Urban exploration: Moss at waste water treatment plant

Here's a few pictures of moss growing on concrete at a waste water treatment plant.

Bally Nip-it: Desperation, the mother of invention

Here's a picture of Nip-it with two multimeters and the PF apron removed.

Let me explain a bit.

I'm play testing the game with an intermittent problem and I need to know the exact moment when the Outhole relay and the 2nd ball relay are energized. I obviously can't play the game and look at the relays at the same time. The solution: put a multimeter on each relay set on ACV.

The interplay of these two relays is critical for the proper operation of the game. The Outhole relay,  2nd ball relay and the ball trough switches affect the ball count unit stepping up and the multiball logic of the game.

I'm playing the game and paying close attention to the actuation of the aforementioned relays by way of the meters when a ball drains. All in the hope of catching the bug.

More details in a future more elaborated post.

Bally Nip It update

First Bally nip-it update:

I fabricated a "temporary" plastic that was missing. I hope to eventually find a genuine plastic but in the mean time I have something that looks OK.

Also here's a cool graffiti carved into the cabinet: "ABC Taxi ltd" pretty cool!

New arrival: 1973 Bally Nip it

Picked up a Bally Nip it. The last bally EM with zipper flippers and the last EM multiball. Best known for being featured in Happy Days.

Once I got it home I did something I rarely do anymore. I set it up to play. Usually a game just sits there a few days before I do something with it.

I had good fun playing the game in the middle of the living room. I got a large can of malty libation juice. Soaking in the new purchase that reminded me of my teenage years. Until I noticed that one of the playfield plastics was missing. Damn pinball fever! I was blind to notice the missing part when I went to look over the game at the seller's.

I quickly perused the interwebs. No luck finding nip-it plastics.

Keeney Little Buckaroo Upright: First contact with a keeney game

Keeney's Little Buckaroo

Little Buckaroo is what was referred to in the amusement industry as an Upright, also known as a Flasher. 

These games were produced in the late 50's and early 60's as a work around the U.S. Johnson act restricting / prohibiting gambling devices. The law made it a federal offense to ship gambling machines or gambling machine parts except to states where gambling was legal. This was done to stop manufacturers from supplying gambling machines to states where gambling was illegal. Thus blocking the shady grey market seedy underbelly back room grubby tavern gambling machines that were raking in phenomenal amounts of cash.

In the Johnson act slot machines were defined as devices with reels with symbols, so the amusement companies came up with slot machines that functioned without reels so they could keep on selling gambling machines. 

The whole randomization process is done electromechanically. During a "spin cycle" the symbols flash randomly for an instant before settling definitely on one symbol per column. The machine then adds the credits to the credit meter accordingly to the winning combination (if the game landed on a winning combination that is)

A few companies produced Uprights, notably Bally, Keeney, Games inc. and Auto-Bell novelty co.

Little Buckaroo was released in 1959 by Keeney.

Keeney's Little Buckaroo ad, taken from the April 6th 1959 issue of the Billboard, page 129

Keeney's Little Buckaroo

So how does one play a Flasher?

Pretty much like a slot machine.

On little Buckaroo:

Insert coin(s), coins inserted add credits to the credit meter. Multiple credits can be added before playing them. 

Depress handle to start a spin cycle. Each spin cycle, 1 credit is subtracted from the meter.

Won credits are added to the credit meter at the end of a spin cycle.

To cash out the credits, the player would go see the attendant / barman / proprietor of the fine establishment the player was playing at. The credits would reset back to zero either by turning off and back on the game or by tilting the game. The credits would get paid in cash over the counter (mostly under the counter I imagine :-P ) 

Repairing Little Buckaroo

Little buckaroo was my first try at repairing a Keeney game. To make repairs more interesting, I dont have the schematics for it. So I'm sorta flying without instruments. Thankfully, it's not a very complex game.

First thing the game needed was a complete relamp. Almost all of the #51 bulbs were burnt out. Also, most of the switches on the relays were oxidized and needed a good cleaning. The stepper units were sticking and had to be completely cleaned, degreased and then re-lubed with fresh lubriplate aero and contact disc grease.

The thing that surprised me the most is how many (4) gearmotors there are in this game. My opinion is the more gearmotors, the more the chance of serious failure. Getting these motors rebuilt nowadays is costly and not really worth it for a game like a low value Flasher.

Here are a few inside shots of the Flasher

Right and Center line flasher units

Little Buckaroo general inside shot

Little Buckaroo main mech panel

Little Buckaroo Repay meter

The game was bugged!

While cleaning the center line flasher unit, I found that the unit would not index at a certain position. After closer inspection, I discovered what was called a "bug". There was a small bolt and washer that would stop the unit from indexing on the bucking horse symbol. It would index instead on the next symbol. That way the operator was sure that the game would never pay out the jackpot. Crafty, crooked operator.

Can you spot the slot machine bug?

The illusion of fairness.

The real ruse of any gambling machine is to give the player the idea that he has a higher chance of winning than what his chances really are so he can keep plunging coins in the game. At least the player thinks that he has a fair chance of winning big with these machines.

In Little Buckaroo, there's a selector switch to adjust the probability of hitting a big paying combination. I guess that from the operator's point of view, the flashers were an improvement on the mostly mechanical slot machines of previous times. With the turn of a knob, he could make the machine tighter. Combined with the Bug showed above, this game was pretty far from fair.

Selector Switch

The Selector switch! Now here's a manly chunky switch. Turning the knob giver a virile "clunk" at every position. A testament to 50's quality and robustness. Just turning the knob gives you the impression you accomplished something significant in your day.

Here's the explanation card inside the game for the selector. You figure it out

H= High

M= Medium

Left L= Low

Right L= Liberal (generous)

N= Normal

C= Conservative (stingy)

So by way of a selector, the operator could make the game pay out more or less. The selector makes it more or less probable to hit a high paying combination.

Next Keeney Flasher project

Right after having finished work on Little Buckaroo, I picked up this game. Another Keeney Flasher: Mountain Climber. Produced in 1967, mostly for the British market. The game originally had a payout hopper, so the player could cash out himself. The hopper was removed, and the game was rigged to work with repays. At one point, it was in home use, because a credit (simulating) button was installed at the top right.

The most interesting things about Mountain Climber are the Hold feature, Double or Nothing Feature and the Panascope displays, that are very similar to IEE rear projection displays. IEE rear projection displays were used back in the day for scientific and technical equipment.

Repair of mountain Climber was put on hold so I can concentrate on more urgent projects.

Keeney's Mountain climber

Urban exploring: Main sewage pumping station

Here's a view from the inside of my city's main sewage pumping station. Enjoy.
Eerie lighting!

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.