Looking for a small step switch - 10,000 unit - for a 1951 GTB Niagara. Mine looks to be missing the bell, clapper, and possibly some switch parts. I haven't seen a pic of it yet as my oldest GTB factory catalog is Volume D, and the one in there is different. If anyone has a pic of it please post or send it to me. Thanks.

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This is from the 1953 manual. Hope it helps.

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That's it Dennis - thanks!

Now I just need a stepper from an early 50's GTB or there abouts.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you could change your bracket to the one that takes the regular bell clapper that has the shell underneath.I have an extra bracket but I'm in Ontario.

Ted

Thanks for the suggestion. That would be my Plan B if I can't find the correct stepper to steal parts from.

I actually have that style stepper in my parts bin you're talking about with the bell mounted on the bottom. I'd have to bore a hole in the bottom of the stepper to mount the bell. Then, I would have to cut a 4" X 1/4" slot in the bottom for the clapper arm. Then, drill the rivets in the clapper itself so the clapper arm can slide through the new slot. Then, reattach the clapper with hardware.

Hopefully, I can find the correct stepper. If not, I'll go to plan B.

I forget the screw thread, but you should be able to attach a 3” bell to the coil bracket with a machine screw and then hack a clapper like shown on another thread (see link below). I first tried modifying a small steel rod to attempt to make a reproduction of the original clapper (had one to use as a model), but didn’t get a good result and so I hacked two clappers similar to as shown in the link below and so far so good in the machines that have them. Your switch looks like it should function OK.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/spot-bowler-100000-stepper-problem#post-4323524

Good luck!

Man, I've never seen anything like that; how the bell is mounted and that type of clapper.

As far as I know (which isn’t far), Gottliebs from 51 and 52 have 10k steppers/bell set-ups like this. If I remember right, I’ve seen these on a 51 Globe-Trotter, a 52 Four Stars (but not a Quartette), and a 52 Hit’n’Run. The coil bracket has a threaded screw hole in it where the bell mounts. And the armature from the coil has an extension from it where the clapper is located. See photo below (bell not installed, but you can see wear marks on the bracket where the bell was).

I looked again at the original photo from hoov of his bracket and his hole looks large and possibly unthreaded. I also don’t see wear marks had a bell been installed. Maybe no bell was originally installed in Niagara...?

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1950 4 Horsemen.

No 10000 point bell.

People sometimes retro fitted bells to this game.

Now I remember that the photo of the 10k stepper posted above (where the bell was mounted on the coil bracket) came from a 49 Three Musketeers. And so perhaps these were used on some machines from 49 (and maybe earlier) to 52 (and maybe into 53?), but not others.

A follow up to my Niagara missing bell parts.

I'm waiting to hear back from a couple people to see if they have the coil stop bracket with the bell attached and the bracket with the arm that holds the clapper.

If no luck finding, my plan B now is to send those two parts to Steve Young to have him fabricate the coil stop bracket to mount the bell and repair/weld arm to hold the clapper - he will fabricate a clapper also.

Steve said this bracket wouldn't work because of a couple issues with the way the bracket would have to attach to the old housing.

I’d be interested in a few clappers if Steve fabricates them.

I’ve also been tempted to bore and tap a hole on the coil bracket to mount a bell and add an extension to the armature to mount a clapper on a 10k stepper from a Quartette and so will be curious to hear where you go with your Niagara.

I'll keep you updated. I think Steve is just making a clapper for my assembly only and he won't be making any spares from what I got out of our conversation. You may want to contact him on that.

I just got my first wood rail!! A 1959 Williams Tic Tac Toe. All in all it is in pretty good shape! I need to find some schematics for it, so I can determine what is what. I just ordered new plastics from Pinball Rescue as well. Next up is to figure out what all is wrong and then start cleaning it up. It has been in a home since the early 60's.

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Very nice. She’s a pretty one, should clean up nicely.

I got the schematic from PBR.
Thanks for the nice pictures, now I can see where the play counter goes. I have a replacement and pretty much guessed it would go there, but this confirms it.

Dave

Awesome! I will shoot him an email. Thanks!

My Dad picked up this Gottlieb Derby Day in about 1963. All original, with only new rubbers over the years and new pop bumper skirts.

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Very nice! It looks to be in fantastic condition for it's age. Enjoy

Another title which always seems to have a good backglass.

