P.O.D. Westinghouse 18LB Cap. 2-Speed Washer 3/17/19

[daveamkrayoguy]

--And what is a "Bamburger"?

 

Is this a department store/specialty chain selling name brand appliances, or at least an Authorized Westinghouse dealer, at which you could buy garments to wear/use and then wash (& dry) in, as well as other home/lawn/garden goods?

 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[cfz2882]

regional?

looks like Bamburgers was up in the northeast..Odd there was no mention of "5-way wash action"mentioned in the ad.That washer would be quite welcome in my collection

 

[launderess]

Bamberger's

Was a New Jersey based department store chain founded in late 1800's in Newark, NJ. Stores were mainly located in New Jersey, but also west to Philadelphia and Baltimore.

By 1929 they were acquired by RH Macy, but still retained name "Bamberger's".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamberger's

Coming up in the 1970's and 1980's well recall our family had charge accounts from "Macy's-Bamberger's". We also had a freezer food scheme from "Bamberger's" as well. Later on in life doing part time retail at Macy's Hearld Square you'd see "Bamberger's" on receipts, charge accounts, and other paperwork.

Bamberger's fate in New Jersey like many others began to decline with the race riots of 1970's in Newark and elsewhere. Whites fled that city and refused to set foot "down town" so sales suffered.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/m...ergers-stores-gone-but-impact-lives/94244040/

http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/2010/09/l-bamberger-co-newark-new-jersey.html

 

[launderess]

See also:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...amp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=1611689813

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bamberger#Charitable_work

Origins of what has now become the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; came from Louis Bamberger.
https://untappedcities.com/2017/11/...1924-the-first-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/

 

[wvkenmore]

My mom had this washer in gold, but under Montgomery Wards label. She used that washer for ever.

 

[mrsalvo]

There was a couple of laundrymats close to our house when I was growing up and one of them had Westy T/L's. They were fun to watch and ran fairly quiet. All of our clothes came out very clean, no complaints here. I think the T/L Westys were one of the underrated machines. Have gotten the feeling that many just did not care for the indexing tub, though I think it was gentler on fabrics and the ribs on the side of the ramped agitator blades was what really cleaned the clothes. Just my own observation.

Barry

 

[norgeway]

They were good washers

The only design flaw was the pump was mounted on TOP of the motor if the pump leaked it ruined the motor.

 

[cfz2882]

Philco-Ford had similar pump above motor

 

[combo52]

1970s Westinghouse top load washers

These washers were definitely the worst of the lot reliability wise, they were fair performers but with the indexing tub they really didn’t wash big loads like a whirlpool Kenmore or certainly a Norge.

 

They suffered for many reliability issues, they had crappy Westinghouse motors with the water pump on top to add insult to injury. They had a very skinny belt that they used as a clutch they tend to burn up a lot of belts.

 

Transmissions were known for leaking oil and once they started doing that the belts would only last a few loads.

 

There were only two repairs that you could afford to do on these machines a bad belt or a bad inlet valve, it was not feasible to replace a transmission on one and even a timer was so expensive nobody ever did it.

 

It’s kind of funny like Norge machines every once in a while you’d find one that was lightly used and well cared for that actually lasted 10, 15 even 20 years but that was the exception not the rule.

 

John

 

[imperial70]

We had a private label Westinghouse Topload

Jordan Marsh (Allied Stores) rebadged middle line Westinghouse topload. In fact the one in the POD is quite like the Ambassador except the Ambassador did not have a bleach dispenser and the lint filter was on top of the agitator like the GE. The badge on the front of the machine said "Power Plus 16." For some reason it wasn't rated at 18 lbs but ours was a 1968.

It did run quiet and was in use daily for 10 years. It's first few years were not that reliable. Pump, Motor, Main seal and finally the tranny leaking oil. But it did work hard through out that time.