This is a Very nice Organ. My Local Carousel (that has band organs) includes a wurlitzer 165 and a 146-A. It also has a rare Ruth 38B which there are only 2 of in the world.
Excellent video-gives a closeup view of your 153. There was a merry-go-round on the Wash DCmall that featured a 153 organ used to just listen to it. Then rode the carousel it was on(Parker) this would be like 30yrs ago! Don’t know if it’s all still on the mall. Glen Echo Park in NorthenDC has a165 organ-loved them both. Have recordings of them. Can’t afford my own organ-so collect recordings of them .there is a good selection on You Tube-such as yours and many others. Also downloads. Play them from my phone thru my cars sound system-Bluetooth and thru a Bluetooth equipped amplifier at home.
I could listen to those old merry go round music boxes all day. I grew up riding on the merry go round at Lake Lansing amusement park and still love it.
Lake Lansing had a large Dentzel carousel with some amazing carved figures on it, including a very rare carved dog (Dentzel only carved a few dogs). A pic of this dog is published in the great book "Painted Ponies" by William Manns, Peggy Shank, Marianne Stevens, and Dru Riley. I got this book as a kid and always wondered what happened to the Lake Lansing carousel. I think it was probably auctioned off and the figures sold since it no longer exists. Do you know what band organ this carousel once had or where it went? I've always been curious about that.
My local Museum has a 146-B model that plays with a Fully restored and operational 1912 CW parker Carousel. They put a Panel of glass on the front of the Machine to reduce the noise but even then you can still hear it for at least half a mile outside from the building it's housed in. I am glad i got to see a deeper look into the inner workings of the machine i can't imagine the work that goes into restoring and maintaining these.
My local amusement park is Lake Compounce. Their carousel has a 153 band organ. I had my first encounter with the organ when I went to the park for the first time for a firework show. I was very young and was constantly looking at the organ whenever I rode the carousel. Me being Autistic, was immediately fascinated by how the organ was playing music by itself. My dad told me about it, he called it a music maker and said it was old and could play music without a human telling it what to do. Now, fast foward to high-school and the school took us on a field trip to the park and I was looking foward to seeing the organ play again. But I was disappointed when I found out that it wasn't working. I went back a few times and saw it also wasn't working. So I did some research and found out the organ hasn't been working since 2011 and the park refuses to fix it. The organ just sits and rots. But a lot of people have been telling me that they are planning on restoring the organ. I hope the rumors are true cause I'd like to see the organ play again at least once more.
There are costs to repair, and costs to keep it running, and costs to actually run it just in electricity. The park probably sees it as unnecessary, and will run a tape with music. No additional tickets will be sold to ride the carousel because the organ is running, and no additional admissions will be sold either. But done things should be done not based on dollars and cents. Those who have the money to do things like this like Corporate parks, as compared to Independent Operators, are the ones who will likely not spend the money, time, or effort. And the independent operators have to worry about paying rent, electric, and putting food on their table... These are the unfortunate truths.
I happen to a few carousels and I've asked if this was actually the organ playing because it didn't sound like it and they admitted that the organ had not been playing in years one of the reasons was because of upkeep and maintenance on the thing was very costly and was only played at certain times for special events I have to be at 1:00 and did hear the organ on one it's pretty clear when sometimes that is when this is being done you can usually tell. But something of Interest for some people might be that I've got in the future bear in mind I'm a adult fan of Lego. I will at some point be doing some Fairground stuff I'm building a functional calliope is something that will be done. However initially it might just need to be driven from some sort of non-legal air compressor and air tank just to keep up with the air supply. And eventually in theory could be driven by the Lego pneumatic compressor cylinders in a bunch of Lego motors. Two ways a potentially doing the valve blocks for this one just pinching off the pneumatic tubing less expensive and less wear and tear on mechanism since the valves would always be constantly being turned on and off otherwise in being Feud always peace could add up. I've seen where Lego pneumatic engines have been built where there's no actual valves or just pinching the tubing for valves. And yes there be wearing tearing the tubing but be cheaper than replacing the pneumatic valve switches! And another future project would be potentially a Street organ or Barrel organ type of sometimes known as a busker organ or a monkey organ numerous names for these instruments. As for what would be the paper roll normally AKA music roll. Basically using the newer track chain links and of course the sprockets and various other parts to create essentially of Lego bar across on the chain links and using either pins or some other method perhaps cheese slopes. To be able to operate the valve mechanism. In case you're wondering about the pipes and or whistles that is very doable I've seen where Lego Technic numeric locomotives have a working whistle in other words just making numerous ones with different are column links equals your organ pipes or whistles where does one you can have more and do this on a musical scale add tuning as good as possible and yes good fun ways to make that better through experimentation. For all I know this might be a world's first! During a mechanical Music Machine in Lego. You never know this could go as far as a working pipe organ more likely a Tracker organ that could be played via keyboard. Would be easy enough to do everything mechanically write down to stops and everything even having mechanical rigid coupling essentially rudimentary combination action and being able Chipotle stop knobs this is something that could be one of those things that you never know could wind up here on TH-cam If successful don't even ask how many thousand pieces and the expense but doable! Rest assured if that's ever is a thing even if something simpler such Esther call Ivy initially you better bet it would be in a TH-cam video once built. Possibly even have the mechanism for the music role driven pneumatically with a Lego pneumatic engine might as well as do that via pneumatics as well
I always liked electro-mechanical music machines..... even since I was a kid. There was a museum in Florida that had many. I believe it was in Sarasota, and is now defunct. Before recording got decent, inventors made machines that could play violins, banjos, piano, drums, etc. The technology is understandable to rookies, and when you can see it in action, it becomes a neat teaching tool.
