Marathon Road Trip Weekend - Sunday's Odyssey

[turquoisedude]

I have to go into some background on this one...
About a year ago, I was trolling on Craiglist Toronto for vintage goodies when I spotted this ad for a set of vintage laundry machines. So, I had to at least look at the photo...
It was.... a Westy Laundromat and dryer set!
Here's one of the original photos:

 

[turquoisedude]

But nothing happened...

I contacted the seller and was chomping at the bit to get them; we pretty much made arrangements, then winter came and I didn't hear any more from the seller. I emailed in early winter but did not hear anything further...
Discouraged, I jumped on the chance at the L5 I am now rebuilding when I saw Robert's post for it last March.
Then two weeks ago, the phone rings and it was the seller of the Westy set in Toronto.
There had been a whole pile of complications related to the sale of the Westys - it was part of a family cottage that was being acquired by other family members; the seller had also welcomed a new baby girl into his family so that kept him otherwise occupied.
This year, he and his sister were mandated to move the machines out and they wanted me to have them!! The appliances have a sentimental value and they wanted them to go to someone who would appreciate them! How nice is that!
So we rented a truck..

 

[turquoisedude]

And after a 16 hour drive...

Yeah, it was brutal, but lookee what I got!!
It's a CL8 Laundromat and a CD6 dryer. Why the 'C' in the model numer? 'Cause they're Canadian-made ones!! They came out of the Westinghouse factory in Hamilton Ontario. Pretty neat, eh!!

 

[turquoisedude]

Laundromat

Just like the US L8 equivalent, but no Laundrofile :-(
Overall the machine is in decent shape. Cabinet has been touched up with paint. The door boot is shot, but the Weigh To Save scale is intact. Inside, the cabinet parts are rusty from humidity. The tub still contained a pretty good amount of anti-freeze (the appliances were located in a seasonal residence) so the tub and pump don't leak! The timer works (GASP!) and so do water, pump, and speed change solenoids. The changer seems OK - it turns and the tub rotates smoothly.
However, I cannot seem to get the motor to run... This is going to be a challenge!

 

[turquoisedude]

Clothes dryer

I just love how it says that on the door! I can imagine some poor excited new owner getting all confused and dumping in the Dash and Clorox into the dryer thinking it was the washer...
Anyway, so like the washer, the dryer cabinet has been partly repainted. The insides were pretty dusty and mousies had gotten into the machine and chomped some insulations. Poor devils - the machine likely has some asbestos insulation, too! The dryer has the music box that plays "How Dry I Am" at the end of the cycle. I made it play when I was messing with it before removing it Sunday! The timer on the dryer also runs (double GASP - me finding appliances with working timers??). Alas, like the washer, I can't get the motor to run, though...

 

[turquoisedude]

Bonus!

The machines came with service manuals!! They are not the exact ones for these models, but close enough!
The Laundromat manual is for models CL-9 and CL-5 (Canadian again) and the dryer manual is for D3 and D3-A models.
If anyone ever needs them, please let me know and I will be happy to copy them!

 

[turquoisedude]

Laundromat tub

Looks really nice!! It makes me regret painting the L5 tub now, but that one was kinda rusty. This one looks great!

 

[turquoisedude]

The Laundromat motor

Here's the motor that I can't seem to make run... Motors are not my forté... Hopefully it will be something minor but if not, I have a couple of potential repair places.

 

[turquoisedude]

Under the hood of the dryer

Nothing too complicated, but again a motor issue... Note the music box!
Also, note the chewed insulation - I found out the hard way that old fashioned mineral wool itches like crazy!!

 

[turquoisedude]

Now, when will I get around to them...

I must prioritize my projects on the go!
First and foremost - the L5 needs to be finished and installed. I then need to at least fix the hot water supply line on the GE Combo. I still haven't done any serious tinkering with the Maytag WP600 dishwasher. I need to fix the top lid hinge spring on the Viking PV029 dishwasher and road-test it. Then there's the latest GE dishwasher to clean up and test. Then I will probably start on this latest Westy set! Add to that juggle the septic tank replacement and some basement renovations to accomodate all the washers and dryers, the upcoming holidays, etc ,etc etc...
Based on all of that, Hubby had the following suggestion for how the new Westy could be used:

 

[turquoisedude]

The 'Ogden Farm'?

Well, maybe not quite that extensive, but I have my work cut out for me!

 

[bygted]

twins

Nice pair! I ended up buying a similar set in Connecticut last week. They had been posted on the forum. When I originally wrote the seller she said that there were several interested people ahead of me so I figure I was too late and just let it go at that.
Then she wrote back a couple weeks later and asked if I was still interested as all of the people had backed out.
So I bought them. They should be arriving Thurs - Hooray!

 

[revvinkevin]

Wow Paul! Awesome, amazing and fantastic!

CONGRATS on your newest acqusitions! I'm jealous! I would love to find a matched set like that, but being in Southern California that chances of that happening are about the same as a snowballs chance in hell!



Kevin

 

[redcarpetdrew]

a snowballs chance in hell!

Thus speaks the guy who is SWIMMING in rare color Kenmore and Maytag sets... LOL!

Wonderfull looking Westies!!! Isn't that chime a blast?

RCD

 

[gadgetgary]

bygted?

Is that the set that I posted to the forum?

If so, want to give us a little history on them?

 

[gadgetgary]

BTW

Good Luck Paul.

Your collection is growing and somewhat varied, not like mine that is full of Maytags.

 

[hilovane]

Nothing like a pair of '53 Westinghouse Laundry Twins...American OR Canadian!

 

[gansky1]

Good save and what a great acquisition story to go with them! Did you check the capacitor on the motor?

 

[swestoyz]

Great news Paul! Funny how things come full circle in this hobby - you never know honestly what you're gonna get.

Enjoy these beauties -

Ben

 

[christfr]

woo hoo yea for you . your luck is holding out thats for sure