http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-TRK-12-Pre-War-Television-Cabinet-TRK12-TRK-120-/330621327208?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cfa911768

Phil Nelson

Perhaps I really do not want to understand why some brainless idiot would remove the the television portion of a TRK-12 and replace it with a turntable?:tears:
Fortunately, the CRT was vertically mounted or else the cabinet may have ended up as linen cabinet or worse still: a "Fish Tank".:no:

The top inside of the cabinet has been hacked up pretty bad hasn't it?

Yah, but if I had a naked chassis sitting in the garage, I could find someone to make me a replacement panel right quick.

Phil Nelson

Maybe this is my chance to own a TRK-12! Well own some of a TRK-12. Ah who am I kidding this will be outa my price range by the end...I wonder if I... :scratch2:.

Found out the seller has had this piece for 30 years waiting to find a chassis to complete it. Wonder if it would take another 30 to find one. Even empty for that many years I think this thing would make me smile every time I look at it :).

I have the chassis' and pieces to put this back together, but between the cost to ship, repair and refinish the cabinet, and the value of the parts it probably doesn't make sense since these usually go for around $7K-$8K complete.

Darryl

Just to make note, that's a '40/'41 model TRK-120, and I think the front end chassis is different from a TRK-12 (has factory FM TV sound carrier, and 525 line scan rate s 440 on the 12)? Just pointing that out, since if someone were to go to the effort to get that cabinet, and put a TRK-12 chassis in it, they'd have an incorrect set. It shouldn't be impossible to get hold of a chassis & tube, as I remember seeing a few TRK-12s parted out over the past couple years, and one that was on eBay with cabinet in terrible condition, and I don't think was repairable. So bottom line, if someone can buy it and store it, it's a good deal!

Charles

Charles,
All the chassis' between the TRK12 and TRK120 are mechanically the same. The main electrical differences are the TRK12 has an eye tube in the radio while the TRK120 does not, the 12 has DC restoration while the 120 does not, and the focus control was moved from the back on the 12 to the side on the 120. They were all AM sound/441 line originally although no changes were ever made or required for 525 operation.

I think finding a bad cabinet set as you mentioned would be the best route to make a complete set. Purchasing the missing components individually would be to expensive.

Darryl

Just to make note, that's a '40/'41 model TRK-120, and I think the front end chassis is different from a TRK-12 (has factory FM TV sound carrier, and 525 line scan rate s 440 on the 12)? Just pointing that out, since if someone were to go to the effort to get that cabinet, and put a TRK-12 chassis in it, they'd have an incorrect set. It shouldn't be impossible to get hold of a chassis & tube, as I remember seeing a few TRK-12s parted out over the past couple years, and one that was on eBay with cabinet in terrible condition, and I don't think was repairable. So bottom line, if someone can buy it and store it, it's a good deal!

Charles

What makes you say that it's a TRK-120? From what I can gather the 120 is solid across the bottom trim. This cabinet has the gap in the front bottom center that would lead me to believe that it's a TRK-12.
Pictures from tvhistory.tv
http://tvhistory.tv/1940-RCA-TRK120.JPG
http://tvhistory.tv/1939-RCATRK12-USA.JPG

Generally the TRK120 does have the solid toe kick area along the bottom while the TRK12 is open in the middle. The TRK12 typically has it's RCA Victor decal under the lid while the TRK120 has it on the front of the big central block piece. If you look at one of the pictures in this auction you can see the patent label which shows the set as a TRK120. The problem is with these sets now it's hard to say if RCA was reusing parts (which was typically done), or someone restored it incorrectly.

Visually from the outside the only differences are the focus control position, the elimination of the eye tube in the radio, the toe kick and the placement of the decal.

Darryl

Generally the TRK120 does have the solid toe kick area along the bottom while the TRK12 is open in the middle. The TRK12 typically has it's RCA Victor decal under the lid while the TRK120 has it on the front of the big central block piece. If you look at one of the pictures in this auction you can see the patent label which shows the set as a TRK120. The problem is with these sets now it's hard to say if RCA was reusing parts (which was typically done), or someone restored it incorrectly.

Visually from the outside the only differences are the focus control position, the elimination of the eye tube in the radio, the toe kick and the placement of the decal.

Darryl

Oh what a mystery. I guess any part of the cabinet could be restored incorrectly, but wouldn't you think it's unlikely that the bottom of the cabinet was changed. The RCA Victor decal and the patent label seem to be out of place in regards to each other. In your experience is the decal under the lid the same decal as the one on the front of the set?

In your experience is the decal under the lid the same decal as the one on the front of the set?

Nope, different decals.

My TRK-120 has the split toe kick. I think they all should have the split
toe kick. I think many have been lost and incorrectly replaced with a solid
toe kick. The decal is under the lid on all TRK-12's and on the front wood
panel on the TRK-120's. Only the earliest TRK-12's have the rear focus.

I also have seen TRK-120's with and with out DC restoration. The TRK-120 have better escutcheons and better push buttons. All were made before the July 1941 changes. There was some reference to a TRK-121 that
was in the works but none exist as far as I know.

One bid in the last ten seconds, so it sold for the $999.95 minimum.

One bid in the last ten seconds, so it sold for the $999.95 minimum.

It was not me. After much deliberation and advice from a collector whom I have great respect for, I decided to pass.
It would be nice if the buyer is a member here.

It was not me. After much deliberation and advice from a collector whom I have great respect for, I decided to pass.
It would be nice if the buyer is a member here.

That seems about right to me. That was the same price I negotiated with a fellow collector years ago to purchase one from him to replace the sad one I had that would have required far more than that in repairs.

The buyer IS a member of VideoKarma.org! I don't know much about the details on this particular product -- but it's been successfully transported across the country and is now in the midwest. Like the previous owner, I'm now in restoration mode. I'll post more detailed photos in a week or two. If someone has a lead on the TV chassis and tube, that would be great information. It has the radio chassis intact but the TV innards were removed and replaced with a phonograph (now also removed) at some point. -Dave in the Indianapolis area

Dave-

Welcome to Videokarma. That should be a nice and challenging project to find original components of the TV chassis. If I had been able to buy the set, I was going to consider adapting the chassis of a postwar round-CRT 12" set to work in the TRK cabinet if possible, while keeping up the hunt for proper parts.

Dave-

Welcome to Videokarma. That should be a nice and challenging project to find original components of the TV chassis. If I had been able to buy the set, I was going to consider adapting the chassis of a postwar round-CRT 12" set to work in the TRK cabinet if possible, while keeping up the hunt for proper parts.

This is precisely what I had in mind for the cabinet. I think it would display very well, even if it isn't original.

'Glad the set has a good home. The restorations should be interesting and rewarding.

I suspect that there will be bits and pieces of early RCA components about. I would even consider fabricating a chassis matching as closely the early chassis.

On a side note: for post war operation with FM sound, was there ever an "official" modification for this set to convert the AM sound system to FM? Or did it simply make do with slope detection?

This TRK-12 is now safely in storage. An engineer friend and I fired up the radio yesterday (carefully) and were delighted to hear that it's in good working order, easily pulling in a local AM station with its booming, big speaker.

I'm now hunting for the missing video chassis, power supply, and kinescope -- and will need to have some wood parts recreated.

Here's a close-up view of what's left of this original piece:

http://photobucket.com/RCATRK12

Good luck with your search for original parts and keep us posted :).