Lights of London pinball

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pennymachines
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Lights of London pinball

Post by pennymachines »

This 1930s 'Lights of London' (Little Auctions, March 21st) has seen better days, and someone's had fun with the paint pot, but has anyone seen one before? I can find no reference to it anywhere. These odd-ball, forgotten, British pinball machines always intrigue me.
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treefrog
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by treefrog »

Looks like one of my restorations :HaHa:
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moonriver
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by moonriver »

I wonder if the traffic lights changed like a Tuck Shop traffic light when the ball passed
pennymachines
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by pennymachines »

I imagine the idea was to progress the lights from red to green by hitting the correct scores, possibly for a payout?
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gameswat
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by gameswat »

pennymachines wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:18 pm possibly for a payout?
Well Yes, the much lauded "JACKPOT" ! :didact: !SMARTY!
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moonriver
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by moonriver »

I'd love to see it working, hope someone able bought it to restore
pennymachines
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by pennymachines »

Apparently London’s first electric traffic lights were installed on the corner of St James’s Street, Piccadilly, in 1926, with police stationed next to them at all times to ensure drivers obeyed them. That could be a clue to dating this pinball, probably made when traffic lights were a novelty.
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wembleylion
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by wembleylion »

There is also a Belisha beacon each side of the traffic signal so this would date it to around 1934 when the first ones were installed in Britain.
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arrgee
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by arrgee »

Photo looks like its from americaland Mr PM, especially with the 'Drive To Right' sign.
pennymachines
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by pennymachines »

True... So I found this photo labelled 'St James Street, Piccadilly, London - 1925', which shows the lights.


TrafficLights.jpg

According to Wikipedia, the first automatic lights in Britain were placed at the junction of Lichfield Street and Princess Street, Wolverhampton, in 1927.

Tellingly, the Pathé newsreel clip in this video is tiltled, The New "Lights of London".



The New "Lights of London" British Pathé, 1926 (these automatic lights appear to have replaced the manual ones installed a year earlier).

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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by pennymachines »

wembleylion wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:49 am There is also a Belisha beacon each side of the traffic signal so this would date it to around 1934 when the first ones were installed in Britain.
Ah yes. At first I thought you were referring to something in the (American) photo I posted. Again first tried in London, then rolled out nationally the following year so, yes, 1934 sounds plausible.

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gameswat
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by gameswat »

The Lights of London theme certainly would not have been sold that way in the US, so I thought possibly a US machine with new local casting added? But I couldn't place the trim or anything I'd seen like it. Was just conversing with a specialist early pin collector in the US about something else so asked him, he thinks UK made as all the front hardware is unlike anything US made and he also has never seen the game.
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moonriver
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by moonriver »

That would have made a nice little restoration project for you Gameswat!
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gameswat
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by gameswat »

Certainly a rare and interesting game, appears you have player control over the fingers to change scoring hole shots using the large knob on the front, plus being early E/M. But with such a large backlog of projects I've almost stopped buying machines, unless something really unusual and this wouldn't have been wacky enough. Hardly anything turns up in Aust these days of any description!
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by paul »

Slightly off topic, a picture of B.M.CO 1930s allwins, BELISHA BEACON & TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
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Re: Lights of London pinball

Post by arrgee »

Two lovely looking machines Paul, Charles Featherstone certainly had an inventive mind and a great eye for design
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