal pinball manufacturer. For the occasion, both the Sea Breeze and the Richelieu were on display. Thinking that would be the closest I would ever get to the North Star games, I had a picture of myself taken with the games.

In April 2016 I got my own North Star Richelieu. My friend Rob had a second Richelieu. He wanted a good home for it and he offered it to me. Obviously I took the game. It's sitting in my office as I write these words. It's a very slow project. It's missing a few parts and I insist on finding period correct parts for it. Hopefully, I will find the right parts in the near future and get this gem to play again.

Richelieu in my office

In May 2016, I had the chance to meet Mr. Jacques Tremblay. I listened to his stories and got to ask him a few questions about North Star's manufacturing techniques. I'll save that story for another day.

Mr. Jacques Tremblay with James Schidlowsky by Williams Major League at the North Star pinball bar

In September 2016 I had a very special repair job. A North Star Sea Breeze. Only 2 are currently known to be still in existence. The other one is at the Musée des Civilisations in Quebec City. This Sea Breeze is going to a private collector who wanted the game to be fully working. My friend who was selling the game couldn't work on it due to time constraints so he brought the game over at my place so I could take care of it. 

Sea Breeze in for repairs at my place in the middle of the living room

So 2016 has been a very interesting year for me in regards to the North Star pingames. Less than a year before, I thought I would never own one. Now, at the end of this year I've had both models in my house and I'm the owner of one of the few remaining Richelieu games. Feels like I've gone full circle. I goes to show what kind of crazy and interesting hobby pinball repair can be. 

Reference material

Canada Bans U.S. Coin machines. The Billboard November 29 1947. p. 144
Canada to get Jukes, Games. The Billboard March 25 1950. p.104, continued p. 120
http://www.montrealpinball.com/blog/stories.asp?view=plink&id=62

Status Report, Montreal trip and new arrival: Keeney Mountain Climber

Status Report:

My place is a mess!

Not enough space for the size of my collecting ambitions. Not only do I like collecting large coin operated things. I like collecting large worthless, but electromechanically very interesting, coin op gambling machines.

Upstairs I have Bally Firecracker and Bally Hokus Pokus set up. Then North Star Sea Breeze that's in for repair. Next is Bally 1936 Challenger, a one ball game, still in the same spot as when I brought it in from the Mississauga trip. At the minimum, it needs a bit a bit of carpenters glue to stabilize the cabinet. Then it's Williams Four Star that's 99% of the time working like it should. Bally Surf-Club, I installed a new ball lift motor. I'm still waiting for a friend to lend a hand to install the head. Finally the new arrival, Keeney's Mountain Climber.

Upstairs is a mess

Keeney's Mountain Climber

Downstairs, there's Bally Mystic Gate and Keeney's Little Buckaroo that don't really have a place to go to. They're in the middle of the gameroom.

Mountain Climber is the second keeney upright I acquire in less than a month. The first was Keeney's Little Buckaroo. I got that game because I sorta gave up on finding a Keeney upright with panascope (A.K.A. IEE displays). A couple of weeks later, I find exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Mr. Murphy!

Looking at all this electromechanical flotsam, I'm thinking: "If I'm going to have all this weird and rare EM crap, might as well write about it since there's not much information on these games on the interwebs. It's almost like they don't even exist." I mean I should try to share my passion about these EM wonders.

Montreal Trip

Right after work I drove straight to Sainte Marthe Sur le lac to pick up the Keeney Mountain climber, that I found on the kijiji, at an antique shop.

The place closed at 5pm. The Google map robot told me I should arrive at 4:48pm. Not much wiggle room. I got there at 10 to 5. Walking in, the antiques store lady asks me: "Are you the gentleman we're waiting for?" I reply "possibly". The dude picking up the Mountain climber. The lady proceeded to showing me the game. I had a look inside the game. I told the lady that I dont care about the cosmetics as long as everything seems to be there. Everything was indeed there except for the hopper since this is a UK game and people here generally don't know what shillings are.

I had already stated via email that I would pay the modest amount that was asked for the game. After looking over the game, the lady anxiously asked if I would pay the amount we discussed. I confirmed with a "sure, no problem". I could see that the lady was anxious for someone to take away this heap. We then proceeded to cram the game into the Sienna. No problems there.

Turns out the antique shop was trying to unload this thing for a number of years. I told the antiques lady I've been looking for a projection display upright game like this for a couple of years. I didnt say that she wanted for it half of what I offered as a bounty for this POS. I guess everybody's happy in the end.

After wrapping up the Keeney upright stuff, I drove straight to the North Star Pinball bar on rue Saint-Laurent in Montreal to meet-up with my mates Rob and James. Where for the rest of the evening, I responsibly indulged in conversation, Stout, pickled eggs and pickled cucumbers.

Early Saturday morning, me and Rob did a service call on a very sick Bally Aladdin's Castle. We finally got the game playing right. I could see that the owner was happy about being finally able to play his game and Rob was relieved that this particular service call the close to be finished.

Then we did the Saturday Lineup Check at the North Star that was really relaxed since we didnt have any major issues to deal with. Just regular maintenance and preventive maintenance. Then we shot the shit at the North Star. I had this idea for a picture I wanted to make so I got James to take it.

Picture by James Schidlowsky 

I think it gives a good idea of the mood of the North Star, lights and all. It's myself Pindude152 comparing the North Star logo in my Richelieu with the reproduction on the North Star bar's wall. That 16 should be a 46

Detail shot of a North Star Richelieu score motor panel

Late Saturday evening, I drove back home. The drive was uneventful.

