Hurdles
About This Machine
The 1934 Van-Scho Corp pinball machine, Hurdles, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of pinball as we know it. This Pure Mechanical (PM) game predates electromechanical and solid-state machines by decades, showcasing the innovative spirit of early pinball designers. As one of the earliest pinball games, Hurdles has been largely overlooked by collectors and enthusiasts, making it a fascinating discovery for those interested in the history of the sport.
What sets Hurdles apart is its unique gameplay mechanics. For 5 cents, players can launch up to 10 balls onto the playfield, navigating through six scoring pockets and six gobble holes. The game's most innovative feature, however, is the ball lift mechanism integrated into the shooter rod, eliminating the need for a separate lift rod. This design choice also enables the player to activate the ball lift by pushing the shooter rod in conjunction with an external sleeve.
The game's art and theme are equally intriguing. The chromium-plated fittings give Hurdles a sleek, modern look that belies its age. The "Hurdle" holes at the top of the playfield, which return balls to the player after striking chime bars, add a layer of complexity to the gameplay experience. While there is limited information available on the game's designer or manufacturer, Hurdles remains an important piece of pinball history that continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts with its unique blend of innovation and mechanical ingenuity.
Images (31)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Sports - Running - Track
- Notable Features:
- 10 balls for 5 cents. Scoring pockets (6), Gobble holes (6), Free Play holes (4). Chromium plated fittings. The six scoring pockets are cups labeled with point values. Each has a gobble hole directly below it, dedicated to it, inside a U-shaped rail. These paired objectives are arranged in three columns on the playfield: left, center, and right. Each column, therefore, has a upper pocket and a lower pocket. At the top of the playfield are three "Hurdle" holes, each dedicated only to the column directly below it. A ball falling into a Hurdle hole is returned to the player after striking one of three chime bars inside the game and, for the corresponding column, causes a ball in the upper pocket to be elevated over the edge of its cup (the "hurdle") to a gobble hole directly below it which, in turn, elevates the lower pocket to deliver any ball there to its gobble hole. In this way, balls that had landed in pockets worth 10, 100, or 1000 points will double their value when they arrive into the score wells at bottom of playfield. The ball lift mechanism on this game is integrated into the shooter rod. There is no separate ball lift rod. The player pushes the shooter rod and an external sleeve activates the ball lift. This game has a unique ball roll tilt inside the rear of the cabinet to display tilt status by means of a small round disc on the end of a long rod that pivots through a slot where the playfield 's upper edge meets the cabinet wall. At start of game, this disc is centered along the wall. If tilted, it pivots off-center and to the left. At start of each game, pushing the coin slide resets the tilt indicator, if needed, via mechanical action attached to the length of the drain board. Sound: 3 chimes