The only "working Raymond Loewy fountain in the world"... ?

[shadeone]

http://bit.ly/2oEHSh8
Pretty big claim. I'm pretty sure there are other working dole deluxe dispensers out there. Or does this guy just mean the "only modified dispenser" like it?

[Eric]

Reading the article it sounds likes it's new or rebuilt... notice the register (R) along the side the embossed logo mine doesn't have that or the 2 little chromed framed signs above the dispenser nozzle.
A guy over in Illinois has an original one at his fountain but it's not hooked up just for show... as he said they don't meet code... would like to know if this new one is fiberglass or an old shell rebuilt.

Looks awesome.. I could see these making a come back... though I don't know the market for this type thing.. but it's no doubt an eye catcher.
Thanks for posting.

[Eric]

Looking at his setup... It's designed backwards... the wider side with the round medallion should be facing out to the public...
and those little signs and nozzle on the other side facing the employees... Oh well... still cool... just... backwards.

[pinballdude]

NOPE!  You have to call it "working Raymond Lowey BASED fountain, etc. He's pouring 2 flavors thru what was originally a single flavor machine. The actual drink spigot and fountain switching/dispenser mechanism is too modern to call it anything similar to an original. Am I the only one who considers the modifications done to get it to dispense a drink today voids all claims to being what is making us believe is the only working original?

[SIGNGUY]

I would agree that the claim it's a "WOrking Original" is false as well.
Cool, Hell yeah.
but basically modified an original Dispenser, painted and chromed the exterior, but I'm sure the insides looks just like what you'd find in any modern setup.. just reconfigured to fit into a vintage package.

pretty cool still .

I doubt it would ever go into production, as the volume is too low to use in a consumer environment, would be a cool "home use" item however...

we use to have a premix set up at the house when I was growing up  but it was just a bar wand type setup , but being my Family owned a Coke Distributor/bottling plant it was just "normal" for us to have in the house.

[Eric]

I think it's a new plastic/fiberglass setup.. Reading the story Hopkins approached Coca-Cola about building a working Loewy-designed fountain,
with contemporary technology. Guess I'll have to take a trip to check it out AND get a burger and Coke!

[stuntpilot]

Very cool dispenser! It does look like a fiberglass or plastic shell.

To call it an working original is just not true, there's nothing working on this unit that you could consider part of the original design.

No syrup is poured into the internal tank nor is there ice used in the ice bin as a cooling means. This is why he didn't show you the inside of the dispenser because it's just an ice tub with 2 modern valves mounted inside.

This really wouldn't be that tough to make, have a Dole Deluxe gutted and restored, remove the cold plate and syrup tank, fabricate a valve mounting bracket, drill 2 holes for the valves to protrude the bottom, run all the lines down thru the base to a remote cooling unit below the counter. Toughest thing to fabricate would be the very nice chrome ringed flavor labels he has mounted on the front. Not sure why he reversed the machine, with the right valves he could have made them fit in the dispenser's original front and kept the back the same. It looks to me he used modern high flow valves which possibly were a bit wide to fit the original front.

There are several nice modern dispensers with an antique theme on the outside and modern equipment on the inside

Coke should really mass produce this as it's quite unique, I would have retained the original handle and devised a way to activate the valve with the original handle and keep it a single flavor dispenser, but in today's world this would be useless in a modern fast food joint.

There are several multi flavor single valves that could be used to give you more flavors, problem is you would need a touchpad on the front to activate them.

In a nutshell a superb looking machine and quite the conversation piece.