A fascinating bit of history as well. Some band wagons you had to hand crank and there was a method of even cranking it so you would not get worn out as much. A lot of them got motorized to make it easier on the operator. I have seen both kinds of these and even years ago I wanted to make something like a band wagon and even started making some wood pipes out of scrap wood. I never did finish even the one pipe I did get some what close. I stopped as I felt it may take my whole life to make all those ranks of pipes and stuff. I started doing it as I wanted something to remind me of The Organ-Grinder Pizzeria that at one point had the largest Wurlitzer Theater Organ that was a much grander scale then what is in the video here. Some day I may go back to making the pipes again but might just do a rank of pipes and not a whole on orchastra of pipes. :)
I just subscribed. I love Wurlitzer 153s. I’m from Pittsburgh and Kennywood park still has there’s. I have an Artizan. Also, I like the yellow lights on Maryann. That’s one of the color schemes I used on mine. 👍👍👍
Fantastic, thankyou for showing her off to us. We really appreciate your time and effort to do this. Here in the UK we have steam rallys near me with these machines playing away. There is nothing that sounds like this, totally unique.
If you go to the Great Dorset Steam Fair in the UK, they have several fairground organs there which are as large as or larger than this Wurlitzer 153, although they are generally European (not American) instruments, and usually play folding cardboard book music (not so much paper rolls; some are probably on MIDI or pinned cylinders). There are several British organ enthusiast groups such as the FOPS (Fair Organ Preservation Society) and the Mechanical Organ Owners' Society (MOOS). The FOPS publishes a quarterly journal (since the 1960s) called "The Key Frame". For small hand cranked street organs there is BOGA (the British Organ Grinders' Association). Videos of a great many of these organs are already on TH-cam. Over here in the USA we have the Carousel Organ Association of America (COAA) which publishes a quarterly magazine called "Carousel Organ"; in Netherlands there is the Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden or KDV (Circle of Street-Organ Friends) who publish a fantastic quarterly journal in Dutch called "Het Pierement". This magazine also has numerous articles about dance organs and fairground organs as well as street organs, all in Dutch. In Germany there is the CDD (Club Deutscher Drehorgelfreunde, or German street-organ friends' club), which I think also have a journal (in past years it has been combined with the GSM journal, which is the main German mechanical music society). There are several other groups in other countries but these are the main ones focusing on mechanical organs. There are also online groups you can join like the Mechanical Music Digest mailing list, a mainly text-based digest which is aggregated every day and delivered to subscribers' inboxes (since 1995!). If you are on Facebook (you don't have to be), there are numerous groups to join like VFO - Vintage Fair Organs; FOT - Fair Organ Talk; American Carousel Organs; Band Organs, Fairground Organs, and Street Organs; etc etc where people post old and new photos and have historical discussions. Hope this helps!
Awesome Episode Randy, I have a similar interest as you in amusement items. Merry Anne brings me back a a kid riding the carousell at the Amusement park, & the mall. I bought my first pinball machine at 13 years old in 1990, I still have it today. I currently own 2 pinball machines. I have also collected items from defunct attractions from Knott's Berry Farm, & Six Flags Magic Mountain. These are some of my most prized possessions. Thanks for the in depth tour of Merry Anne, I still watch your episode with TNT Amusements where you gave a tour of the Arcade, Merry Anne, & Fascinations a few years ago, & I still enjoy your birthday episode of Bazooka Blasters with Todd! Can't wait for your next episode next week. Hello from Phoenix Arizona!🔥
The clutch speed control idea is pretty brilliant, how the height on the wheel changes the speed, very clever. I wonder if, was it originally designed in 27 without any lights? The entire thing I guess can run off that one motor as long as there were no lights to light up... they would have soon decided they need lights though since it has such a nice look on the front with them. Edit: I just saw the part where you mentioned that not all of them have the lights, that makes sense! The felts you mentioned inside the valve are similar to like how a Clarinet is designed, you press the pads down but they have little felt pads to seal off the hole, after awhile you have to get them all replaced. You can't just take a Wurly Band Organ down to the music instrument store though :)
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND It's a beautiful machine and it's impressive that you're able to keep it running and still on display where people can see it, sounds great to my ears! What a nice piece of American manufacturing from back in the day!
Over here in Civic, ACT, there's a carousel that plays organ music, it doesn't have the organ but it does have hidden speakers which play prerecorded music from... I want to say the Australia Fair organ.
Yes indeed.. 2900 boardwalk at magnolia ave. Likely not open more than a few more weekends this year, and they are repairing the stretch of boardwalk in my area until May... Back by then for next season!
Some questions about these machines. How is the roll tracked? Is there some sort of "automatic tracking" like that on player pianos, where the edge is sensed & the upper spool shifted to keep it on center? Another question about the arms resting upon the take-up paper buildup. As the paper accumulates upon the take-up spindle, the paper speed would become faster unless the take-up drive is slowed proportionally. Does that arm in fact back to the friction speed control to regulate the speed? There are 2 pairs of vertically-offset holes in the tracker bar near the left end & at the right end. What is the purpose of these holes? Regarding your comment about avoiding operation of parts due to age: I restored a player piano & I found that the worst thing you can do is to NOT use functions. Leather tends to wrinkle & wood warps when it sits idle. You also learn soonest when parts need service. One thing I would recommend: fit a large car air filter onto the intakes of the pressure bellows. This will keep dirt out of the pressure system & the organ pipes. You could also fit a box around the roll boxes (could be thin clear plastic with door to access the rolls) with air filter on that. Regarding dirt entering the tracker-bar holes, player piano techs regularly use a vacuum cleaner to remove this dirt without needing to open up anything.
