Many years ago, I played Fascination at Elitch Gardens in Denver, CO. This might have been close to 40 years ago. One year, it was just gone. Thanks very much for making this series of videos. It's been....Fascinating.
Thanks so much for taking the time to rig up these old fascination machines and showing the world how much you love them and want to preserve them into the future. I hope some day, somehow you can make your dreams come true by opening up to the general pubic a museum for all to see the treasures you have apprehended through your 50 years in the Amusement business.
Brilliant video. It's so wonderful that you're keeping so many vintage entertainment machines in fully working order for future people to see the wonderment of just how much was possible with relatively basic technology. What a fabulous museum. I'm also loving the new seasonal logo.x
Terrific video, Randy! I keep learning so much from you. Your passion + technical skills make for outstanding edutainment. Good luck with all of your projects and I hope I can stop by this summer and have you autograph one of your books I just bought online.
I was clawing my arm chairs. It was so suspenseful. It sounded like Frankenstein coming to life. All you needed was lightening. Although i know nothing about transformers, coils, etc., this was electrifying (pun intended). I loved it. I love all 8 systems you have and the history facts to back it up. I love Fascination and learning about its past makes me love it more. By the way, do you have a cold?
I would imagine that they had some kind of cork or something on the coil armature to help eliminate most of the buzzing in the relays back then.. Just a thought 😊
@@jobos98 nope. When I bought out the Kessel Brothers with the Fascination tables from 1938, they told me they were very unhappy with the loud buzz when the tables came in 1938... But after the first season they found the buzz grew excitement with players as the sound getting louder meant the game was getting close to and end
@@vhm14u2c Kennywood had Fascination from 1952... Bango is a specific set of fascination machines from 1938; they got the nick name bango because of their noise and they placed the letters on the light rows to identify. BANGO. When Kennywood moved their fascination to a new building in 1978, I purchased the old tables, and they installed new ones. 20 years later, they closed fascination completely, dbc I purchased those tables too around 1998. I still have them all today
THEY ARE ORIGINAL PROTOTYPES CONFIRMED! According to wikipedia, the original 1918 Coney Island prototype machines were moved to Nantasket! Those are over 100 year old arcade machines! (that explains the tar covered coils, pre 20s tech)
@@trevorhaddox6884 yes indeed, however, I cannot verify a date of 1914 as was claimed by the hull auction listing in July, or 1918 either. I can only verify through court records with testimony when the patent violations were challenged. In the records testimony was that John Gibbs the inventor, had made an agreement with an engineering company to make the electronics, and that then John Gibbs would apply for the patent and the engineering company would make the machines for him. The patent was applied for in 1931, and granted in 1933. They would place the first ones made before the patent application, at around the late 1920s, and 1928 was a date which I was told about by old operators decades ago The date of 1928 fits with common sense, as soon after they were first made I would expect the patent application to be filed which was 1931. Perhaps a concept could have been conceived as early as 1914 or 1918, but I have verified the oldest units from this Coney Island set, were absolutely physically made for the engineering company who went into agreement with the inventer for the patent application. Either way, these are the original units which went to Coney Island and operated by Nat Faber, who was already a prevalent operator in Coney Island in the 1920s .
with all the contacts on the relays, did the Fascination and Bango machine use Rely logic for scoring? I have never seen seen one of these machines before. . . .
I think you've got some seriously lethal electric arcs going on there. You should invite the guy from the Electroboom! Channel. He would love that. Seriously though, is it possible that the conductivity of some of those old wires has reduced somewhat and hence producing more resistance, so the electrical draw is much more than it needs to be. Hence the buzzing in that transformer as it builds up the power needed (Amps and Watts)
@@penfold7800 they have buzzed from the day they were new. Compared to the magnetic strength to pull those large armatures, those coils are weak kittens. As technology improved with much smaller designs, and armature travel distance, coils in comparison, have a far better pull strength ratio. Buzz as they will, those old relays will keep running, and will soon be 100 years old, where as stuff made today, with comparable heavy use that these old babies saw in their lifetime, wouldn't see 20 years, much less see 100!
With so much power required for each table, it sounds not only like it could be a fire hazard (especially with such old wiring), but also very expensive electric bill wise to run. I guess for these keeping them all original is best, but say in the instance of your current working Fascination setup in your Retro Arcade, could you save $ by using LED's (you might already be?) or is most of the power needed to operate the switches so it would be negligible to bother with saving $ on small lights that most of the time are mostly off anyway? Or do just like the original bulbs? Is replacing them also not worth the cost?
