The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I would love to obtain gearing to allow my BQ to play 4-minute cylinders. It is a wonderful machine that I would like to show off with some Blue Amberols and other 4-minute cylinders.
John

Columbia 2/4 min. gearing is extremely scarce by it self. You are better off looking for a Columbia 2/4 min., that is complete. You'll find one of these quicker that the attachment loose. Also, they are a pain to get set up. You're better off getting an Edison Standard with 2/4 min. gearing, and leaving the Columbia a straight 2 min. machine.
Harvey Kravitz

Harvey, is the 2/4 minute gearing for the BQ shared with any other Columbia machine? Thanks, Jerry

That's what I'd do too. Decent 2/4 minute Edisons are easy to find at fairly reasonable prices.

My bet is he already has a Edison Std. 2/4min player.
I can understand his wish for a Columbia 2/4min.

My Columbia Peerless BF 2/4min is one of my favorite machines and has a permanent place in my collection.

My advise is be patient and hang in there until you find a 2/4min Columbia and then sell your 2min.

Herman is correct. I have a Home and Triumph Edison with 2/4 gearing. I just love this BQ and would have liked to upgrade. I suppose I will give up unless this post gets something.

Jerry, The 2/4 min. BQ is the same as a BK or a BKT. It's basically the same mechanism. The give away detail on these machines is the lever gear changer. Like I said, an Edison 2/4 is your best bet. The 2/4 min Columbia machines are fairly scarce. These were made towards the end of the Columbia cylinder era. By this time Columbia was concentrating on disk machines, especially the Grafonola.
Harvey Kravitz

Harvey - I'm feeling lucky! I have a BKT purchased many, many years ago from Larry (Talkophone) and a BO purchased a year or so ago from Raphael and they both have the 2/4 min gearing. Didn't realize the history of the attachment.

You lucky Son Of A Gun!!! I have a BE, BET, BK, BQ, BKT(Oxford Version) and a BGT project machine. All 2/4 min machines.It took me several years to get these. They sure play well. I have to unpack these and get them displayed right.
Harvey Kravitz

Unfortunately, as mentioned, 2/4 minute hardware for Columbia machines is a needle in a haystack proposition. I bought a Columbia BF with the idea of updating it to 2/4 minute operation and it took 10 years of searching to find the correct 2/4 minute feedscrew. It required buying a junker BF that just happened to have that feedscrew. The machine was a total rusted wreck and I was afraid I would not be able to salvage the feedscrew since it was rusted in place inside the tube that it sits in.

There are two different types of 2/4 mechanisms - one is operated by levers and the other is a round metal housing attached to the end of the feedscrew that holds the 2/4 min. gearing and a selector switch. To further complicate matters, the feedscrews are different lengths for the BE and BF, because of the 6" mandrel on the BF and are not interchangeable. I now have three 2/4 min. Columbias - a BKT, BE and BFT.