Westminster Model ST655 Tabletop radio housed in veneered wood case. Four valve plus rectifier and tuning indicator Three waveband AC mains operated radio. Valve lineup ECH42? EAF42? EBC41 EL84 EZ40 EM34 (markings not complete) working UK 1954?
Top of chassis magic eye above
Underside of chassis
This set was given to me by John Smith in 2013 who says:
"This old wood case radio belonged to my late uncle who lived in great
Yeldom, Essex and he bought the radio for his family to use before they
could afford a television and they would sit and listen to programmes
after he returned from work or on weekends and it was past to me when
he and his wife moved into a bungalow when he retired from his job.I
kept the radio in my workshop as a memory of him and his family.It does
still work!"
Westminster radios were made for and sold by the Currys (now Currys Group PLC ) High Street retail shops. The company which stared out selling bicycles acquired several subsidiary companies and continued its expansion especially in its electrical sections and this side of the business eventually became dominant. In it acquired Belcher (Radio Services) Limited who made the Westminster range of radios, radiograms and television sets. It was renamed Belcher Electronic Services Limited in 1963, Currys Group Service Limited in 1972 and CGS Limited in 1981.
I could find no schematic diagram for this radio but fortunately it seemed to work quite well on all three wavebands with a good aerial. One of the wires to the tuning indicator had come adrift but rectifying this did not bring life back. The voltages on the various pins seemed to be correct and the AVC voltage varied with the signal strength so I concluded that the tube was at fault as only a very faint glow could be perceived. The cabinet was touched up (a brown felt tip pen and wood stain for the larger discoloured areas) to disguise scratches and then finished with furniture polish.