@@guthc clearly the newer models over the decades, used far less current. However, changing to LEDs is not an option as I just do not like the difference in look. The warm light of the real incandescent lamps cannot be substituted. Compared to all the games in my arcade, the Fascination actually demands less power on my electric bill, and ONLY demands more power if we are busy, unlike computer games which are pulling the same power being played or not. I would not operate the oldest fascination systems I have in any high volume store, as their demands would be high, and their reflexes are slow. However, they were actually providing an interactive game in a time period when people were turning handles to make cards flip and see a movie for a penny! It is really quite astounding when you put it in prospective!
@MainStreetRANDYLAND Yes, it sure is. Imagine playing this modern marvel when new in Coney Island in the 1930's which was the world's playground at one point as well. Incredible. Btw, they have LED's now that are warm now. You could get them very inexpensively buying in bulk. It would lower your bills & last much, much longer, so less maintenance for you. I'm confident you won't be swayed & like the original bulbs as you will be able to tell the difference, but just wanted to let you know in case you weren't aware.
@@rondaiuto there was enough for a volume 2 a few years ago... Actually the Kessel fascination machine from 1938 remain the oldest existing manufactured set. These Coney Island Fascination machines are a mix The 16 oldest were not a manufactured set; they were prototypes, and as such older than the bangos of 1938. However, the additional 48 were made 1vyear AFTER the bangos in 1939, so they are not older then the Kessel fascination.
@@AiMR nope; I never heard about it, but hey, I have been zapped by 12,000 volts before... It's like being hit hard by a big wet tarp which slaps you hard.
That Facination took a beating from the video of them working some 5 yrs ago...Gladly you saved them !! I worked the games at RockyPoint Park in Rhode Island in the early 80's. Not sure where their Facination went when they closed in 1996.. Video of your saved Facination in opreation.. ..th-cam.com/video/bOWse-Xm6Ao/w-d-xo.html
@@markoshop yes, it got plenty of damages in moving it out, and storage... But it can all be made right. It must have a final place to be set up; they don't move easily. The rest is cosmetic from almost 90 years of use.
Many years ago, I played Fascination at Elitch Gardens in Denver, CO. This might have been close to 40 years ago. One year, it was just gone. Thanks very much for making this series of videos. It's been....Fascinating.
Was cool seeing them light up, If you ever get them hooked together I’d love to see how it knows how to ring when there is 5 in a row
Thanks so much for taking the time to rig up these old fascination machines and showing the world how much you love them and want to preserve them into the future. I hope some day, somehow you can make your dreams come true by opening up to the general pubic a museum for all to see the treasures you have apprehended through your 50 years in the Amusement business.
Brilliant video. It's so wonderful that you're keeping so many vintage entertainment machines in fully working order for future people to see the wonderment of just how much was possible with relatively basic technology. What a fabulous museum. I'm also loving the new seasonal logo.x
Thank you for saving history!!!! ❤
This is fascinating to watch!
That was extremely satisfying. I love history -- and you are a great educator.
Imagine some day the next generation of Randy’s could be watching this video to track the history of some machine they might be restoring!
Thanks for sharing
Terrific video, Randy! I keep learning so much from you. Your passion + technical skills make for outstanding edutainment. Good luck with all of your projects and I hope I can stop by this summer and have you autograph one of your books I just bought online.
Enjoyed this, Randy! Thank you!😘
Great to see these powered up once more, thanks for your time to record this. Would love to come visit you some day from here in the UK.
So exciting to see them powered up Randy!! Very coool! 😎
I was clawing my arm chairs. It was so suspenseful. It sounded like Frankenstein coming to life. All you needed was lightening. Although i know nothing about transformers, coils, etc., this was electrifying (pun intended). I loved it. I love all 8 systems you have and the history facts to back it up. I love Fascination and learning about its past makes me love it more. By the way, do you have a cold?
@@sheilasrock9424 no but it is cold in there. Add mold and it may make be a bit sick
I would imagine that they had some kind of cork or something on the coil armature to help eliminate most of the buzzing in the relays back then..
Just a thought 😊
@@jobos98 nope. When I bought out the Kessel Brothers with the Fascination tables from 1938, they told me they were very unhappy with the loud buzz when the tables came in 1938...
But after the first season they found the buzz grew excitement with players as the sound getting louder meant the game was getting close to and end
Kennywood in Pittsburgh had a room with bangos in the 70s.
@@vhm14u2c Kennywood had Fascination from 1952...
Bango is a specific set of fascination machines from 1938; they got the nick name bango because of their noise and they placed the letters on the light rows to identify. BANGO.
When Kennywood moved their fascination to a new building in 1978, I purchased the old tables, and they installed new ones.
20 years later, they closed fascination completely, dbc I purchased those tables too around 1998.
I still have them all today
I played them at ceder point in the 60s & 70s..
THEY ARE ORIGINAL PROTOTYPES CONFIRMED! According to wikipedia, the original 1918 Coney Island prototype machines were moved to Nantasket! Those are over 100 year old arcade machines! (that explains the tar covered coils, pre 20s tech)
@@trevorhaddox6884 yes indeed, however, I cannot verify a date of 1914 as was claimed by the hull auction listing in July, or 1918 either.
