A Visit To The M.E.B (MidlandsElectricity Board) Showrooms

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

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Many Thanks

To Al, Darren, Mike and Steve for a great time and all your help last Saturday. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I just need to carry on where we left off now.

Vacerator
The Wedgwood design is called Pennine, there is a green version called Cambrian too. Introduced in the 1960s it was in production until the 1980s. Judging by the fact I've seen it listed in the US on Ebay I think it was exported to the US. The Wedgwood factory at Barlaston is about 5 miles away from home.

Ian
 
Great to see

you having such a wonderful time. My grandmother had the belling classic 80/90 would it be, very similar, but black enamelled oven finishes, but certainly had the fan oven. It was only used once a year for the Christmas turkey. I also remember changing a couple of radiant rings and a simmer stat with my grandfather. He is the one I take after most, and learnt so much from.

It's lovely to see the bright colours of the appliances especially in your vintage kitchen setting. How far did you get with the duomatic.

On Dad's side of the family his uncle was in the gas board so it was all gas cookers in our family, plus gas fridges and gas fires before we ever got central heating. Dad also worked for British gas through the 70's and 80's on the engineering and supply side, he was always on call and talked about the keeping the pressure up during a cold spell.

That's me drifted of on a tangent, but that's a great part of these gatherings.

Mathew
 
Mathew

The later Classic 90's had the dark oven interiors, well my previous one did.
We had the Duomatic dry running, there isn't anything to keep the water in at the moment as all the hoses that remain are either split or rock hard. The wash side runs fine but the spinner seems to be very slow. Darren did try to remove the pump to see if that was what was slowing it down but we couldn't get the roll pin out that locks the pump drive into the shaft from the motor.
We also managed to have the Spinwasher test running too.
You've taken me back with the mention of gas fridges, I can still picture my Mum with a burning piece of rolled up newspaper re-lighting the fridge when we'd got back from holiday and it had been turned off. It was a Gascold as far as I recall, it expired in the hot summer of 1976.
Ian
 
Duomatic

Regarding Reply #2, photo #3:
What has happened to the cream-coloured, nylon/plastic sleeve on the blue wire? Has it melted?

Nice-looking machine, regardless of operating condition.
 
Great set up there Ian and some lovely machines in your fab kitchen. Brings back memories of a few friends kitchens when I was growing up. Love the red of the Servis. Is the cooker the NIB one twinned with my top loader per chance? They always remind me of home economics as we had an array of different cookers and I used to love turning on the lights. Is the duomatic the machine with the two drain hoses? It looks like it’s in a lovely condition and the colour of the top lid is beautiful.

Glad you had a lovely time and some very delicious looking treats
S
 
Spin Speeds etc

Appnut
The majority of British twin tubs and separate spin dryers spun at speeds in the 2000 to 3000 rpm bracket, there were a few that were a little slower and the later Hotpoint Supermatic managed 3100rpm. They're all pretty good at shifting water though.
Rolls
Yes the plastic round the heater connections has melted. I'm guessing that someone has had the heater switched on with no water in the tub as there isn't a thermal cut out to stop this happening.
Steve
Yes the Classic is the one from Cambridge, bizarrely the Duomatic came from about ten minutes up the road, it's just coming up to three years use in its 45 years, the fan oven is such a luxury! It is the one with two hoses but we're still not sure how the set up went, whether there was a stopper on the end or it was just hooked back into the wash tub. That's just made me wonder if the one in the science museum has both of its hoses still. The worktop is great, the blue hammerite type finish reminds me of something else but I can't think what it is.
Ian.
 

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