Chasing Bugs

Here's one of my old posts from the MAACA forum.

I started dabbling in pinball machines back when I was 17. But I got really serious about what I would call deep repairs in EM pinball machines 4 years ago. Eventually I might feel like writing down the whole back story of me falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of EM debugging but a good chunk of it can be picked out from my Sea Island repair adventure. I will also add that it involved a basket case of a Bally EM slot machine.

For a few months now, pretty much every second weekend, I spend in Montréal doing some pinball repair work for the North Star. It allows me to get out of the house, break the regular routine and acclimatize myself to the Métropole. Most Importantly it allows me to hang out with friends that are as much into pinball as I am, and it gives me the chance to work on nice and rare games that get operated at the North Star. It allows me to see what kind of problems pop up in 50 year old Bally’s (and even 38 year old Inteflips) when they get many, many plays per week. It allows me to be faced to a number of new and challenging problems I probably wouldn’t get in my own game room.

For a long time now, it’s been a dream of mine of seeing EM games being operated on location and myself repairing them. These bimonthly trips to Montréal allow me to get as close to that dream as possible without quitting my day job.

Every time I’m there for the Saturday morning lineup check I always bring my regular tool case and a second pelican case that contains useful supporting equipment to tackle the bigger problems.

This second big case barely fits in my buddy (and accomplished Montreal Pinball repairman) Rob’s Volvo (aka pinball repair staff car). I know It’s been a minor pain lugging it around up and down St-Laurent st. From Montreal Starburst, to Longueil, to Montreal North, to Ville Lasalle to the Plateau… your get the picture. But I think Rob and other partners in crime finally understood why I carry all this stuff during my last two repair trips.

the big case

Last weekend It was when I repaired a bunch if burnt wires in the Wiggler, I had my old dependable soldering console with me. I’ve had this old thing for at least 13 years, I’m used to it and I wouldn’t have been able to repair so many wires in such a short period of time if I didn’t have it.

Quoth the raven...

...burnt wires

This weekend it was on Capersville. The game had developed a problem a few weeks back. When a ball was in the 4 deep captive ball elevator, the machine got all confused with the ball count. When the ball would drain, the ball count would not step up.

Multiball EM’s are challenging to repair. The circuitry related to keeping track of the balls in play can seem pretty complicated. Being able to read and interpret schematics is essential. Furthermore, depending on the problem, the balls need to stay in place where the problem occurs (captive ball saucers and ball trough) so lifting the playfield and poking around the relays to figure out the problem isn’t an option because the balls fall out.

So I’m at the North Star and I need Capersville’s schematics. The only problem is that they don’t have the schematics for it. Since it’s 2016 and I have a smartphone, I download the schematics from IPDB.

I have a look at the diagram on my tiny phone screen. I start tackling this problem by making an educated guess by forcing the player reset relay to actuated position (closed (or energized)). I drain the free ball and the ball count unit steps up. Hmm? So now I know the culprit, player reset relay did not energize when it was supposed to so I have to work my way up to find out why.

I look at the schematics. I ask for a pen and paper and start scribbling cryptic notes.

I Should've been a doctor

For payer reset to be energized ball return relay has to be energized. How do I verify if ball return energizes when it’s supposed to: I use my old Triplet analog multimeter (Everyone there Saturday morning were “amused” by my big old meter). It’s a big bulky black block of bakelite with a big dial with a fine needle. Using alligator clips I put the meter to the ball return really coil and let the ball drain. If the coil energizes, the needle should jump… Nothing happens. Again I work my way up.

Section of schematics, downloaded from IPDB

capersville section.jpg (41.68 KiB) Viewed 1209 times

For the ball return relay to energize, Outhole relay has to close, captive ball interlock relay has to be in actuated position and #1 through has to be closed.

OK… start with the outhole relay. I use again the old Triplet meter, check, the needle jumps. Outhole relay is not the problem.

Then I have a look at the through switches, they look fine. I clean them for safe measure then I go to the captive ball relay.

I find the switch with the Green-Yellow and Yellow-Black wire (38-1 and 43-1 in the schematics). The switch looks closed? Is it really closed? I put my other modern crappy tire meter on it, I check continuity through the switch…Nothing. There’s the problem. I clean and re-gap the switch. Close everything up. Give the game a try and BINGO! the game works like it should. Beethoven’s Ode to Joy starts playing in my head (I think I even whistled a few bars from it)

The afternoon at the North Star’s workshop was fairly uneventful, but very productive. Did some more work the get the Wiggler ready for rotation. We assembled a few other games to get them ready also. Robert and I had the passation of the Richelieu. The drive back home was fast and uneventful.


When I repair games, my mantra is “The problem is alway inside the box, I just have to find it”. The box isn’t that big either. My main tool is patience, all the other tools I carry with me.

Late Saturday afternoon, riding around with Rob in the North Star Van (yes, van with a capital “V”) we were chatting on how we could write about this weekend (there’s always a ton of interesting stuff we could write about each weekend repair adventure but we just don’t have the time or the energy to do it) and how neat it was that the Capersville was repaired with the help of both my smartphone and my old multimeter, two technologies 50 years apart and yet, for this particular problem I absolutely needed both to get the job done. So here is an honest go at telling this pinball repair tale.