After quite a bit of monitor adjustment the picture looks great, and we were able to have our first couple of credits. The monitor needed some adjustment, but I wasn’t expecting the board to work at all and was so pleased to see Jet and Bif paddling down the Colorado! It was also a massive relief to see the monitor working. I then switched it off, connected everything back up and fired it up. I was a bit startled to hear a whirring noise, but fortunately it was just the marquee rollers operating, which I‘d forgotten to disconnect! I checked the voltages and tweaked the 5V. The sound board didn’t look as good however, with obvious signs of corrosion.Īfter replacing the power supply, I switched on the cab with the monitor and PCB disconnected. It looked in remarkable condition, especially considering its age and how it had been stored for all these years. I removed the PCB and gave it a light clean with an anti-static brush, brushing off a few cobwebs and dead spiders. I cleaned up the power block and wires, and replaced the original switcher power supply with a good quality modern one. I ended up putting a wanted post on Klov and managed to get hold of a complete one in very nice condition. It was extremely rusty, and the overlay was too far gone unfortunately. The control panel was in a really bad state. The bezel is slightly distorted at the bottom, but overall is in nice condition for its age. I gave the cardboard bezel and glass front a good clean before refitting them. I sent the chassis off to Grant / Gunblade for servicing, and he was able to work his magic and bring it back to life. My monitor is a Wells Gardner 19K7635, utilizing a factory modified KV7000 chassis. I was relieved when I removed the back door and everything looked as it should be. Inside Toobin’ there should be a 19” medium res monitor, which would prove very difficult to replace. It transpired that in a Gauntlet cab I’d bought off the Op, the monitor tube had been damaged beyond repair. This was the most worrying aspect of the restore. I was really surprised to find the motor still works after all these years, which is a great result! I gave the marquee compartment a good clean inside, cleaned the old grease off the gears and applied high performance silicone lubricant. I cut the top part very slightly to allow the tube to go in easier. The first attempt was unsuccessful, with the tube breaking. I managed to find some very similar ones in B&Q. The fluorescent T15 tube retainers were brittle and had disintegrated, probably due to the heat from the tube.
I’ve read that these motors are commonly used in juke boxes.
The waterfall marquee is so cool! The waterfall effect is achieved by three rollers, driven via gears by a single motor. Here is a list of the work I’ve done on the cab. I’m not adverse to a few battle scars, and I wanted to retain originality as far as possible. The aim of this restore was to clean the cab up as best I could and get it back in good working condition.
It even had some minty manuals stashed away in a grubby bag at the bottom. Fortunately it was all there and everything was in nice, unhacked original condition. I pretty much bought the cab blind, hoping it was complete inside. I had no idea these were produced in Ireland, suspecting the ones on these shores were American imports. Once I got the cab back I finally had that hug! At one point I was scooping up the balls and putting them in a black bag, only to find the bag was ripped with the balls coming straight out! The cab was surrounded by plastic balls from a children’s play area ball pit, which added to the fun of moving it. A price was agreed, and we set about moving it to the van. He had a lot of nostalgia for his games, some of which he seemed very attached to and didn’t want to part with. It was pretty filthy, covered in grime and bird poo, but looked structurally sound. It would have suffered from years of temperature cycles and clearly needed a lot of love. The cab had been stored in a polytunnel for a few decades, presumably after it broke and was removed from his arcade. I couldn’t help but show my excitement when I saw it, breaking one of the Raid rules. I had some idea of what cabs he had, but this one was a complete surprise. My next encounter with Toobin’ was during an Op visit. The idea of the game was so cool and original: paddle down the river and avoid the hazards, which include branches, hungry alligators, submarines, dinosaurs whipping their tails, and punks throwing cans at you! The game was loads of fun, and I loved the cab design. The cab stood out from the crowd, with unique controls, colourful graphics, cool artwork and an awesome cascading waterfall marquee. I remember seeing Toobin ’ many years ago down Great Yarmouth seafront, but I don’t recall ever playing it until PLAY Expo Blackpool 2016.