Randy, I don’t know if you do 100% of the work on Mary Ann but you you are a mechanical genius for keeping her still able to entertain folks with that wonderful music! Thanks
Lovely organ. Glad youve saved it/her. My oh my that compressor is noisy though! Oops, I didnt realise it was a soundpipe leak. ...and that its not compressor-driven. Nice youve kept the original bellows. That system is similar to whats used in Street Organs. If the bands connecting the pulleys from the motor are made from Leather, would it help to oil them with saddlery treatment to stop them drying out?
Its great that youre so determined to keep her alive. Ive always loved those type organs. Theres just something about them. Kind of a living thing. Far too big for me to ever practically own one, but it would be nice to restore a street organ one day. ...or a travel size harmonium would be cool too.
In the early 70's at Disney World there was a large (floor to ceiling) PianOrchestra at the Penny Arcade. You could play it for 10 cents. Most of the time it was out of order, but in 1973, I was able to make a cassette recording (sounded awful) and have a photo.
Randy, thank you so much for sharing Merry Ann and showing us how she works. I like your modern upgrades for remote control. Is this a machine that benefits from being run regularly?
This was very entertaining and also very educational. I have always been curious how these wonderful band organs work. The one I am a bit familiar with is located at Kennywood Park just outside of Pittsburgh. It is a model 153 and it was made in 1926. I am really curious how those drums work. You are saying all the instruments are fed by bursts of air through the tubes. Is there some other mechanical device that pushes the sticks. I am just curious because I am not sure if the speed of the air increases especially on the snare drum. Not sure if the merry has a switch but the 153 had a switch that could speed up or slow down the tempo of the snare drum. The faster the more powerful and very loud it was. Very informative video and I hope you put more out. Hope you are able to try to answer some of my questions and I understand you are busy. Very glad to see you are keeping this classic alive and to be enjoyed by the next generation of kids
While volume would be affected by higher pressure of air, there is no air pressure variable controlled by the machine in play. They used a dampening system of shutters which would open and close to block sound from wind instruments coming through the window opening in front. I do not have the shutter window installed on Merry Ann, for reasons that I do not want to cut volume, and I do not want to block viewing to the pipes. The drums however are driven by vacuum, as are the bells, which is not adjustable other than the way they are physically set. My only 2 visits to Kennywood Park were separated by 20 years, and the park was not open either time, so I did not get to see anything more then closed buildings off season. I purchased their Fascination Machines in 1979 when they replaced them with a new set of tables and build a new building for it, and I purchased the new Fascination tables they replaced the old ones 20 years later, when they closed Fascination all together. I still have them all.
I worked at Kennywood and did the daily maintenance on the 153 there for a few years and still help with some pre season work on it. The Kennywood organ still works with the same ideas as this one, but differs in some of the mechanical aspects. The original pumps were removed and replaced with a blower in 1998, and the external motor and pulley system was removed in 2011 and moved internally inside the the cabinet. While both the bass and snare drum are still operated by vacuum, the actual snare action was replaced by a pressure operated system in the 90’s and is still there today. Basically, the supply is still provided via vacuum, but is operated by pressure. As mentioned, there is no way to control the speed or volume of the action and there is and never was any kind of switch that you mention over it. The speed is more or less dictated by the strength of the air supply and, in the case of the Kennywood organ, by springs as well to control the reiterating action. The Kennywood organ is not a museum place and still “works for a living” playing nearly 10-12 hours a day, 7 days in the week in the summer. Parts wear out rather quickly and some aspects like the pumps have been replaced for ease of maintenance. As Randy alluded to, dirt and dust from the rolls will get in the action and transfer chest it is common to “lose” several notes throughout the course of a season. When I worked there I would go through several times a day to keep the tracker bars cleaned to prevent this as much as possible. A lot of parks have moved to MIDI operation which eliminates the rolls and the controls the music through comprise operated solenoids to operate the pipes/drums. I would love to see Kennywood go this route. The purists will disagree, but again many park organs still playing today need what they can to play as flawlessly as possible without constant maintenance. Wurlitzer built these machines to list but didn’t intend on it!
@Mars Light Modeling I worked a few summers at Kennywood from 98 to 02. I was a ride operator for Raging Rapids for the most part but the merry go round was on my list. I recall one day I went to turn on the band organ and for reasons unknown to me it just sounded very out of tune and like it was on its last leg. I could see disappointment in many riders faces. We knew it was bad. I don't recall who came over to work on it. The snare drum one stick would hit very slowly and the other just didn't move at all. There was some lever or switch he turned. Maybe a knob I don't know but it was labeled slow and fast. He turned it to fast. Left about 5 minutes later. The sticks somewhat moved but not in sync with everything else. That was in 2000. 2001 it was somewhat better but not what I remember as a kid. I came back in 2007 and to my surprise it sounded beautiful. I am no expert but have always been amazed by this machine. Maybe we saw each other during that time period. A few questions I have. Exactly how many rolls were used and how often were they changed out. May into June the roll seemed to play pretty traditional merry go round music. End of June into July it was patriotic music that had the national anthem on. August for whatever reason was Christmas music. When the park closed for the season did they just leave it sitting there because I know they placed a giant winter cover around the whole ride or did they take it out and place it wherever to be worked on in the winter. Sorry I am rambling on
@@TheCoreyd1086 In the Burnaby Village Museum they have a 146-B Model that plays with a functional 1912 CW parker Carousel that you can pay to ride. it's all housed inside a building with a gift shop and a whole Exhibit on Fairgrounds and the Carousels.They are open Late may to early September and reopen in December for a couple weeks for Christmas but the past couple years it was sad to see the Band organ clearly needed a little TLC last year i went one of the keys broke off and this year there is three broken keys and some of the hammers that strike the keys where bent and broken and there might be leaks somewhere as it sounded a little off tune. Didn't seem the phase the riders too much, But it plays 6 hours a day 7 days a week so things are going to break quickly on a old machine like that.
