Work Begins on the 1960 Coin-op

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

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LaunDaRama n Colour

Hi Robert

This machine was the first ever washer I saw in a Launderette that opened near us...1968...it had a self service dry cleaning machine as well...my Nan took me and I had the job of pulling here trolley full of ruby red velvet curtains...

Whilst we were waiting for the dry clean to finish (and get high on all those fumes) I had a chance to check out the frigi washers...all you could hear was the "Whooshhh" of them spinning and the rythmical bobbing up and down..

The agi was totally alien to me, all we had been used to was the Servis or Hotpoint Agi`s.

Mike
 
wow

i remember those. there was a laundromat by the house that had them. went there one time when moms machine broke down. i had a blast..way cool robert will do a fantastic job on it.. what a lucky machine
 
Robert, with that outfit, I'd say you were a dead-wringer for Miss Landers. And I can't wait for further updates. Yes, interesting timer.
 
Just Curious....

Robert,
How long was the wash set for in the coin-op?
Where they cheaters? Or fair?
I just love the timer. This is a very cool find!
Brent
 
Toggle, I would think that a toggleswitch could be made to do whatever you want it to. That's providing you know how to flip it's switch! If you catch my drift.
 
Hey - looks like fun! I liked the lit jeweled lamp - very nice. Not knowing much about early coin-op's, what type of coinage would this machine take? I currently just throw four quarters in a Kenmore DD machine in my apt, but I have a hard time believing it would cost that much in the early sixties.

Thanks for the awesome photos! I bet your feet hurt - ;)

Ben
 
WOOHOO!!! Excellent pictures Robert, thanks for sharing!! That window splashing is very Kelvinator-like if you ask me...too bad none of the Frigidaires had windows, until the Rollermatic came out! And I'm curious to know how the 18-minute cycle did as well...although considering it's a Unimatic everything probably got clean!

I have to admit, the coin-op would definitely look cool next to the Turquoise '58 Filtrator...;-)

--Austin
 
When I was a kid in Pittsburgh PA, there was a section of town nearby of older 3-story apartment buildings. In the basement there would be a huge laundry room with multiple cement laundry tubs in the center of the room. Some residents had their own machines in this room...often wringer washers. But there was always at least one coin-op automatic, either Frigidaire, Maytag, or Speed Queen in the room. When I didnt have anything to do, I would visit these laundry rooms and watch the washers....they were always running and rarely was anyone around. The Frigidaires all had round windows and three ring agitators...they were my favorites and I quickly found out which buildings had them. There were rarely dryers...the tenants just hung their laundry in this big room in the winter and outside in the summer.

One time I was visiting a laundry room with a Frigidaire washer and walked in and opened the lid, when suddenly from behind me boomed this gravely voiced old broad with a cigarette hanging out the corner of her mouth: "Hey!!! What are you doing???!!!" I almost jumped out of my skin and dropped the lid, which crashed down. She accused me of trying to steal her underwear out of the washer (yeah, right!!) I was probably about 10 or 11 and couldn't believe anyone would even think of something like that. She said she was going to have me arrested and called me a pervert. I didn't know what that even was and was scared to death. I ran out of the room and didn't come back for quite a while. But when I did there was a note taped up warning the other residents to watch out for a boy who is looking at and taking ladies undergarments!!! haha!
 
IIRC A coin op washer would probably have been 20 or 25 cents and dry would have been 5 or 10 cents. The old coin ops I have seen usually were either a single dime or single quarter.
 
Robert you are the man!!!!! OR if you get in the get up the woman!!!. Thanks for sharing the pix

I dont know Toggleswitch....only three positions? Hard to believe.....well unless you were talking about mechanics ofcorse!!! LOL take care all
 

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