Very Vintage Coin op Washer

[laundryboy]

I listed a church for sale today and in the basement was this light blue machine buried under years of stuff, I dug around and found this..

 

[laundryboy]

pic 2

pic 2

 

[laundryboy]

pic 3

pic 3

 

[laundryboy]

pic 4

pic 4

 

[laundryboy]

pic 5

pic 5

 

[laundryboy]

pic 6

pic 6

 

[cfz2882]

cool-that one might be old enough to have the neutral drain solenoid on the clutch belt idler pulley.

 

[Unimatic1140]

That is a cool washer, extremely rare to say the least!

 

[frigilux]

A coin-op ramped Westy:  How cool is that?!  Have never before seen one. Thanks for the photos.  

 

Aside:  I always flinch a bit when I see a machine covered in debris like that.  Have to keep reminding myself it's an inanimate object and doesn't realize its plight, LOL.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

First time I hear of one....cool find!
I hope you can take it and restore easily and with no much trouble... if that's your intention...a pity leave it down there..

And who knows how many other interesting stuff down in that basement!

 

[vacbear58]

What

is the plunger looking thingie above the three lights in Picture 2?

Al

 

[revvinkevin]

So NOW the question is:

 

 

Christopher, are you going to see if you can rescue this machine, if not for yourself, for anyone else who might be interested in saving it???

 

Kevin

 

[mickeyd]

At first before the scroll, was sure to see an FL, but NO, a Top-Loading Westinghouse Commercial Washer. Have never before seen nor heard of one.
How cool. It just never ends. Interested in seeing what you do with it.

 

[peterh770]

The plunger looking thingie is probably connected to the timer so that the church could start the machine without using coins... It probably just pushed the timer into the starting position, as it would when they dropped a coin and turned the knob...

 

[vacbear58]

Plunger

Peter, thanks for the explanation - makes sense

Al

 

[laundryboy]

Im not sure what is going to happen to this, its buried way down in the back of the church basement behind a ton of stuff. The people who bought the church from me, might give it away, I can ask if anyone is interested.. I Will take some better pics tomorrow when we do another walk thru the property.. Im curious what year it might be, there is a coin box but I could not see where to put the coins in. There is no power on at the property so its dark and very creepy down there..

 

[kowidge]

Seen this one before....

In my single days, I used to live on a boat on the Anacostia River next to the Washington Navy Yard. The clubhouse had in the basement almost the exact model. I remember those lights. It was a great machine especially since I always put all my dirty military stuff in it. Maybe I was impatient but I remember the cycle being very long.

 

[cfz2882]

year

looks~1972-ish to me.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Yes I agree with early 70s on when it was made. I hope someone does end up saving that washer, it's super cool.