[R-390] Antique Bug

[Mike Andrews W5EGO]

On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 06:44:06AM -0800, Robert Meyer wrote:
> In the middle of all of this, I'd like to throw a question out there.
> Somewhere amongst the rubble that is my station (currently all packed
> away in a garage 'cuz I can't set it up where I am), I have a keyer
> that is made exactly like a vibroplex bug. The difference is that
> the faded, curled tag on it said that it was made by the model train
> company Lionel. It claims that it's a J-37 (if memory serves) which
> would seem to indicate that it was made for the military.
>
> Does anybody know anything about this thing? I was actively using it
> before I shut my station down when I moved to my current location. It
> was a wonderful thing. I learned to use one when I was working on my
> first ticket in 1980/81. I acquired this one years ago.

Sounds like a Lionel J-36. During WW II (and maybe for a bit just before),
Lionel and maybe some others had contracts to make bugs patterned on the
Vibroplex Lightning Bug. Vibroplex also made them under contract, as I own
a Vibroplex J-36 given to me by an uncle who got it when he was a radio
operator on B-24 (or B-25) bombers in the European Theatre of Operations
during WW II.

Mine has a black crackle base, brass nomenclature tag, and chromed moving  
parts, with black finger and thumb pieces. Still works just fine, though it
would be improved by a teardown, cleaning, and reassembly. 

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin