Railroad

The Railroad pinball machine, manufactured by Mills Novelty Company in 1936, holds a significant place in the history of pinball as an early one-ball payout machine. Designed by Bert E. Mills and Fred Bull, it represents the pre-flipper, mechanically-driven era of coin-operated pinball, over a decade before flippers gave players direct control over the ball.

The gameplay features that make Railroad unique include the ability to play up to seven nickels at a time. Players insert their coins into one of seven coin chutes, each corresponding to a different railroad line (Gulf, St. Paul, Pacific, Penn, Northern, Western, and Belt). If the ball falls into the pay station of the chosen line, the player is rewarded with an automatic payout. The game was also factory-equipped with an Electropak accessory, as shown in period advertisements.

The Railroad's design reflects its railroad theme, with imagery evoking trains, stations, and travel. While detailed information about this specific machine is limited, its significance as an early EM one-ball payout game makes it an important artifact for collectors and historians of pinball's formative years.