A highlight of Pinball Expo '88 was the tour of the Williams Electronics pinball machine factory. We watched metal parts fabrication, playfield construction, component wiring, cabinet assembly, final testing, and crating for shipment. The two dozen photos that accompany this story show how raw materials were transformed into Williams Taxi pinball machines.
The National Pinball Museum in Baltimore closed on March 3, 2013 after failing to agree on new lease terms with its building owner. The Museum sold about 20 games on March 30 to offset moving and storage costs.
The Free State Pinball Association held its 10th Annual Fairfax Pinball Open tournament on February 22-24, 2013 at a new location: the Best Western Fairfax in Fairfax City, Virginia. Thanks to widespread publicity and meticulous planning, the new venue allowed more people to enjoy more games than in previous years.
Hundreds of visitors played pinball on opening day at the National Building Museum's new location in Baltimore. The new location offers a little more space to play pinball and a little less space for historical displays. The crowd was very enthusiastic, with many people staying all day.
Volunteers and staff worked feverishly at the National Pinball Museum to prepare hundreds of pinball games and rooms full of historic exhibits for a forced move out of their leased space in Washington, DC. More than half the games were ready to go just five days after the museum closed to the public.
WTOP news radio, the Washington Post, and other news outlets reported this week that the National Pinball Museum lost its lease and must vacate its Georgetown Mall space by mid-July. Museum founder and curator David Silverman stated that the museum would seek a new location.
Norwegian software developer, Apps AS, has satisfied my 45-year desire to play kronespill, Norway's flick-a-coin game. Now I can play a Ray T6 with their Kronespillet HD app for the iPad or a Ray T5 with their Kronespillet apps for iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android.
When I was ready to move my AMI G-80 jukebox from my parent's house to my own, I wondered if it would really fit into my 1991 Volkswagen Passat station wagon. We measured carefully before we wheeled the jukebox out to the car. It just fit.