Thanks to Steve Young for fabricating a coil stop bracket to mount a bell and the arm that holds the clapper (including the new clapper he made up). My arm (extension) that held the clapper was broken off near where the clapper was mounted so my Niagara came from the factory with a bell. Someone may have stole this bell to put on another game and put a regular coil stop bracket back in it's place. Someone said Gottlieb didn't even have replacement parts in the early 50's so you had to steal parts off of other games. I talked to another Niagara owner and his had this set-up albeit strange.

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Having my first pinball shipped to me. I am excited as I think it will clean up nicely, playfield art looks great and the backglass is perfect. What else can you ask for?

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Cool Matt! Glad you got that one, looked very nice when I saw it yesterday.
Dave

My new plastics came in from Pinball Rescue! The quality is top notch!!

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Pinball Rescue is the best!

Nice score, Matt. IMHO, this is the most wedgehead-like Gottlieb woodrail. Where is it coming from?

Thanks, I just happened to check facebook two minutes after it was posted, lol.

No gobble holes! It is shipping from New Jersey. I almost made the drive but $100 to ship it would save me the gas, tolls and a rare day off. Based on the backglass and the apron it should clean up real nice. I will be bringing it to Pintastic this year along with Chinatown.

Who is shipping a Pin for $100??? I hope it arrives ok!

It is shipping Fastenal, straight shot up the 95 corridor. We will see what happens.

Yeah, that was my next question!

Where in NJ? I just delivered a game down there on Monday. Didn't have to pay any tolls at all (I-287).

Rockaway, NJ - When I told my wife I bought a machine in NJ she wasn't happy my day off would be spent driving there, lol.

Picking up my first wood rail on Saturday. It’s a super nice shoot the moon! Should be a great addition to the collection

fantastic backglass artwork on that one!

Ah. Know it well. I used to work down there.

Yeah, it won’t be an everyday player but love the art and backglass plus it’s animated.

I'm trying to work on a 1945 Gottlieb Stage Door Canteen pinball for a freind. I've got several 70's Gottlieb games that I've been able to learn about and get working. I can't find too much info on this game. I have the schematics coming from PBR but they don't have a manual or any info on the start up sequence for the game. Also none of the relays are marked so hard to tell what is what. Any info about this would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Billy

Did you check out Clays repair guides?
http://www.pinrepair.com/em/

You Tube is also a huge help for me.

I'm selling my F14 to get woodrail and later EM $. So I just thought I'd post here in case someone might want a super fast machine with crazy fast 4 ball muliball and had a title or two they were thinking of parting with.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/87172

waltrr, Clays guide for EM's really only reffences later games. They were great help working on my late 60's and early 70's Gottliebs.This game has a coin slide to start it. I'm making a little progress getting it to light up some and the pop bumpers work now. I had to clean up all the steppers. But I can't get it to reset all the way when I push in the slide. You Tube hasn't been much help either for this type game.

Finally got a woodrail. Thanks to a cool pinsider, there's a little more sunshine around here! If anyone knows where I could get a replacement spinning backglass disc please let me know

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Got it setup, need to adjust some of the scoring

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I could use a new one too, but no one seems to have reproduced them yet.

Shoot the Moon is a great looking game with both rockets and beauties.
Do you have original impulse flippers or did you retrofit; to have more more modern double wound flipper coils and mechs.
I had the pleasure (or frustration) to work on one years ago.
Fun game with BG animation, but always felt it would be better with slightly more powerful modern style flippers.

All original but I did hear you can retro fit which I agree would be better. It’s very cool especially with the animation but hard to flip to the top

Here is some pics. I got it from a pinball league buddy and it appears to be in good shape for the year

https://photos.app.goo.gl/D4fPWue5epQoEs6M6

Cleaning up a Gottlieb Show Boat and want to confirm .... did the pop bumpers use 455 light bulbs in them? Some of the pops had 455 and others 44. I have both on hand so want to confirm. Also, assuming that the GI and inserts were 44?

Lastly, trying to find anyone that would be willing to mail me 4 screws that screw the playfield down to the cabinet. Been to few hardware stores to no avail.

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I was in your boat for a while and finally said “screw it” pardon the pun and went this route.

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I certainly understand. The regular "original" screws just aren't either made or not readily available.

As for my question on the 455 bulbs I just recalled these are blinking bulbs so they shouldn't have been used in the pops. I guess someone was getting creative!

Shorter #55 bulbs were sometimes used in pop bumpers to move the filament away from the bumper cap. It helped keep the cap a bit cooler and may have avoided the common burn spot on the underside of the cap. Cooler #47 bulbs are another option.