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Playing the Brighton Run made an indelible impression on me. It remains my idea of how a driving game OUGHT to be.
Strangely, I can't remember where I used to play it.
Good to know more of its history.

I'm restoring one of these at the moment, I suspect the one mentioned at the start of the article. I can answer the colour question now I have started to disassemble the machine. the main body was red with a white speckle.


Unfortunately although I have a Mutoscope schematic it is nothing like the innards of this machine. If anyone knows what this unit was actually called or did I would be grateful.


It's turned to rust inside but by my best guess is that I think it was some sort of step, pulse or ratchet relay. There appears to have been a single switch contact that was closed by a wheel with six 'fingers' which in turn was moved by a coil pulling a cog attached to that wheel. So when power was applied it looks like there would have been a break/make which was held until power was released - unfortunately this raises the question of why a standard ratchet relay was not used so maybe it generated pulses. Whatever way I'm going to have to fabricate a replacement.

It might be better to work to the original diagram, unless a better example of the conversion turns up, to copy.
I suppose the GB version is ALSO a collectors' item by now!

I have the original schematics but they do not marry up with this machine. There are several major changes, it looks like the machine's wiring is original so I will have to make a new wiring diagram based on what I have to get to the bottom of this. One thing that would be helpful is the schematic has a bell, this machine does not but it does have two spare wires going into a terminal block. My guess would be that the bell has been removed but if anyone does have a UK 'Mills' based driving machine it would be good to know if it does own a bell.

It has a harsh buzzer, rather than a bell. It buzzes in time with a flashing light, on whichever side of the road you've run off.

The machine is now restored and fully working. It will be on Series 5 of Salvage Hunters - The Restorers next year. If anyone else comes across one of these machines based on the restoration process I found that the internal workings of the UK 'Mills' machine bears no resemblance to the US Mutoscope original, either in wiring or function. The US machine runs on all 110v while the UK version had three voltages 240v AC, 28v DC and 24v AC and the US machine was built to a better internal component layout and design. In particular, from the schematics, the US version had a far better random play aspect down to extra drum and play switches. Given that the drum of the UK machine is painted for left hand drive and more importantly many of the parts and motors appear to be UK in origin my best guess would be that the machines were licenced and made in the UK. In the change to multiple voltages it looks like the builders dropped flashing lamps and the entire random reverse drum circuit, based on the original design I have reinstalled both. At the end of the day it's a fun game to play. My grandson absolutely loved it, which goes to show once again that there is still a lot of fun to be had from these wonderful old machines.

I did the program recording yesterday in my Great Yarmouth arcade