Dennis Jezzard Sprint Track

[pennymachines]

Along the same lines, recently spotted on eBay, from Chicago Coin: Turf Club.

[brigham]

These big electro-mechanical arcade pieces were my first interest. I became distracted by modern mechanical bandits, and more recently by pre-war Mills types.
I suppose the really large 'centre-piece' types are extinct; not many arcades will have held on to huge plywood structures full of relays and contacts, controlling broken Airfix racing cars or plastic horses with missing legs.
Decimalisation will have seen the last few off.
I had a horse-racing favourite, on 3d. bit. It was at least twelve-sided, maybe 20, and each position had the name of a Grand National winner. I can still remember the names.
The horses revolved on a green baize platform. If it stopped with a grey horse in front of you , you won sixpence, ninepence or a shilling.
There was a round chrome button you could bang down excitedly during the race, as if to encourage 'your' horse. It had the same effect as shouting at the races: none whatever.
I cannot even remember the machine's name, or who built it.
The last one I saw had a wooden board on the top, supporting a number of Arcadians!

[ddstoys]

I have a few of the horses that look like the ones in that Bally Skill Derby. Always wondered what they came from.

[rippyspennyarcade]

This is the machine Brigham is talking about: Cromptons 3d Derby racer, one of my favourites as well.

[brigham]

Thanks, Rippy, that's the machine.
20 players! I knew it was big.
I've been searching for info on it for YONKS. There's a glimpse of the toplight on one of Jim Crompton's home movies, care of YouTube, and that's as far as I've got, until now.
When was the last reported sighting, I wonder?

[badpenny]

Was this the machine that had a turntable of horses and riders which span round while you placed your bets. Then at the end it sunk down about an inch and a small red light next to the winner illuminated?

[rippyspennyarcade]

A perfect description Badpenny.

[moonriver]

Now THAT'S an arcade filler!

[brigham]

I've got room for one...

[pennymachines]

Jim Crompton described in some detail the development of the Derby on page 3 of the Arena article, Inventing the Coin Pusher and also provided a small image of the console.

It operated on 3d play, had a quick game-cycle of twelve seconds and players could win 6d, 9d, or 1/-. The cabinet was beautifully finished in two-tone grey, with bright artwork on the playing stations. It was six feet in diameter and weighed in at 896lbs. With full cash boxes it was probably nearer half a ton.

Sadly we were devastated by the Finance Act of 1969, which taxed the use of certain types of amusement games known as an AWP, or Amusement With Prizes machines. For example, a 20-player Derby Racer, which cost £1,765, had tax levies set at £3,000 per annum on a penny play. That amounted to tax of almost twice the purchase price of the game and what's more, it was payable on the day of operation, twelve months in advance!

See also: Anyone remember these large multi-players?