diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/tispellb.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/tispellb.cpp
index 1fdf1d19574..82b196b820a 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/tispellb.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/tispellb.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
   - 8-digit cyan VFD display (seen with and without apostrophe)
   
   Spelling ABC (UK), 1979: exact same hardware as US version
-  
+
+
   2nd revision:
   
   Spelling B (US), 1980
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@
 #include "includes/hh_tms1k.h"
 
 // internal artwork
-//#include "spellb.lh"
+#include "spellb.lh"
 
 
 class tispellb_state : public hh_tms1k_state
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( spellb, tispellb_state )
 	/* basic machine hardware */
 	MCFG_CPU_ADD("maincpu", TMS0270, 300000) // guessed
 
+	MCFG_TIMER_DRIVER_ADD_PERIODIC("display_decay", hh_tms1k_state, display_decay_tick, attotime::from_msec(1))
+	MCFG_DEFAULT_LAYOUT(layout_spellb)
+
 	/* no sound! */
 MACHINE_CONFIG_END
 
diff --git a/src/mame/layout/lantutor.lay b/src/mame/layout/lantutor.lay
index bfdf2189350..be16b9a8015 100644
--- a/src/mame/layout/lantutor.lay
+++ b/src/mame/layout/lantutor.lay
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 <!-- define elements -->
 
-<!-- note: the TI Language Tutor 14seg digits look different from MAME's default, most notably the right half is wider -->
+<!-- note: TI's alphanumeric 14seg digits look different from MAME's default, most notably the right half is wider -->
 
 	<element name="digit" defstate="0">
 		<led14seg><color red="0.2" green="1.0" blue="0.85" /></led14seg>
diff --git a/src/mame/layout/snspell.lay b/src/mame/layout/snspell.lay
index e84c2e9fdfb..185868cce5a 100644
--- a/src/mame/layout/snspell.lay
+++ b/src/mame/layout/snspell.lay
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 <!-- define elements -->
 
-<!-- note: the TI Speak & Spell 14seg digits look different from MAME's default, most notably the right half is wider -->
+<!-- note: TI's alphanumeric 14seg digits look different from MAME's default, most notably the right half is wider -->
 
 	<element name="digit" defstate="0">
 		<led14seg><color red="0.2" green="1.0" blue="0.85" /></led14seg>
diff --git a/src/mame/layout/spellb.lay b/src/mame/layout/spellb.lay
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f5de9d31681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mame/layout/spellb.lay
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<mamelayout version="2">
+
+<!-- define elements -->
+
+<!-- file is copied from, and identical to snspell.lay -->
+
+<!-- note: TI's alphanumeric 14seg digits look different from MAME's default, most notably the right half is wider -->
+
+	<element name="digit" defstate="0">
+		<led14seg><color red="0.2" green="1.0" blue="0.85" /></led14seg>
+	</element>
+
+<!-- add our own for DP(display point) and the custom AP(apostrophe) segments -->
+
+	<element name="lamp_dp" defstate="0">
+		<disk state="0"><color red="0.0235" green="0.1255" blue="0.1059" /></disk>
+		<disk state="1"><color red="0.2" green="1.0" blue="0.85" /></disk>
+	</element>
+	<element name="lamp_ap" defstate="0">
+		<rect state="0"><color red="0.0235" green="0.1255" blue="0.1059" /></rect>
+		<rect state="1"><color red="0.2" green="1.0" blue="0.85" /></rect>
+	</element>
+
+
+
+<!-- build screen -->
+
+	<view name="Internal Layout">
+		<bounds left="0" right="89" top="0" bottom="15" />
+
+	<!-- 8 digits -->
+
+		<bezel name="digit0" element="digit"><bounds x="0" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp14" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="9" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp15" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="10.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit1" element="digit"><bounds x="11" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp114" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="20" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp115" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="21.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit2" element="digit"><bounds x="22" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp214" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="31" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp215" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="32.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit3" element="digit"><bounds x="33" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp314" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="42" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp315" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="43.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit4" element="digit"><bounds x="44" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp414" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="53" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp415" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="54.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit5" element="digit"><bounds x="55" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp514" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="64" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp515" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="65.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit6" element="digit"><bounds x="66" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp614" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="75" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp615" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="76.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+		<bezel name="digit7" element="digit"><bounds x="77" y="0" width="10" height="15" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp714" element="lamp_dp"><bounds x="86" y="13.5" width="1.5" height="1.5" /></bezel>
+		<bezel name="lamp715" element="lamp_ap"><bounds x="87.5" y="0" width="0.5" height="3.5" /></bezel>
+
+	</view>
+</mamelayout>