The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello to all.

My Columbia BNW Talking Machine mounts two different systems to stop turntable turnings, i.e. the "Speed Regulator" (which inhibits turnings by positioning the arrow near the "F" letter) and a generic (?) brake. Why (in your opinion)? ...and what is the correct system to stop the turntable on this Talking Machine?

The regulator tab is basically an off/on switch. The generic brake is an add-on. Columbia never had a machine with a separate brake.
Harvey Kravitz

Unless Columbia really cheapened their late horn machines there is something seriously wrong here. Columbias should have a pointer on that scale to set the speed and a lever with a knob under it to activate a governor brake. Your machine looks to have been rebuilt and I wonder if some modifications were made to the controls. That little curled up tab looks wrong to me.

I have seen Columbia machines with a single pointer. It was an off/on switch. Left usually meant on, and right meant off. Underneath the motor board was was the adjustment for the on/off switch. Like I said in the previous post the brake is wrong. The switch was modified with a curl when it should be an arrow point.
Harvey Kravitz

Considering how quirky some Columbias can be, the brake may not be original, but it's probably an improvement. Jerry

My little Columbia table top (an Eclipse as best I can tell) has both the speed regulator (just like yours) and a start/stop lever just to the right of it. The start/stop lever tends to disappear underneath the turntable when set to full stop. No bullet brake like yours, though. On a quick flip through "Columbia Phonograph Companion," Vol 2, I don't see any of their machines with your type brake, but anything is possible. Columbia made a bewildering number of models.

Clay

Thanks to all!

I suspected that brake was an "improvement", and now you confirm that. Now, in your opinion, can I use only the "speed regulator" for stop the turntable? When i put the curly indicator on half the scale, the turntable stops; I don't know if this causes abnormal tensions to springs (so, would be preferred the added brake on the other side). If springs don't risk anything, I could use the curly lever only, and forget the "out-of-tune" brake.