Found some more information on the ALB
http://myperfectstitch.blogspot.com/...r-classic.html this tells how to buy Schultz needles to grind them down to fit on and give you the perfect stitch.
Not sure if these will still work as it was posted 4 years ago: "New Home also has records showing manufacturing dates up to 1955. If you have a machine manufactured by New Home or Free Westinghouse and want to know the year of manufacture, please send the serial number to the New Home Sewing Machine Co, PO Box 25901, Los Angeles 25, California."
http://www.ismacs.net/newhome/manufacture_dates.html
As I find more I'll post it.