Subject: Twilight Zone Proto? Does it have an "x"?
From: [email-masked](JohnB)
Date: 20 Apr 1996 16:40:54 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball

There has been some discussion lately about "if my Twilight Zone has
this, or doesn't have that, is it a prototype?"   Part of the problem
might be some people *may* have "redefined" what a prototype is to
make their game appear to be a prototype.  See "Uncle Willy" #1, June
23, 1995.

White clock face: a white clock face does *not* mean you have a
prototype.  Actually the white clock face was the 2nd of the three
clock faces used on Twilight Zone.  The 1st clock face had a circle
on it, and the circle was divided into 6 regions.  Each region was
a different color.  This design was used on the *very* early
prototypes.  The white face was then used for the rest of the
prototype games, the sample games, and into early production games
until the 3rd clock face was phased in.

"3rd" magnet.  Only true prototypes had the third magnet installed.
After the 3rd magnet was deleted from the game, a magnet core was
installed to plug the hole in the playfield (they couldn't throw
away the playfields that had been routed for the magnet).
Playfields with a magnet core were used for the sample games and
into early production.

So how do I tell if I have a prototype, sample, or production
Twilight Zone?  Check the "MFG DATE".   If it is after 
April 1, 1993 you have a regular production Twilight Zone game.
See below:

1. February 1993 - Prototype Twilight Zones made.  These all had
an "x" preceding the serial number ("x" meaning "experimental"),
as did most WMS prototypes until recently.  All of these games had
the third magnet, 2nd switch in the autofire lane, clock passage
opto, no text on the powerfield.

2. Mid March 1993 - Sample games started (a sample game is sent to
the distributor to put on thier showroom floor for display).
These games did *not* have the 3rd magnet, 2nd autofire opto,
clock passage opto although the provisions for mounting them were
there.  These games also had the green lock lamp.

3. April 1, 1993 - Regular production of Twilight Zone begins.
A few early regular production games had a few items left from the
above prototype/sample runs until the new parts were phased in.
The white clock face was used on regular production games until
the new face was phased in.

There are also rumors about numbers hand written on various parts
of the game.  A Twilight Zone I maintain has the number "39"
written on the playfield under the arch - is it the 39th Twilight?
Nope, its MFG DATE is June 1993.

Game serial numbers are not issued in order - note that the serial
number is also on the playfield. (check the barcode)

Summary, I own a Twilight Zone and mine has the 3rd magnet core, 
provisions for the 2nd autofire lane opto, green lock lamp, and 
several more things that make it sound like a prototype under
recent rgp definitions.  Is it a prototype?  Nope, MFG DATE is
April 6,1993.  It is a regular production game, albeit a very early
one, still a regular production game.

/JOHN
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|Elvira     |BLY-89| Black Knight 2K  |WMS-89| John Brannan email:    |
|CFTBL      |BLY-93| Twilight Zone    |BLY-93| [email-masked] |
|Corvette   |BLY-94| Addams Gold      |BLY-94| [email-masked]       |
|Funhouse   |WMS-90| Terminator 2     |WMS-91|                        |
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