Thread Number: 54951
The Other Great Thing That Happened In The Midwest In June |
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Post# 773267   7/26/2014 at 17:47 (3,562 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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We realized a long heal dream to add two significant Combos to the Museum collection.
Thanks To Ben and Cory in Iowa and the generous help of my neighbor Tom who was also the one who inspired the idea for an appliance museum in the first place, We have added a Maytag 340W and the only known to exist Norge Combo, the Norge is the orignal WD600 model. Both machines are the electric condenser models and are white, this combination was easily the most popular way these machines were sold. The Maytag Combo and the Norge on the right. |
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Post# 773268 , Reply# 1   7/26/2014 at 17:49 (3,562 days old) by mayfan69 (Brisbane Queensland Australia)   |   | |
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Post# 773270 , Reply# 2   7/26/2014 at 18:02 (3,562 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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The MT is in nearly pristine condition, and the Norge is also completely intact and unmolested, it did suffer a little surface rust from sitting in a damp basement, but inside it looks great.
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Post# 773271 , Reply# 3   7/26/2014 at 18:04 (3,562 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 773274 , Reply# 4   7/26/2014 at 18:56 (3,561 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 773277 , Reply# 5   7/26/2014 at 19:19 (3,561 days old) by Easyspindry (Winston-Salem, NC)   |   | |
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. . . and addition to your collection. That must be the only Norge combo anywhere. I would give anything to see your warehouse/museum. Thanks for sharing this great news. Jerry Gay |
Post# 773296 , Reply# 6   7/26/2014 at 21:32 (3,561 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 773297 , Reply# 7   7/26/2014 at 21:37 (3,561 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 773300 , Reply# 8   7/26/2014 at 21:48 (3,561 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )   |   | |
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If you and John get free later this summer, Lets make a trip to JLs and see the museum... |
Post# 773323 , Reply# 9   7/26/2014 at 23:22 (3,561 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 773325 , Reply# 10   7/26/2014 at 23:35 (3,561 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773332 , Reply# 11   7/26/2014 at 23:59 (3,561 days old) by A440 ()   |   | |
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John, The Norge is such a beautiful Beast! What a great looking machine! Amazing find! The Maytag looks to be in such great shape also! |
Post# 773346 , Reply# 12   7/27/2014 at 02:05 (3,561 days old) by ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 773378 , Reply# 13   7/27/2014 at 09:39 (3,561 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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This machine has always been a mystery to me as I had never even seen one. It like everyone of the US designed and built combos during the 20 year span that combos were produced [ 1953-1973 ] had some very interesting design features.
Because Bendix beat everyone else in development and getting a combo to market, every other manufacturer had to come up with a way to wash and dry clothing in a combo style without infringing on Bendix's patents. To me this is what makes combos [ and many other mechanical things ] so interesting. Norge and other makers in designing their combo borrowed design ideas from their separate washer and dryers. The really interesting thing Norge did with this combo was to use a huge Bakelite fan in the back of the drum that runs at full motor speed during the drying phase of the cycle. And even more unusual [ like their separate dryers ] they actually put rollers under the front of the wash basket to help support the basket at the front, these were exposed to water, and as far as I can tell this was the only front loading washer or combo ever built to try such a thing. |
Post# 773382 , Reply# 14   7/27/2014 at 10:16 (3,561 days old) by A440 ()   |   | |
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Interesting John! Where did the air actually escape from the huge fan? Also, did this machine spin between each fill for rinse? Brent |
Post# 773396 , Reply# 15   7/27/2014 at 11:35 (3,561 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 773405 , Reply# 17   7/27/2014 at 11:52 (3,561 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Post# 773413 , Reply# 19   7/27/2014 at 12:30 (3,561 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773422 , Reply# 20   7/27/2014 at 13:07 (3,561 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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There are several stories, but the one that make the most sense is that Hotpoint somehow infringed on Bendix's patents and rather than face a costly court fight, just bought back all of their combos and destroyed them. |
Post# 773427 , Reply# 21   7/27/2014 at 13:22 (3,561 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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is amazing, it looks like CCW rotation? ! I love her big holes in the walls and I think I can see the blades of that fan! its huge! John was telling me about the finned aluminum heater, I couldn't quite picture it till you explained it Tom.
That must be some windstorm in there on dry !! It looks like a solid built machine I wonder why we don't see more of them ? The solenoid on the motor, does that shift a clutch between the wash and spin pulleys?
Here it is in a 1960 Kentucky Newspaper ad:
CLICK HERE TO GO TO jetcone's LINK |
Post# 773429 , Reply# 22   7/27/2014 at 13:28 (3,561 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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All Norge dryers had a windstorm in them when in operation. |
Post# 773446 , Reply# 25   7/27/2014 at 15:47 (3,561 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 773450 , Reply# 26   7/27/2014 at 15:59 (3,561 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Wow John and Tom, I'm so happy you have added a true dream machine gem into your collections!
I have a feeling this is a real splashy fun machine, looking forward to seeing it sometime. Unfortunately, I have no service doctrine on this machine what so ever, only parts information. I have some Norge combo sales literature up in Ephemera, but these brochures are not from the same model year as this one. |
Post# 773464 , Reply# 28   7/27/2014 at 17:01 (3,561 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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I forgot to thank Tim Schell [ macboy ] for taking the pictures, he has been here visiting from Kentucky all week, and an even bigger thanks for getting all our computers running better, YAY.
