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Marshall's Waltzer Restoration

This Blog will chart the restoration of one of the world’s oldest and most original Waltzers. Purchased in 2007 from Marcus Priest, work only began on the restoration in the summer of 2009 as completion of a previous project had taken priority.

Right then, October 2009 and its time to make a start on this famous machine.

Just to bring things up to date, this is the plan from here (photos to follow as things progress)

The fiberglass cars are heading off to a new home in the coming weeks and will no doubt appear in the future on Storey's restored convertible machine probably replacing the orbiter cars. A new set of (old) cars has been located which are very close to the originals however, these will need to be rebuilt and then refinished in stainless steel. While Bill Treen continues the painstaking work of removing the later paintwork (for which I'm eternally grateful given he's the only man alive who is willing and able to do it). Many other aspects of the project will now begin. Having done very little so far other than begin to dismantle the machine, research further its history and examine what exists in detail the time has come to put the information into the project and begin the work.

Since starting the blog, I have been lucky enough to make direct contact with Billy Wilkie who has known and maintained this machine since it arrived in New Brighton in the early 1950's. Contrary to earlier information I am now told directly from Billy Wilkie that when the machine was initially installed in New Brighton it retained its original 1930’s decoration. Due to the lack of height in the building the top row of rounding boards could not be used which left the machine looking incomplete. This situation continued until the early 1960's. Around this time it was obvious that the original Lakin centre was simply not up to the job as it was continually cracking eventually leading Wilkie’s to contact the leading Waltzer maker of the day Maxwell's.

George Maxwell visited New Brighton and it was agreed that the entire machine would be dismantled and taken up to Maxwell’s in about 1962 in order to have a new "Maxwell" centre installed, the middle row of rounding boards removed and the whole machine repainted in a more "modern" style. Fortunately Maxwell’s simply painted over the original decoration which is why many years later when Bill Treen started the task of trying to remove the later paintwork, the original artwork was intact on all areas of the machine where the original woodwork existed. This has proven to be an incredible find which will make the end result stunning and highly original.

Given that the Maxwell centre has been in the machine for over two thirds of its life clearly taking it out and putting in an early Lakin centre would lose the history of the machine and also recreate many of the problems which Wilkie’s solved when they installed the Maxwell centre. To say nothing of the fact that the platforms and girders would be too short. So the decision is made, it will stay. This does create one problem which is that the Maxwell centre was not supplied with wheels, axles or jacks so how do we make it travelable? Well thanks to a little research and some good old digging around I have found an original Maxwell front and rear Axle along with the jacks etc which when fitted to the centre will make it into a standard Maxwell centre therefore possible to travel. The center will be stripped of its original paybox and totally rebuilt and restored in the coming months.