Rare Dr Pepper Atlas Junior W/Mech

[Funtronics]

Bought this very rare Dr Pepper Altas Junior cooler with the rare selectvend mech. The best part is that it came from a local Dr Pepper plant that use to be close to me. All the parts are there but will need a total restoration. This is a wonder just to see this thing work. The drum and the mech are the most complex thing I have ever seen. The mech you would put your nickle in and it would go thru a trigger to release a arm to rotate the drum. Then the nickle goes and sits in this clear window where you can see it and does not drop into the coin box until another nickle is put thru the mech. Really hard to explain how it works, but really cool to watch it work. The guy I bought it from parents use to own and operate the old Dr Pepper plant. So he grew up there and knew all about the coolers and signs. He is the one that showed me how everything worked on this cooler. I have restored a lot of machines and there's not a lot that really excites me anymore, but this one I am very excited about bringing it back to life. This one will be a keeper.

[MoonDawg]

      What a jewel! Those large corner caps and embossing are going to make that machine POP when it's done. 

      So is the drum action spring loaded?  I see no knobs or wheel that need to be operated by the user.

[Funtronics]

      What a jewel! Those large corner caps and embossing are going to make that machine POP when it's done. 

      So is the drum action spring loaded?  I see no knobs or wheel that need to be operated by the user.

The drum is spring loaded and is released by an arm that comes down from the mech to release it. Amazing how this thing works.

[Chris]

Rod, once its finished can you get a short video of how it operates? That would be neat to see. Nice find! I need to get my people to find the right machines for me to pick up. The last one was a VMC-149 for $3500.  They wanted $1 per pound!

[tkaz]

Wow, that is a neat looking cooler.  It's going to look spectacular restored.

[Slapshot42]

Cool looking ...take a video and upload to YouTube 

[Eric]

Great Score Rod...great background story too... makes it even better... can't wait to see it restored.
Thanks for posting!

[Jared]

great find and story.definitly a keeper

[mygoose101]

Why do I get this funny feeling that this machine is going to come out very, very nice. Can't wait.

[Jim]

Very Cool Machine Rod ! ! !
According to  the literature I saw, it's an "Atlas Junior Electric Simplex" provided yours has electric refrigeration. If my memory serves me, Simplex made the coin mechanism...
And, it appears the porcelain DP sign is in good shape as well ! ! !