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

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Ken, I'm surprised you didn't do a search in the archives.  There has been this brand as  POD.  Robert says it was a brand produced for Gambles in Minneapolis. 
 
Franklin Built Washer

Our family had a 1960 mid line model with the Co-op name on it, it was basically a GE solid-tub copy without the FF lint filter that washed better than the GE but probably did not last any better than the GE ST, our family of 6 1/3 got 6 years out of it with just a few repairs.

 

Today if people only get 6 years out of a washer they bitch up a storm, LOL. My Mother was pretty happy with getting 6 years out of it as our families first automatic washer, [ a 1955 Kelvinator ] only lasted 5 years when there were only 6 in the family.

 

John L.
 
Sure looks like the Western Auto washer on the 1960s

Sure looks like the Wizard washers I saw at Western Auto catalogs and sale papers when I was growing up during 1960s In south Louisiana most every small town had a Western Auto during the same decade.
 
Marquette and Macy*s

Back in the early 60's when freezer plans were something of a rage, Macy* and Bamberger's had their freezer plans that utilized Marquette Refrigerator-Freezers.

In early 1963 my Mom and Dad signed up for the to the program which probably supplied the unit that was paid off in small installments and we got a 20 Cu.Ft unit with the top and bottom about evenly split. The freezer was on the bottom and refrig on top with swing open doors.
It was a manual defrost model with a drain on the bottom of the freezer. Always fun to defrost.(My job)
You would place your order for meats and vegetables usually by phone and it would be delivered by the end of the week. Always top shelf meats and in many years of being on the program, there was only one bad cut and it was a leg of lamb that shrank down to nothing when cooked. My Mother complained and within days another, even larger leg was delivered to us to replace the bad one.
Fresh Frozen vegetables from Seabrook Farms in NJ and the best Ice Cream from Armel'sevaporator fan in the Fridge section that had cracked. I went to the local All Appliance Parts (now Marcone's) store and ordered it and replaced it myself.

We had that refrigerator until they moved to Arizona in 1997 and it was still running perfectly when they sold the house. The only repair was to replace the
The engineering was ahead of its time. No electric heaters to prevent condensation and no condenser coils. The hot gas was channeled throughout the box making it a huge heat sink. Something that seemed to catch on in the industry many years later.

Best yet.. Amp draw on the unit was actually less than 3 amps per the data plate!
Amazing!
 
Not Gambles

I've never seen anything but Coronado branded appliances from Gambles' ads, service info, etc.  That was their house brand for many, many years.   There was a Gambles store in West Point, NE next door to the Safeway where my grandmother did her shopping.  When I was old enough to be trusted alone, I would go to Gambles while she shopped next door.  Many times I was shooed out of the appliance department.  I was so enthralled with the Franklin angel wing agitators and giant looking tubs compared with my grandmother's standard cap. Maytag and our GE at home.

Gambles started carrying Norge built laundry machines in the early 80's, just before their exit from most markets.
 
Extra Large Bottom Freezer Refrigerator

Built By Franklin Appliances [ A quality division of Studebaker Automobiles ]

 

Hi Steve, thanks for the cool memories about your childhood ref. I only ever saw one of these but I do have a service parts list for it somewhere. To me it looked like the freezer door was larger [ taller ] than the ref door.

 

I always thought that it was a cool idea to have a larger freezer than refrigerator compartment for smaller families and singles, this was another great appliance like combos that was discontinued just as Baby-Boomers were coming of age.

 

John L.
 

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