Hello, I am a huge mechanical music fan. I saw in a few of your videos you focused on your Wurlitzer 153 band organ “Merry Ann”. I tried looking for it last year, but did not find it when visiting the Wildwood boardwalk. Do you have it out displayed for the public to see in your arcade? I would love to know more about it. Also, the organ playing near the outside of your arcade, what type of band organ is it? I am genuinely curious. I would really love to know more about both your band organs. And are there more organs you have at that arcade? I would love to go see them this year.
@@catfromcatoonsart things change in the arcade operations from year to year. Sometimes things that people like to come look at become not visible because too many people come to "look at them"... We must always remember the Retro Arcade is a place where people should be coming with the goal and purpose of playing the arcade games. When people come for ANY other purposes, they are not supporting the continued operations of the Retro Arcade which only survives with the patronage of people who are there to play our games. Those quarters, as megar as they may be in today's world with today's inflated prices on everything which includes our operations costs, barely add up to enough to keep our doors open... Sadly, those who come to see things like band organs, rarely support our efforts to stay in business as they spend little or no money at all, simply because they did not come solely for the purpose of playing the games in the Arcade. There is no price for admission at the Retro Arcade, although there certainly should be, and we can only rely upon the decency of our visitors to support our operations with their patronage. Unfortunately, when we encourage "looking" instead of "playing", we are expecting too much from visitors when we think they will understand that this is a "business" which cannot survive on people coming to look at things for free. Perhaps someday, in a forum where there is a general admission charge for people to come look at things, then things to look at will be more available to look at, but under the current circumstances this is not possible.
I totally understand and I am sorry I did not see your comments sooner. I hope there is a museum for this memorabilia some day. My family has a business itself, so I sympathize. I was just wondering because I have seen your band organ videos, but did not really know anything about how they were displayed. I wish you the best with your arcade. Also, one more question, what kind of organ was playing at the entrance of the arcade?
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Oh! No, sorry about that. Although it would be cool seeing them all.. I ment your Wurlitzer 153. It had ductape on them, and you said they were temporary. Did you ever fix them?
Yes. Most are old ones people sell, but there are some people making new ones. They can add up in price, and $100.00 for a roll is not uncommon. The larger the roll, the more it will cost. A roll typically can hold 12 to 15 songs depending on sing lengths; some rolls only have a single song, or perhaps 6 or 7. I paid $200.00 for a 15 second run of a tuning roll which simply hit each note in succession once. Most rolls don't have all songs as ones you like, do to get one single song you want, you end up buying a roll, and they add up. I have at least a hundred rolls, and that's a lot of money tied up in paper rolls.
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Thanks for the complete answer. I could just about imagine the investment you have at your facilities. It would be interesting to hear "Merry Ann" belting out 80's music or newer !!! Cheers from Canada.
The lights may be an original feature on this organ but if you look closely, floyd gooding who formerly owned this machine at one point rewired the light package with bakelite sockets and brown vinyl covered wire. Your machine would have came with porcelin sockets with heavy duty cloth covered wire originally but was changed out in her carnival years
Indeed, porcelain sockets, and cloth wire were the thing back in the days of the 20s and 30s, but things get replaced as they wear and go bad, just like replacement valves, and reproduction rolls. Such is the way of life!
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND that thing is a beast and really makes sound. There is a amusement park in Pennsylvania called knoebels they have a bunch of band organs. I post it on my channel here on TH-cam. They have a 1888 frati (converted by artizan), 1910 gurber bruder 107 style, Wurlitzer 125, Wurlitzer 165 style, burder 107 they only have 5 on display but others in collection.
This is a Very nice Organ. My Local Carousel (that has band organs) includes a wurlitzer 165 and a 146-A. It also has a rare Ruth 38B which there are only 2 of in the world.
Excellent video-gives a closeup view of your 153. There was a merry-go-round on the Wash DCmall that featured a 153 organ used to just listen to it. Then rode the carousel it was on(Parker) this would be like 30yrs ago! Don’t know if it’s all still on the mall. Glen Echo Park in NorthenDC has a165 organ-loved them both. Have recordings of them. Can’t afford my own organ-so collect recordings of them .there is a good selection on You Tube-such as yours and many others. Also downloads. Play them from my phone thru my cars sound system-Bluetooth and thru a Bluetooth equipped amplifier at home.
I could listen to those old merry go round music boxes all day. I grew up riding on the merry go round at Lake Lansing amusement park and still love it.
Lake Lansing had a large Dentzel carousel with some amazing carved figures on it, including a very rare carved dog (Dentzel only carved a few dogs). A pic of this dog is published in the great book "Painted Ponies" by William Manns, Peggy Shank, Marianne Stevens, and Dru Riley. I got this book as a kid and always wondered what happened to the Lake Lansing carousel. I think it was probably auctioned off and the figures sold since it no longer exists. Do you know what band organ this carousel once had or where it went? I've always been curious about that.
Merry Ann is really cool. I get what you mean about the sounds and smells of the boardwalk. Thanks for sharing this.
My local Museum has a 146-B model that plays with a Fully restored and operational 1912 CW parker Carousel. They put a Panel of glass on the front of the Machine to reduce the noise but even then you can still hear it for at least half a mile outside from the building it's housed in. I am glad i got to see a deeper look into the inner workings of the machine i can't imagine the work that goes into restoring and maintaining these.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful machine and your story and knowledge.
