There is some lively discussion about these machines on the Forum.

There are even pictures of some of these machines “in the wild.”

Take a look here: Linotype Europa

Older Machines

There are also pictures and descriptions of some much older German Linotypes on Metal Type here: German Linotypes

“The latest development in the field of modern setting machine technology” is the heading on the cover of the leaflet promoting the Universa linecaster, one of the very few such machines to be built incorporating a bank of six magazines and which was the impressive leader in the range of “New Line” machines produced during the 1960s by Mergenthaler Linotype GmbH of Frankfurt.… Read the rest

The Continenta could be had as a manually-operated machine offering 28/34/42 Cicero line widths (30/36/42em equivalents) or as a tape-operated version able to cast at speeds of 10 to 15 lines per minute. Weight: 1850kg.

It was a two-magazine mixer utilising standard 90-channel magazines and had a mould wheel with four water-cooled moulds.… Read the rest

There were two versions of this design, the original and the Europa G Quick, both of which were designed principally for high-speed tape operation but which could also be used manually.

As regards the first-mentioned, it was a four-magazine mixer weighing-in at 2000kg equipped with four water-cooled 28 Cicero (30em) moulds, with provision for extension to 34 Cicero (36em) operation.… Read the rest

This machine was the German version of the English Model 79 or the American Comet—a high speed model capable of casting 15 newspaper-measure lines per minute when working on tape. It could also be operated manually, when the casting rate could be stepped-down to take account of the fact that not many operators were capable of working at such a high speed and thus there was no valid reason for the machine to be subjected to such wear and tear when there was no call for it.… Read the rest

This is what might be called the “base model” in the German Linotype “New Line” range of machines and is a four-magazine manually-operated non-mixer which could be compared to the English Model 78 or the American Model 31.

In its basic form it was fitted with mould equipment for casting from 6pt to 12pt, though alternative equipment could be substituted and the standard knife block could in any case trim slugs up to 42pt.… Read the rest

The final flowering of the linecaster

By: BRUCE ANDERTON

AT the start of the 1960s hot metal composition was still the major source of typesetting in many branches of the printing industry, and though much thought and effort was being expended in developing replacements using photographic techniques, the old order still reigned supreme in many areas and the major manufacturers—Linotype, Intertype, Monotype and Ludlow—were still introducing new machines and typefaces and providing spares for their hot metal systems.… Read the rest