In 1946, the year's production count still included the famous "Lightning Bug" derived J-36 military speed key built by
Vibroplex. (Other firms, including Lionel, made J-36s, too.) All told, the company made
over 4200 bugs that year, but only a fraction of that number were Blue Racers -- and only a fraction of those were all-chrome "De Luxe" models like my recent purchase.
In fact, from 1943 to '45, you couldn't even get a De Luxe with a chromed base: as a war measure, Vibroplex used battleship gray paint instead. It wasn't only
Technicolor red that went to war.
By '46, chrome was back:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCpvoHAANX1FnYai_1kYIJH5gLmdsnlBm-fNU_NSrimaOaFks3qS2Zy3oAQeLwRZpilHbxGlShdXXP3GzonAsBZv_7P3Y1_NXZYEWmjLfjToAcEE1QMMWuHQpbt_9r6wLxyiBpr8FiABG/s400/bug1.JPG)
And how! This is an early version of the De Luxe, with a conventional-looking upper pivot screw and jam nut, but that's a jeweled bearing and there another one for the lower pivot. The cord and wedge, properly tied off at the binding posts, is a nice touch and marks this key as likely to have been originally owned by a professional telegrapher -- the wedge allows the key the "plug in" to the employer-provided straight key (screwed down to the operating table) without making any modifications or disconnecting any wires. (Landline telegraphy is a series system: unhook any part of it and the whole line is out of service; so they tended to frown on it.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8dDAWdgnQeqoOejrQXJp_iizkNbu6u145VE6WHjLuIBk36Nrtx6LV6-ZIAdt2xFptr0JQkEWk3KputcEoIf6xPSArM4kgHIO0AjVCOdtGm5UcAzf7FogOGl1swWQDP56c1L9Kmz26_2y/s400/bug3.JPG)
The owner took care to mark the carrying case...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN1tElpIY9cloMML4GIpovg3Wnt_8Dko4pOch9O1a7dbkzEBP22iorwJgPDb1MEFHaWlPod84QMgykiT374aOBRh8xj7-fkTeLgA3XXNaHD1GLsokWr9ZaZqoCiBEiYyJQ0sYBk96UhQe/s400/bug2.JPG)
...Which isn't the official Vibroplex version, but a cut-down cheese box from a well-known cheesemonger!*
Price? $150, a fair deal for a key of this age, condition and with the cord and wedge.
_________________________
* At last, a chance to use the word in a non-pejorative sense!
Ain't that pretty! The box seals the deal, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it nice to open a beat up box and finding out how well it protected the contents? That is a beautiful piece of equipment.
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteVery nice.
Wonder if the original owner was related to Arthur Dent?
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps telegrapher, ham operator and pulp-writing wizard Lester Dent?
ReplyDeleteOne can only hope.
Turk, I'll letcha try it out in May. )Unless the gas prices get too dire.)
ReplyDelete