My local amusement park is Lake Compounce. Their carousel has a 153 band organ. I had my first encounter with the organ when I went to the park for the first time for a firework show. I was very young and was constantly looking at the organ whenever I rode the carousel. Me being Autistic, was immediately fascinated by how the organ was playing music by itself. My dad told me about it, he called it a music maker and said it was old and could play music without a human telling it what to do. Now, fast foward to high-school and the school took us on a field trip to the park and I was looking foward to seeing the organ play again. But I was disappointed when I found out that it wasn't working. I went back a few times and saw it also wasn't working. So I did some research and found out the organ hasn't been working since 2011 and the park refuses to fix it. The organ just sits and rots. But a lot of people have been telling me that they are planning on restoring the organ. I hope the rumors are true cause I'd like to see the organ play again at least once more.
There are costs to repair, and costs to keep it running, and costs to actually run it just in electricity.
The park probably sees it as unnecessary, and will run a tape with music.
No additional tickets will be sold to ride the carousel because the organ is running, and no additional admissions will be sold either.
But done things should be done not based on dollars and cents.
Those who have the money to do things like this like Corporate parks, as compared to Independent Operators, are the ones who will likely not spend the money, time, or effort.
And the independent operators have to worry about paying rent, electric, and putting food on their table...
These are the unfortunate truths.
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Yep, sadly, it will most likely never get fixed. But at least I can look at it.
They have a speaker playing recorded music via Spotify now 😢
From what I know, the last time I heard that 153 play was in February 2014 unfortunately
I happen to a few carousels and I've asked if this was actually the organ playing because it didn't sound like it and they admitted that the organ had not been playing in years one of the reasons was because of upkeep and maintenance on the thing was very costly and was only played at certain times for special events I have to be at 1:00 and did hear the organ on one it's pretty clear when sometimes that is when this is being done you can usually tell.
But something of Interest for some people might be that I've got in the future bear in mind I'm a adult fan of Lego.
I will at some point be doing some Fairground stuff I'm building a functional calliope is something that will be done.
However initially it might just need to be driven from some sort of non-legal air compressor and air tank just to keep up with the air supply.
And eventually in theory could be driven by the Lego pneumatic compressor cylinders in a bunch of Lego motors.
Two ways a potentially doing the valve blocks for this one just pinching off the pneumatic tubing less expensive and less wear and tear on mechanism since the valves would always be constantly being turned on and off otherwise in being Feud always peace could add up.
I've seen where Lego pneumatic engines have been built where there's no actual valves or just pinching the tubing for valves.
And yes there be wearing tearing the tubing but be cheaper than replacing the pneumatic valve switches!
And another future project would be potentially a Street organ or Barrel organ type of sometimes known as a busker organ or a monkey organ numerous names for these instruments.
As for what would be the paper roll normally AKA music roll.
Basically using the newer track chain links and of course the sprockets and various other parts to create essentially of Lego bar across on the chain links and using either pins or some other method perhaps cheese slopes.
To be able to operate the valve mechanism.
In case you're wondering about the pipes and or whistles that is very doable I've seen where Lego Technic numeric locomotives have a working whistle in other words just making numerous ones with different are column links equals your organ pipes or whistles where does one you can have more and do this on a musical scale add tuning as good as possible and yes good fun ways to make that better through experimentation.
For all I know this might be a world's first!
During a mechanical Music Machine in Lego.
You never know this could go as far as a working pipe organ more likely a Tracker organ that could be played via keyboard.
Would be easy enough to do everything mechanically write down to stops and everything even having mechanical rigid coupling essentially rudimentary combination action and being able Chipotle stop knobs this is something that could be one of those things that you never know could wind up here on TH-cam If successful don't even ask how many thousand pieces and the expense but doable!
Rest assured if that's ever is a thing even if something simpler such Esther call Ivy initially you better bet it would be in a TH-cam video once built.
Possibly even have the mechanism for the music role driven pneumatically with a Lego pneumatic engine might as well as do that via pneumatics as well
I always liked electro-mechanical music machines..... even since I was a kid. There was a museum in Florida that had many. I believe it was in Sarasota, and is now defunct. Before recording got decent, inventors made machines that could play violins, banjos, piano, drums, etc. The technology is understandable to rookies, and when you can see it in action, it becomes a neat teaching tool.
A fascinating bit of history as well.
Some band wagons you had to hand crank and there was a method of even cranking it so you would not get worn out as much.
A lot of them got motorized to make it easier on the operator.
I have seen both kinds of these and even years ago I wanted to make something like a band wagon and even started making some wood pipes out of scrap wood.
I never did finish even the one pipe I did get some what close.
I stopped as I felt it may take my whole life to make all those ranks of pipes and stuff.
I started doing it as I wanted something to remind me of The Organ-Grinder Pizzeria that at one point had the largest Wurlitzer Theater Organ that was a much grander scale then what is in the video here.
Some day I may go back to making the pipes again but might just do a rank of pipes and not a whole on orchastra of pipes. :)
I just subscribed. I love Wurlitzer 153s. I’m from Pittsburgh and Kennywood park still has there’s. I have an Artizan. Also, I like the yellow lights on Maryann. That’s one of the color schemes I used on mine. 👍👍👍
Fantastic, thankyou for showing her off to us. We really appreciate your time and effort to do this. Here in the UK we have steam rallys near me with these machines playing away. There is nothing that sounds like this, totally unique.
Typically calliopes are steam driven, and played with a keyboard... I assume they had automatic playing ones, and it is typically a circus sound!
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND next time I go, I'll make a video to share. Keep these episodes coming, love watching them.
