Hayburners

Hayburners, designed by Harry Williams and Sam Stern for Williams Manufacturing Company in 1951, with artwork by George Molentin, is a classic example of early electromechanical (EM) pinball design. This horse racing-themed game captures the excitement of the track with its mechanical backbox animation, in which horses race across the backbox as the game progresses. The six horses even have names: Uncle Miltie, Lulu Bell, Whiz Kid, Louie II, Frustration, and Tizzie Liz.

Gameplay-wise, Hayburners offered 5-ball play for just 5 cents, a testament to the affordability of early pinball. Two flippers and six pop bumpers let players influence the ball's trajectory, while the backbox animation creates a captivating visual experience that complements the action. The replay wheel records a maximum of 45 replays.

Hayburners also has an interesting production history: a similar game, Williams' 1951 'Nags', was dated one month later but appears never to have gone into production, and two months later the game was released again as Williams' 1951 'Jalopy', with an identical playfield design but different artwork and an auto racing theme. As an artifact of Williams' early flipper era, Hayburners is a fascinating machine for enthusiasts to study and play.