Any ancient Westy experts?

[sensi-temp]

Any experts on early Westy Laundromats? I have a sales brochure from a very early Laundromat. I know this model was made before 1947. When was the first one made & it's model #? I'd like to have an early one!

 

[circlew]

Not an expert by any means, but I think the first Westinghouse Laundromat was introduced sometime around 1940. I doubt many were made before production was halted due to the war. The earliest ad I could find was from '43 or '44, with lots more appearing in '45 and after.

 

[revvinkevin]

Is there any chance you can SCAN this sales brochure and POST the images here??

PLEASE??

Thanks!
Kevin

 

[westingman123]

pretty please?

I'd be most interested in the brochures, as well.

 

[Unimatic1140]

As far as I can tell...

The Westinghouse Laundromat came out in the 2nd half of 1941 right before the war shut down production. Like the Unimatic, the Laundromat washer was probably in dozens of test homes for a few years earlier in and around Mansfield, OH.

 

[jeb]

early westinghouse slantfronts

One of the first "landromats" was right here in Mansfield Ohio. My grandmother's generation refered to thier washers as laundromats ("your aunt just got a new landromat and dryer"). The machines were field tested in homes and the Laundromat. After the war the mechanics were changed and Westinghouse didn't want to keep repair parts for the old style so they gave full trade in for a new washer. Basically you used a washer for 6 years or so then traded it in on a brand new one without paying for it. The early style is very hard to come by because the trade in deal was so good everyone took them up on it. I do have a some early Westinghouse pics I could try to scan if anyone wants to see them. JEB

 

[gansky1]

Our very own Jetcone (Jon) has done a ton of study into the early days of Westinghouse washing machines. IIRC he told me that Westinghouse paid a humongous fortune to Bendix to be able to use the clock-work incrementing timer in their Laundromat - which would explain why some others (Blackstone, Launderall, etc.) went with a mechanical (gear driven) timer.)

 

[sensi-temp]

Will scan the brochure when I can, have not used the scanner in years & don't know if it will work with my current computer. it is 8 1/2 x 11, LOTS of photos, says during the war, W. did something with lenses for binoculars for the war, don't know if they made the lenses or just cleaned & polished them. Anyway, they used dipers to clean the lenses & polish them, there is a picture of such & used the laundromats to wash the dipers. The washer shown in the folder for washing the dipers is the same model all through the brochure, I believe it is a B-1-3 or B3.