If you go to the Great Dorset Steam Fair in the UK, they have several fairground organs there which are as large as or larger than this Wurlitzer 153, although they are generally European (not American) instruments, and usually play folding cardboard book music (not so much paper rolls; some are probably on MIDI or pinned cylinders).
There are several British organ enthusiast groups such as the FOPS (Fair Organ Preservation Society) and the Mechanical Organ Owners' Society (MOOS). The FOPS publishes a quarterly journal (since the 1960s) called "The Key Frame". For small hand cranked street organs there is BOGA (the British Organ Grinders' Association). Videos of a great many of these organs are already on TH-cam.
Over here in the USA we have the Carousel Organ Association of America (COAA) which publishes a quarterly magazine called "Carousel Organ"; in Netherlands there is the Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden or KDV (Circle of Street-Organ Friends) who publish a fantastic quarterly journal in Dutch called "Het Pierement".
This magazine also has numerous articles about dance organs and fairground organs as well as street organs, all in Dutch.
In Germany there is the CDD (Club Deutscher Drehorgelfreunde, or German street-organ friends' club), which I think also have a journal (in past years it has been combined with the GSM journal, which is the main German mechanical music society).
There are several other groups in other countries but these are the main ones focusing on mechanical organs.
There are also online groups you can join like the Mechanical Music Digest mailing list, a mainly text-based digest which is aggregated every day and delivered to subscribers' inboxes (since 1995!).
If you are on Facebook (you don't have to be), there are numerous groups to join like
VFO - Vintage Fair Organs;
FOT - Fair Organ Talk;
American Carousel Organs;
Band Organs, Fairground Organs, and Street Organs;
etc etc where people post old and new photos and have historical discussions.
Hope this helps!
Awesome Episode Randy, I have a similar interest as you in amusement items. Merry Anne brings me back a a kid riding the carousell at the Amusement park, & the mall. I bought my first pinball machine at 13 years old in 1990, I still have it today. I currently own 2 pinball machines. I have also collected items from defunct attractions from Knott's Berry Farm, & Six Flags Magic Mountain. These are some of my most prized possessions. Thanks for the in depth tour of Merry Anne, I still watch your episode with TNT Amusements where you gave a tour of the Arcade, Merry Anne, & Fascinations a few years ago, & I still enjoy your birthday episode of Bazooka Blasters with Todd! Can't wait for your next episode next week.
Hello from Phoenix Arizona!🔥
happy birthday!
The clutch speed control idea is pretty brilliant, how the height on the wheel changes the speed, very clever.
I wonder if, was it originally designed in 27 without any lights? The entire thing I guess can run off that one motor as long as there were no lights to light up... they would have soon decided they need lights though since it has such a nice look on the front with them.
Edit: I just saw the part where you mentioned that not all of them have the lights, that makes sense!
The felts you mentioned inside the valve are similar to like how a Clarinet is designed, you press the pads down but they have little felt pads to seal off the hole, after awhile you have to get them all replaced. You can't just take a Wurly Band Organ down to the music instrument store though :)
From what I heard, the lights were an option on ordering.
They look original
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND It's a beautiful machine and it's impressive that you're able to keep it running and still on display where people can see it, sounds great to my ears! What a nice piece of American manufacturing from back in the day!
Happy birthday 😊
Over here in Civic, ACT, there's a carousel that plays organ music, it doesn't have the organ but it does have hidden speakers which play prerecorded music from... I want to say the Australia Fair organ.
You're on the Wildwood Boardwalk? I'll definitely have to come check her out! I'm a huge band organ fanatic.
Yes indeed.. 2900 boardwalk at magnolia ave.
Likely not open more than a few more weekends this year, and they are repairing the stretch of boardwalk in my area until May...
Back by then for next season!
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Thanks! I don't get down there much anymore but next year I'll deninitely have to try to!
Some questions about these machines. How is the roll tracked? Is there some sort of "automatic tracking" like that on player pianos, where the edge is sensed & the upper spool shifted to keep it on center?
Another question about the arms resting upon the take-up paper buildup. As the paper accumulates upon the take-up spindle, the paper speed would become faster unless the take-up drive is slowed proportionally. Does that arm in fact back to the friction speed control to regulate the speed?
There are 2 pairs of vertically-offset holes in the tracker bar near the left end & at the right end. What is the purpose of these holes?
Regarding your comment about avoiding operation of parts due to age: I restored a player piano & I found that the worst thing you can do is to NOT use functions. Leather tends to wrinkle & wood warps when it sits idle. You also learn soonest when parts need service.
One thing I would recommend: fit a large car air filter onto the intakes of the pressure bellows. This will keep dirt out of the pressure system & the organ pipes. You could also fit a box around the roll boxes (could be thin clear plastic with door to access the rolls) with air filter on that. Regarding dirt entering the tracker-bar holes, player piano techs regularly use a vacuum cleaner to remove this dirt without needing to open up anything.
Randy,
I don’t know if you do 100% of the work on Mary Ann but you you are a mechanical genius for keeping her still able to entertain folks with that wonderful music!
Thanks
I am the only one who works on it.
Thank you
Lovely organ. Glad youve saved it/her. My oh my that compressor is noisy though! Oops, I didnt realise it was a soundpipe leak. ...and that its not compressor-driven. Nice youve kept the original bellows. That system is similar to whats used in Street Organs. If the bands connecting the pulleys from the motor are made from Leather, would it help to oil them with saddlery treatment to stop them drying out?
Has new belts; bellows system
Its great that youre so determined to keep her alive. Ive always loved those type organs. Theres just something about them. Kind of a living thing. Far too big for me to ever practically own one, but it would be nice to restore a street organ one day. ...or a travel size harmonium would be cool too.
