My latest Restoration
By Richard Brewerton
My latest restoration is another Sega bandit. I've done four now, my first being a
Diamond 3 Star which 1 bought at the Sarratt auction about three years ago, and the
latest a Monaco that I picked up on Ebay. I like these machines, I don't know why.
Maybe it's because you can still pick them up for a reasonable price, although having
said that, you do occasionally see them on Ebay for stupid money. Maybe it's because I
am becoming familiar with the mechanism now and don't need to worry wheth.er I'U
ever get that box of bits back together again. Maybe it's because they don't cost a
fortune to restore - a few bits of chrome and a few cans of spray paint. Or maybe it's
because when they are finished they look all colourful and shiny. Whatever, but when
the lights are dimmed and they are all standing in a row lit up like Christmas trees, U1en I
think they look pretty cool.
The Monaco is a version of the Sega that l haven't seen before, nor have I seen one
since, so I'm guessing that perhaps it must be less common than the Bonanza Stars or
Mad Monies. It's Uie same basic mechanism and case but the game-play is a bit
different. All the symbols on reel one, except one lemon, are displayed against a black
and while chequered backgrow1d. There is no jackpot, instead a tube full of five shilling
tokens is mounted at Uic front of the mechanism and connected by a lever to the top
payout slide. A small electrical switch is mounted in the bottom centre of the frame,
which is operated by a quadrant shaped lever with ten ratchet teeth around its curved
edge. This is opemted by one of the horizontal payout fingers. The artwork in the top
light box shows two chequered flags which are lit when the switch is operated.
In play, the machine behaves as normal with usual payouts for cherries, plums,
oranges etc., but if you are lucky enough to hit three stars, bars or melons then the
ratchet lever is released, operating the switch, lighting the chequered flags and away you
go. Each subsequent pull of the machine will advance the ratchet one tooth closer and
provided you avoid the lemon on the first reel (and you have 19 chances out of 20 that
you will) then a token is dispensed. During this time the norm.al payouts are disabled.
And so you go on for the next ten pulls hopefully picking up ten tokens along the way
until at last Uie ratchet lever finally rc~operates the switch, extinguishing the chequered
flag light in the top box and restoring the nonnal payout mode.
I have not yet hit the jackpot for real, only simulated one by manually positioning
the reels, but when it happens it's quite exciting, more so than just having a jackpot
dwnped in front of you. Probably not so profitable though. Ten tokens were worth £2 -
10 shilUngs in old money, less the ten sixpences that you had to feed in to get them,
giving a red.uced payout of £2 - 5 shillings, which is less than most jackpots hold, but
you do get the additional fun factor.
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