Pikes Peak
About This Machine
The Pikes Peak pinball machine, manufactured by Western Equipment & Supply Company of Chicago and dated August 1937, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) payout machine. With only four years of operation (1934-1938), Western Equipment & Supply was a short-lived contributor to the pinball industry of the mid-1930s.
As a payout machine, Pikes Peak would have dispensed coins or tokens directly as a reward for scoring, a common category of coin-operated game before regulatory crackdowns pushed the industry toward replay-based scoring. As with other EM machines of this pre-flipper era (flippers weren't introduced until 1947), gameplay relied on plunger strength, ball placement, and cabinet skill rather than active ball control.
Not much else is documented about the specific design, art, or theme of Pikes Peak, which only adds to its enigmatic appeal. The lack of information makes it an intriguing subject for collectors and historians researching payout-era pinball.