@@penfold7800 I know what you mean.
Here's my little ones
th-cam.com/video/SpRN9gRvu6U/w-d-xo.html
🤣Major Bellows..! Liked that Randy!🤣👍🐿
What a "fascinating" music machine!
In the early 70's at Disney World there was a large (floor to ceiling) PianOrchestra at the Penny Arcade. You could play it for 10 cents. Most of the time it was out of order, but in 1973, I was able to make a cassette recording (sounded awful) and have a photo.
Randy, thank you so much for sharing Merry Ann and showing us how she works. I like your modern upgrades for remote control. Is this a machine that benefits from being run regularly?
This was very entertaining and also very educational. I have always been curious how these wonderful band organs work. The one I am a bit familiar with is located at Kennywood Park just outside of Pittsburgh. It is a model 153 and it was made in 1926. I am really curious how those drums work. You are saying all the instruments are fed by bursts of air through the tubes. Is there some other mechanical device that pushes the sticks. I am just curious because I am not sure if the speed of the air increases especially on the snare drum. Not sure if the merry has a switch but the 153 had a switch that could speed up or slow down the tempo of the snare drum. The faster the more powerful and very loud it was. Very informative video and I hope you put more out. Hope you are able to try to answer some of my questions and I understand you are busy. Very glad to see you are keeping this classic alive and to be enjoyed by the next generation of kids
While volume would be affected by higher pressure of air, there is no air pressure variable controlled by the machine in play.
They used a dampening system of shutters which would open and close to block sound from wind instruments coming through the window opening in front.
I do not have the shutter window installed on Merry Ann, for reasons that I do not want to cut volume, and I do not want to block viewing to the pipes.
The drums however are driven by vacuum, as are the bells, which is not adjustable other than the way they are physically set.
My only 2 visits to Kennywood Park were separated by 20 years, and the park was not open either time, so I did not get to see anything more then closed buildings off season.
I purchased their Fascination Machines in 1979 when they replaced them with a new set of tables and build a new building for it, and I purchased the new Fascination tables they replaced the old ones 20 years later, when they closed Fascination all together.
I still have them all.
I worked at Kennywood and did the daily maintenance on the 153 there for a few years and still help with some pre season work on it. The Kennywood organ still works with the same ideas as this one, but differs in some of the mechanical aspects.
The original pumps were removed and replaced with a blower in 1998, and the external motor and pulley system was removed in 2011 and moved internally inside the the cabinet.
While both the bass and snare drum are still operated by vacuum, the actual snare action was replaced by a pressure operated system in the 90’s and is still there today. Basically, the supply is still provided via vacuum, but is operated by pressure. As mentioned, there is no way to control the speed or volume of the action and there is and never was any kind of switch that you mention over it. The speed is more or less dictated by the strength of the air supply and, in the case of the Kennywood organ, by springs as well to control the reiterating action.
The Kennywood organ is not a museum place and still “works for a living” playing nearly 10-12 hours a day, 7 days in the week in the summer. Parts wear out rather quickly and some aspects like the pumps have been replaced for ease of maintenance. As Randy alluded to, dirt and dust from the rolls will get in the action and transfer chest it is common to “lose” several notes throughout the course of a season. When I worked there I would go through several times a day to keep the tracker bars cleaned to prevent this as much as possible.
A lot of parks have moved to MIDI operation which eliminates the rolls and the controls the music through comprise operated solenoids to operate the pipes/drums. I would love to see Kennywood go this route. The purists will disagree, but again many park organs still playing today need what they can to play as flawlessly as possible without constant maintenance. Wurlitzer built these machines to list but didn’t intend on it!
@Mars Light Modeling I worked a few summers at Kennywood from 98 to 02. I was a ride operator for Raging Rapids for the most part but the merry go round was on my list. I recall one day I went to turn on the band organ and for reasons unknown to me it just sounded very out of tune and like it was on its last leg. I could see disappointment in many riders faces. We knew it was bad. I don't recall who came over to work on it. The snare drum one stick would hit very slowly and the other just didn't move at all. There was some lever or switch he turned. Maybe a knob I don't know but it was labeled slow and fast. He turned it to fast. Left about 5 minutes later. The sticks somewhat moved but not in sync with everything else. That was in 2000. 2001 it was somewhat better but not what I remember as a kid. I came back in 2007 and to my surprise it sounded beautiful. I am no expert but have always been amazed by this machine. Maybe we saw each other during that time period. A few questions I have. Exactly how many rolls were used and how often were they changed out. May into June the roll seemed to play pretty traditional merry go round music. End of June into July it was patriotic music that had the national anthem on. August for whatever reason was Christmas music. When the park closed for the season did they just leave it sitting there because I know they placed a giant winter cover around the whole ride or did they take it out and place it wherever to be worked on in the winter. Sorry I am rambling on
@@TheCoreyd1086 In the Burnaby Village Museum they have a 146-B Model that plays with a functional 1912 CW parker Carousel that you can pay to ride. it's all housed inside a building with a gift shop and a whole Exhibit on Fairgrounds and the Carousels.They are open Late may to early September and reopen in December for a couple weeks for Christmas but the past couple years it was sad to see the Band organ clearly needed a little TLC last year i went one of the keys broke off and this year there is three broken keys and some of the hammers that strike the keys where bent and broken and there might be leaks somewhere as it sounded a little off tune. Didn't seem the phase the riders too much, But it plays 6 hours a day 7 days a week so things are going to break quickly on a old machine like that.
