Montgomery Ward – Airline Antique Radio

Click the picture to see more of this Montgomery Ward Airline Radio
Click the picture to see more of this Montgomery Ward Airline Radio

I love to collect old radio items. I don’t really go out of my way to find them, but when they find me, I am very interested in picking them up if they are not too hard on my bank account.  I found this beauty at a garage sale today.  There were a couple of other radios there also, but I have a family to feed so I purchased only one.  The radio was from Montgomery Wards and has the label “Airline” on the back.  I have not had a chance to really dig into the innards or look for information about the radio yet.  The radio is a dual bander consisting of the broadcast band and the shortwave band from 5.75 to 17 Mhz.  Click the picture to see a slide show of the details.  If you know anything about this radio, please leave me a comment.

73,

John – K7JM

31 thoughts on “Montgomery Ward – Airline Antique Radio”

  1. Hi John,

    Lynn Wagner K7WGR mentioned you were interested in old radios and just acquired an Airline which was pictured on your website. The radio looks great and is in good condition. It should be very easy to restore.

    I’ve recently gotten bit by the radio restoration bug and have been restoring several bakelite radios over the past few months. Doug Semple KE7GYY also restores old radios and has been doing it for many years. Maybe we have enough folks involved in the Helena area to start our own restoration club!

    There is a lot of good information on the web to provide information and resources. Here are a few sites I’ve found that I like. Your radio probably has a model number on a label somewhere. If it does, you can look for the schematic on these websites http://www.nostalgiaair.org/ and http://techpreservation.dyndns.org/. If you can’t find the model number there are a number of sites that have good photo galleries to help you identify your radio, http://radioatticarchives.com/ has a very large gallery of Airline radios and http://antiqueradios.com/ has a nice gallery also.

    A good site for general information on electronics restoration and a source of e-caps, resistors and small capacitors is http://www.justradios.com/. A good site for Old New Stock (NOS) tubes and good used tubes is http://stores.ebay.com/Daves-Radio-Shop.

    Two good sites for e-mail forums where you can get help or just read their archives are http://www.nostalgiaair.org/ and http://antiqueradios.com/

    I have one Airline radio. It’s a 1950 model 1527 and is shown on the radio attic archives site. I found it at the Good Sam Thrift shop. My Airline isn’t as classy as your!

    If you need any more information or help, let me know.

    73,

    John KS7R

  2. This was welcome GroundHog Day reading this very cold February 2nd (2010) in Toronto, Canada.

    I got my start in SWL with a radio quite similar to this, but line-powered. I collected many QSL cards from the Caribbean & South America using the old SW tube set and a roll of electrical wire strung between apple trees in my backyard.

    I’ve never seen one with 1.5 V tubes like yours altho in Grade 8 I did have an early portable tube radio that had a D-cell & 1.5V tubes with a 22.5 V “B” battery for the plates.

    Please keep up your blog & posts, very interesting, and I’ll be back. By the way, I’ve been to Montana and it is a beautiful state.

    73, Rod VA3ROD

  3. Thanks for the posts Rod. This site has just been hacked and I just got it restored from the backup a few hours before you made your posts, so sorry for the delay getting back to you. I am a very “amateur” old radio collector and like to acquire them when they come along my path at a good price.
    73,
    John

  4. I have a mint condition ( for a70 year old raidio) Cathedral Montgomery Ward Airline Superheterodine
    police band radio. Series 07A W.G. 24 in Denver Colorado.
    Any info you have on this unit would be greatly appreciated.

    Ed

  5. Sorry, As I have said before, when I come across a good deal at a garage sale or somewhere, I buy a radio I can afford. I have no idea how much things are worth.
    John – K7JM

  6. I have a Airline No. 62-12X Pentode Super-Heterodyne 115 volt cycle 25 95 watt. It is in good shape needs tubes. Can anyone tell me what it is worth? Thanks

  7. HI I HAVE AN WARDS AIRLINE RADIO POPUP RECORD CHANGER MODEL NUMBER 94ER-2008-A NEEDS AN LITTLE RESTORE BUT IT DOES WORK I WAS WONDERING WHAT YEAR IT WAS AND WHERE CAN I GET PARTS TO RESTORE IT

  8. I grew up listening to several ward airline radios. I am in then process of restoring model # 04BR-730a . Can you suggest where I might find knobs for this model. Also is your radio for sale?

    Thanks
    Don

  9. Google “antique radio” and you might find some place to find parts. Sorry mine is not for sale. Have fun restoring your radio.

