Signal (Jr)

The Bally Signal (Jr) is an early electro-mechanical pinball machine from October 1934, designed by Harry Williams and manufactured by Bally under a licensing agreement that split Williams' distribution territory: Bally handled the Mid-West and East, while Williams' own company, Automatic Amusements, retained the West. As part of that deal, Bally was contractually required to credit Williams as designer in its advertising for the game.

Signal (Jr) is a compact, single-player machine with a railroad/travel theme, following on from the larger 'Signal (Sr)' model. Its cabinet measures 41 1/4 inches long by 19 1/4 inches wide (including playfield trim), growing to 43 by 21 inches with legs attached, and the game stands 39 inches high at the front and 41 1/4 inches at the back. Both the Junior and Senior versions display only the single word "Signal" on the upper playfield, though the Junior has a smaller scorecard holder and its tilt cup positioned on the right side of the apron.

As with other pinball machines of 1934, Signal (Jr) predates the invention of the flipper by well over a decade, so gameplay relied on plunger skill and the mechanical scoring elements typical of the era rather than flipper control. Little else about its specific artwork or play mechanics is documented, but its place in the Williams/Bally licensing history makes it a notable artifact of pinball's earliest commercial period.