Hello, I am a huge mechanical music fan. I saw in a few of your videos you focused on your Wurlitzer 153 band organ “Merry Ann”. I tried looking for it last year, but did not find it when visiting the Wildwood boardwalk. Do you have it out displayed for the public to see in your arcade? I would love to know more about it. Also, the organ playing near the outside of your arcade, what type of band organ is it? I am genuinely curious. I would really love to know more about both your band organs. And are there more organs you have at that arcade? I would love to go see them this year.
@@catfromcatoonsart things change in the arcade operations from year to year.
Sometimes things that people like to come look at become not visible because too many people come to "look at them"...
We must always remember the Retro Arcade is a place where people should be coming with the goal and purpose of playing the arcade games.
When people come for ANY other purposes, they are not supporting the continued operations of the Retro Arcade which only survives with the patronage of people who are there to play our games.
Those quarters, as megar as they may be in today's world with today's inflated prices on everything which includes our operations costs, barely add up to enough to keep our doors open...
Sadly, those who come to see things like band organs, rarely support our efforts to stay in business as they spend little or no money at all, simply because they did not come solely for the purpose of playing the games in the Arcade.
There is no price for admission at the Retro Arcade, although there certainly should be, and we can only rely upon the decency of our visitors to support our operations with their patronage.
Unfortunately, when we encourage "looking" instead of "playing", we are expecting too much from visitors when we think they will understand that this is a "business" which cannot survive on people coming to look at things for free.
Perhaps someday, in a forum where there is a general admission charge for people to come look at things, then things to look at will be more available to look at, but under the current circumstances this is not possible.
I totally understand and I am sorry I did not see your comments sooner. I hope there is a museum for this memorabilia some day. My family has a business itself, so I sympathize. I was just wondering because I have seen your band organ videos, but did not really know anything about how they were displayed. I wish you the best with your arcade. Also, one more question, what kind of organ was playing at the entrance of the arcade?
Hmm you put your fingers where they should not have been.
I did once when I was very young and it took part of my pinky.
Randy, if you didn't know, its actually not a xylophone. Its a glockenspiel. XD still, pretty nice music!
Metal tone keys make it glockenspiel.
When I was in highschool marching band we had them vertically.
I love the sound of bells
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Same here! I love the sound of them too! I did play a vertical glockenspiel once, very fun to tinker with.
I have one from high school days.
I was percussion, so had to do them all, although, it was rare that I did anything other than drums.
This is a very nice piece of collection that you have Randy. How long, approximatively, is the duration of a song?
Varies... 2, 3 minutes 8 would guess.
Also depends on speed played at
Are you going to fix the trumpets? They sounded so good!
The golden trumpeter had to move to a future location as I needed the space in the Retro Arcade
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Wait, you took the trumpets out of the organ?
@@JesseBadut14 I have 3 different band organs.
One is a golden trumpeter which features brass trumpets.
I thought that's what you were talking about.
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Oh! No, sorry about that. Although it would be cool seeing them all.. I ment your Wurlitzer 153. It had ductape on them, and you said they were temporary. Did you ever fix them?
@@JesseBadut14 tips are supposed to be covered and a few were ripped so the tape sealed the top. Sounds come from side
I almost lost my finger in a game of pickle ball. No big dill.
Can you still get rolls for these machines of newer music?
Yes. Most are old ones people sell, but there are some people making new ones.
They can add up in price, and $100.00 for a roll is not uncommon.
The larger the roll, the more it will cost.
A roll typically can hold 12 to 15 songs depending on sing lengths; some rolls only have a single song, or perhaps 6 or 7.
I paid $200.00 for a 15 second run of a tuning roll which simply hit each note in succession once.
Most rolls don't have all songs as ones you like, do to get one single song you want, you end up buying a roll, and they add up.
I have at least a hundred rolls, and that's a lot of money tied up in paper rolls.
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND Thanks for the complete answer. I could just about imagine the investment you have at your facilities. It would be interesting to hear "Merry Ann" belting out 80's music or newer !!! Cheers from Canada.
Per roll
Varies... 10 12 14 16
The lights may be an original feature on this organ but if you look closely, floyd gooding who formerly owned this machine at one point rewired the light package with bakelite sockets and brown vinyl covered wire. Your machine would have came with porcelin sockets with heavy duty cloth covered wire originally but was changed out in her carnival years
Indeed, porcelain sockets, and cloth wire were the thing back in the days of the 20s and 30s, but things get replaced as they wear and go bad, just like replacement valves, and reproduction rolls.
Such is the way of life!
I saw across from marry Ann you have a smaller Wurlitzer possibly a 125
True.
125. Wurlitzer Golden Trumpeter
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND that thing is a beast and really makes sound. There is a amusement park in Pennsylvania called knoebels they have a bunch of band organs. I post it on my channel here on TH-cam. They have a 1888 frati (converted by artizan), 1910 gurber bruder 107 style, Wurlitzer 125, Wurlitzer 165 style, burder 107 they only have 5 on display but others in collection.
I have 3 myself
@@MainStreetRANDYLAND what is the third one
stuck pipes are an easy fix,,, don't let anyone tell you other wise .
Can you give me the full list of rolls you have?
😂. No.
That is funny however!
I really wish That there is a mother ginger organ music
The model number means how many notes/pipes it has
No, it doesn't.
You baby organ sounds a bit off. Needs some tuning. Still a lot of big street organs around here in the Netherlands.😉
oops, i commented to quick, lol. Lot's of skin in these things, i should have known, i had a pedal pump organ with the same, sigh
How many songs does Merry Anne play?
Depends on roll
it plays from two 10-tune style 150 rolls, in general. Some classical rolls have less tunes, some popular rolls can have up to 15 shorser tunes.