    John

  10. I have an old wards airline radio I would like to sell. don’t what year, but it looks pretty old. needs refinishing and some tubes. Won’t guarantee that it will work, just bought it for a conversation piece. Your reply appreciated.

  11. I have a Wards Electronics Equipment Series 600 E5747, EIE 742. I am assuming that this model bought my my mothers father comes from the 1950, but I save it because it belonged to my mother’s father. Is there any thing that you can tell me about it. It is in still working order, but with digital air waves, they do not pict up anything any mone in the Dayon, Ohio area

  12. hi i am trying to get some details about a montgomery ward radio . i have just obtained a leatherette case model with the # wg- c series 15bd11-917. it is a case which latches from the top and then lays on its side when the top is opened to display its dials and speaker. at the top of the label it says article 62-1 with the rest of the numbers not there. i would like to know the model year and any other details. i would appreciate any help you could give me in this venture. by the way i have a fairly large collection of antique radios . this one makes 45. they go from 1925 -1952. thank you in advance for reading my request.

    , chip austin
    newport,me

  13. I am sorry, but I have no information. I am a very much amateur collector and when I see something I can afford that looks nice I buy it. I don’t really have any knowledge about them.
    John

  14. I have an old Wards airline phonograph cabinet radio is this something you might be interested in

  15. i have an old airline 84kr2510a radio my mom gave it to me. it still works except the tuner nob wont move the slide, don’t know what station it is picking up but it still tunes in. i don’t know what it’s worth or if its even worht fixing. an help would be appreciated

  16. I have the exact radio. It has been in my family for years. It was my grandmothers. I was looking for information on this particular radio, and came across your post. Mine still works, and we are able to pick up signals from foreign countries.
    What can you tell me about this radio? How old is it, and what is it’s worth?

    Thanks!! 🙂

  17. I have an Airline am radio model #64BR-1503B missing one tube it worked before tube got busted. Cool stuff !

  18. I have an Airline Radio Model 8a47 it is pictured on this Web Site. I am looking for replacement knobs for this model. If anyone knows where I could purchase ..please let me know.
    Ben

  19. Looking for replacement knobs for Airline Radio 8A47. Please let me know if you know where I can obtain.

  20. I have an Airline Enchanter radio, I need a schematic for it. The radio is a TRF with 5 tubes(201’s) and three tuning knobs. This is a very rare radio and I would like too get it working…N5XDM

  21. I have a Ward Airline Radio model 93BR-420B series B Brown . 105-125 Volts A. C. (50/60 cycles) or D. C.
    I have no Idea how old it is or what it is worth. Could someone please give me some info on this model??
    thank you!

  22. Rick Peterson, I have an Airline 84KR2510A Nightstand Radio that belonged to my grandfather. The tuner knob will not move back and forth for the volume knob still works. It’s picking up a station but has a loud hum due to the old tuning bulbs. The casing is in beautiful shape as my Dad has refinished it. I would love to know how much it’s worth as well. If you find any further information, please let me know.

  23. I have a Montgomery ward radio, bought around 1951, black, tube operated, works fine, used as a kid to get foreign stations, was into shortwave radio at the time. Bought with news paper income. wonder if anyone interested in the radio?

  24. I have a Montgomery Wards Airline transistor radio model 1215,(that’s what’s on the pamphlet that came with it), It is in the original box and has the original battery in it’s original box. Can anyone tell me what the value might be? I can text a photo. I received this when I was ten or eleven, I’m 67 now.

  25. Looking for information on a airline super heyeroyme radio Serial #IF456KC, Model 62-311. Series- OEL Can you tell me what it would be worth. Thank you.

    N. Paul Gurski

  26. Sir
    I have an old Wards Airline Radio. 7L553942. I am not asking for value. I just want guidance on what I have and what not to do with it. My farther had it as a boy and that’s all I know about it.

  27. looking for part to fix and restore my parents old radio airline 14 BR 70 A need knobs and plastic covering front of radio and more

  28. I just came across an Airline AM/FM (no shortwave) Bakelite (dark brown or black in color) Radio that confuses me. The radio’s cabinet and grill (gold metal color) looks very similar (almost identical) to the Airline 64BR-1514A with AM and Shortwave but without the push-buttons. I can’t find anything on the FM model. It does have a Phono Input RCA Jack with one of the front knobs operating the Phono Input (AM/FM & Phono).

    This radio is obviously an early AM/FM Model put out by Airline, but I can’t find any reference to this radio. It I supposed could be pre or post World War II.

    Any ideas? Thanks, Rich

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