I can only verify through court records with testimony when the patent violations were challenged.
In the records testimony was that John Gibbs the inventor, had made an agreement with an engineering company to make the electronics, and that then John Gibbs would apply for the patent and the engineering company would make the machines for him.
The patent was applied for in 1931, and granted in 1933.
They would place the first ones made before the patent application, at around the late 1920s, and 1928 was a date which I was told about by old operators decades ago
The date of 1928 fits with common sense, as soon after they were first made I would expect the patent application to be filed which was 1931.
Perhaps a concept could have been conceived as early as 1914 or 1918, but I have verified the oldest units from this Coney Island set, were absolutely physically made for the engineering company who went into agreement with the inventer for the patent application.
Either way, these are the original units which went to Coney Island and operated by Nat Faber, who was already a prevalent operator in Coney Island in the 1920s .
Blackies Fascination Feet Fridays😸
with all the contacts on the relays, did the Fascination and Bango
machine use Rely logic for scoring? I have never seen seen one of these
machines before. . . .
@@GothGuy885 nothing is solid State
I think you've got some seriously lethal electric arcs going on there. You should invite the guy from the Electroboom! Channel. He would love that. Seriously though, is it possible that the conductivity of some of those old wires has reduced somewhat and hence producing more resistance, so the electrical draw is much more than it needs to be. Hence the buzzing in that transformer as it builds up the power needed (Amps and Watts)
@@penfold7800 they have buzzed from the day they were new.
Compared to the magnetic strength to pull those large armatures, those coils are weak kittens.
As technology improved with much smaller designs, and armature travel distance, coils in comparison, have a far better pull strength ratio.
Buzz as they will, those old relays will keep running, and will soon be 100 years old, where as stuff made today, with comparable heavy use that these old babies saw in their lifetime, wouldn't see 20 years, much less see 100!
With so much power required for each table, it sounds not only like it could be a fire hazard (especially with such old wiring), but also very expensive electric bill wise to run.
I guess for these keeping them all original is best, but say in the instance of your current working Fascination setup in your Retro Arcade, could you save $ by using LED's (you might already be?) or is most of the power needed to operate the switches so it would be negligible to bother with saving $ on small lights that most of the time are mostly off anyway? Or do just like the original bulbs? Is replacing them also not worth the cost?
@@guthc clearly the newer models over the decades, used far less current.
However, changing to LEDs is not an option as I just do not like the difference in look.
The warm light of the real incandescent lamps cannot be substituted.
Compared to all the games in my arcade, the Fascination actually demands less power on my electric bill, and ONLY demands more power if we are busy, unlike computer games which are pulling the same power being played or not.
I would not operate the oldest fascination systems I have in any high volume store, as their demands would be high, and their reflexes are slow.
However, they were actually providing an interactive game in a time period when people were turning handles to make cards flip and see a movie for a penny!
It is really quite astounding when you put it in prospective!
@MainStreetRANDYLAND Yes, it sure is. Imagine playing this modern marvel when new in Coney Island in the 1930's which was the world's playground at one point as well. Incredible.
Btw, they have LED's now that are warm now. You could get them very inexpensively buying in bulk. It would lower your bills & last much, much longer, so less maintenance for you. I'm confident you won't be swayed & like the original bulbs as you will be able to tell the difference, but just wanted to let you know in case you weren't aware.
@@guthc I would be surprised if if couldn't tell the difference
Do you need to update your Fascination book based on what you've learned with this machine?
@@rondaiuto there was enough for a volume 2 a few years ago...
Actually the Kessel fascination machine from 1938 remain the oldest existing manufactured set.
These Coney Island Fascination machines are a mix
The 16 oldest were not a manufactured set; they were prototypes, and as such older than the bangos of 1938.
However, the additional 48 were made 1vyear AFTER the bangos in 1939, so they are not older then the Kessel fascination.
My favorite gameeeeeeee I am so good at itty
Ever hear of some operator croaking because they got zapped by 150 amps 🔌☠
@@AiMR nope; I never heard about it, but hey, I have been zapped by 12,000 volts before...
It's like being hit hard by a big wet tarp which slaps you hard.
That Facination took a beating from the video of them working some 5 yrs ago...Gladly you saved them !! I worked the games at RockyPoint Park in Rhode Island in the early 80's. Not sure where their Facination went when they closed in 1996..
Video of your saved Facination in opreation..
..th-cam.com/video/bOWse-Xm6Ao/w-d-xo.html
@@markoshop yes, it got plenty of damages in moving it out, and storage...
But it can all be made right.
It must have a final place to be set up; they don't move easily.
The rest is cosmetic from almost 90 years of use.