We had lots of fun, I always enjoy his visits. The Norge Combo. Jon, the solenoid above the motor causes the fan to run for the drying cycle, the other drive pulley is always engaged whenever the motor is running. It does appear that the tub turns CCW, so unfortunately Chuck D [ laundromat ] will not likely approve. As Tom mentioned we now have at least one of each of the most produced combos. Between Tom, my brother Jeff, Jason and myself there are more than 27 combos nearby. This includes 11 or 12, 29" KMs both gas and electric, 3 36" Duomatics one gas, 3 GE combos two under-counter and one freestanding, 1 33" LKM electric machine 50 Amp , and two WP Gas 33" combos 37,000 BTUs. There are also 2 27" duomatics and the new to us MT combo. The rarest ones are the two Westinghouse combos, an Easy, a Speed Queen and of coerce the Norge, this last group are the only ones known to exist. My goal is to get at least one of each design in running condition for demonstration purposes, I would like to a video of them running their cycles for all to enjoy. |
Post# 773469 , Reply# 29   7/27/2014 at 17:55 (3,561 days old) by hippiedoll ( arizona )   |   | |
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CONGRATULATIONS on getting those combos!!!
wow, maytag and norge?? although i am a maytag fan, i really like the look of the norge combo. it would be hard for me to pick my favorite out of these 2!!! hm hm hm.... thank you for sharing and the great pictures. i would love to see pictures of the buttons and timer control knobs for both combos, if possible? very happy for you!!! :o) |
Post# 773500 , Reply# 30   7/27/2014 at 20:56 (3,560 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)   |   | |
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Post# 773554 , Reply# 33   7/28/2014 at 07:08 (3,560 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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I think this is the only close-up Tim and I took, I should remember to do more close-ups, there is also one of the drum hatch in the MTC for sump clean out.
The MT control panel close-up shows the Vee shape that Tom and Tim mentioned, this panel design came out on the combos and was later used on all the MT 06 series washers and dryers, It is interesting that they did not center the timer although I have always preferred an offset design and think that this panel design is very good. |
Post# 773563 , Reply# 34   7/28/2014 at 08:23 (3,560 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)   |   | |
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Congrats John! You have two beauties there, BOTH of them are extremely rare. The Maytag was pretty much unused by the original owner, and was brought in as trade to the central Kansas Maytag dealer who sold it new, sometime in the mid-80's. Greg and I went and picked it up in the fall of 2009. Condition-wise, it is probably in just as good of condition as the one in the Jasper County museum, or possibly even better. If any of you are ever at John's, I urge you to spin through the timer on the Maytag a few times. Probably the most satisfying timer to spin through in existence.
The Norge is also really cool too. I was pretty surprised to see the floating plastic idler pulley in place. I wonder how long those survived in tact. The insides of the Norge are in amazing condition considering the house and environment that it was taken from, and it shouldn't take much for John to get both of these up and running for demonstrations.
John - thanks again for your help when you were at the house, and I wish we had had more time to chat and tinker with stuff in the basement.
Ben |
Post# 773583 , Reply# 35   7/28/2014 at 12:51 (3,560 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773700 , Reply# 36   7/29/2014 at 01:24 (3,559 days old) by bluejay (Havre de Grace, MD)   |   | |
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Post# 773709 , Reply# 38   7/29/2014 at 04:26 (3,559 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773789 , Reply# 40   7/29/2014 at 13:10 (3,559 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Lo and behold it has.
About four years or so ago when I was lusting after and coveting the glass bottom girl co-owned by Jon & John, I asked John what I would have to do to get a year or two with that glorious glass-fronted top to bottom Easy spin dryer.
And John said only two are known to exist: Ben has one and there is yet another, the only other, in the Maytag museum. If you can get me or find me another Maytag combo, I'll find a way to convince John Charles to let you ha have the glass girl for a while, or for my portion of the ownership however it works out.
How I tried! A few conversations with Madame curator at the museum gave me a hot lead to another machine. After many calls and waits and answers that went hot and cold, in the end, all the wires to the lead went dead-- an experience we all know only too grimly.
So now you have your blessed Maytag combo. You know when first reading the thread, I somehow thought that you managed to coerce, beg, borrow, or pay a million dollars to Ben for his. How dramatic and fun that would have been! Now I see it's another machine which gives everyone hope that yes indeed the dream machine is out there somewhere.
Even better, you found a Norge, which is the one I prefer and I can't wait to see the rinsing. Like Jon Charles I spy the blades of the monster fan behind the curtain.
The enormous karma you've built up here helping everyone, befriending anyone, and giving out your phone number to whomever asks has paid off in two Uber holy grails.
What a great day. I'm so happy for you. Big Hugs of Congratulation. If you get a chance would you ask Jason to snap a pic of the Norge controls in extreme close-up?
Of all the combos you mention, are any operational right now? |
Post# 773812 , Reply# 41   7/29/2014 at 15:26 (3,559 days old) by washdaddy (Baltimore)   |   | |
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Tom- Thanks for the explanation. Now it totally makes sense and is quite simple to understand. |
Post# 774144 , Reply# 42   7/30/2014 at 15:08 (3,558 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)   |   | |
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Ahh, finally, somebody got a fabilous Norge washer dryer combination! The Prizers,our neighbors across the street from the house I grew up in,had this model. They took it with them when the husband,a pilot for Martin Marietta,had to relocate in Cincinnati. There was a Norge World that had a line of twelve of the combos along with the same design drycleaning units.We can only wish that better things had happened with Norge but alas,they're nothing now but a field of fond memories in our washer dreams. Norge was one of the few massively produced top load washers with the oscillating agitators I ever really enjoyed. Their high speed spin,loud tub brake. I also liked its clockwise spin direction.
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