Brunswick / Briarwood

Note: This page is a work in progress. Please help get it to a completed state by adding any useful information to it.

1 Introduction

Brunswick, the large American manufacturer of bowling equipment, had already been making some coin operated amusement equipment such as Air Hockey. In 1976 they decided to venture into the new and growing home pinball machine market. At first they used their Briarwood name on the machines, but as sales started to increase, they switched to using their Brunswick name for better brand recognition. Brunswick made several home pinball machine models between 1976 and 1980 not only under their own name but also for the Henry W.T. Mali & Company (world famous make of pool table cloth and billiard supplies).

2 Games

• Alive, October 1978, model 55-860224-2, four players
• Aspen, two production runs, October 1977 (55-860200-2) and 1979 (55-860228-2), four players
• Circus, 1980, four players, model 200-40-000 (in a red cabinet) do not confuse with the single player version as they are different
• Circus, 1980, single player, yellow cabinet, do not confuse with the four player version
• Cosmic Pinball, August 1977, single player, made in both EM and SS versions
• Demolition Classic, 1979, single player, woodgrain cabinet
• Rodeo, 1979, single player, model 55-880196-5
• Skate King, 1977, single player, yellow cabinet, model 55-860196-2
• Super Star, 1976, single player, made in both EM and SS versions, 55-860195-21 (SS version, 2 flippers), 55-860160-002 (EM version, 4 flippers)

Made for Henry W.T. Mali and Company:

• Diamond Jim, 1977, single player, model # 101, yellow cabinet, list price $395 in 1977
• Big Rig, 1977, single player, electromechanical, model # 102, white cabinet
• Snow Bird, 1977, single player, model # 103
• Hotdogger, 1977, single player, model # 104
• Wheeler Dealer, 1977, single player, model # 105, white cabinet
• Space Galaxy, 1977, single player, model number unknown

2.1 Machine pictures

Super Star EM version playfield

Super Star EM version backglass

Front cover of EM version manual

The EM version of Super Star has four Gottlieb 2" flippers.

Brunswick made the Mali "Diamond Jim" machine.

Mali / Brunswick Diamond Jim

3 Technical Info

The Briarwood/Brunswick/Mali home pinball machines were covered by the now expired patent number 4109916 in which one coil mechanically operates two devices. In this case it is the slingshots and pop bumpers.

Skate King schematic

Aspen model 55-860200-2 manual (with chimebox)

Aspen model 55-860228-2 manual (with electronic sounds)

Alive general schematic

Alive switch matrix chart

Alive 55-860224-2 manual

Aspen 55-860200-2 general schematic

Aspen 55-860200-2 switch matrix chart

Coils (28 volt dc):

• 55-860235-000 or 55-101725 Flipper coil with diode and sleeve
• 55-860237-000 or 55-101897 Ball Return coil with diode and sleeve
• 55-860236-000 or 55-101741 or 55-101025 Slingshot/pop bumper coil with diode and sleeve

Marco Specialties stocks brand new Brunswick coils as does Lakeside Pinball Parts.

4 Problems and Solutions

4.1 Power Problems

The power supply assembly of Aspen, Alive, and the 4 player Circus contains power transformer, 4 circuit breakers, 2 bridge rectifiers (one powers the solenoids, the other powers the gameboard and lights), and a 24VDC relay that cuts off power to the solenoids.

4.2 Solenoid Problems

All coils operate on 24 to 28 volts DC.

4.5 Display Problems

Check the pins of the display assembly closely for signs of cold solder joints and resolder any if found.

4.6 Sound Problems

Early Brunswick machines used a bell unit and a single bar chimebox for sounds. Later machines such as Alive and the 4 player Circus used electronic sounds and a speaker.

Bell and chime units

4.7 Flipper Problems

The flipper assemblies in Alive, Aspen, and the 4 player Circus are classic Stern Generation 1 units with a Brunswick 55-101725 flipper coil installed. The flipper assemblies in earlier Brunswick/Briarwood and Mali machines are classic Stern Generation 1 units, but with an ordinary momentary duty coil (55-101025) with a 20 ohm, 25 watt resistor connected to it via the end-of-stroke switch. This makes an ordinary coil work like a real flipper coil, but it gets hot quickly and the coil can be noisy in operation. It is suggested to convert the old 55-101025 coil & resistor setup over to a regular flipper coil such as Brunswick # 55-101725 or Gottlieb A-20095 for better operation.

Early Brunswick flipper assembly and resistor

In the early Brunswick machines like Super Star or Rodeo, only one flipper unit was installed. It had a linkage attached to it so that one flipper coil could drive 2 or 4 flipper bats. This was not very good as the slightest wear or slop in any part of the linkage would make the flippers weak or sloppy feeling.

Early Brunswick flipper bats

The early Brunswick flipper bats are actually Gottlieb blue flat top 2" units # A11242-3A Blue plus # A6888E Thin Shoe & Shaft plus Screw # HDW-632-1-1/4.

4.8 Pop Bumper Problems

In the early Brunswick/Briarwood machines such as Rodeo, there are two pop bumper spoon switch assemblies. Each switch assembly is different, though. One switch assembly has a spoon switch and a scoring switch while the other switch assembly is merely a spoon switch only. These early machines used a 55-101025 coil. The coil bracket is Williams # 04-10888 or B-7417. The rod & rings of two pop bumpers were mechanically linked to one coil on the early Brunswick/Briarwood/Mali machines. Alive, Aspen, and the 4 player Circus used the usual individual pop bumper assemblies.

Early Brunswick pop bumper connecting bar

Early Brunswick machines used a metal bar to connect two rod & rings to just one coil.

Notice the two different switches

4.9 Slingshot Problems

The slingshot kicker coil bracket is a Williams # A-17808 or B-7572-1 "Z" bracket in the Alive, Aspen, and 4 player Circus machines. Earlier Brunswick machines such as Rodeo used Williams # B-7417 or 04-10888 pop bumper bracket as the slingshot kicker coil bracket. Notice in the early Brunswicks they only had one switch to activate each slingshot instead of the usual two switches in normal pinball machines. A person could use a 3/8" Forstner drill bit to drill the second hole and add a second activating switch assembly.

Playfield view of slingshots

Early Brunswick slingshot one coil drives 2 kickers