Dear List,  I'm a new subscriber -- first posting -- and I need some
help.  I have acquired an 84-key Mortier organ. It's missing the facade,
but at this point I feel fortunate just to have the organ.

I have been unable to find any information about this organ.  I have
limited resources: the Reblitz-Bowers "Treasures of Mechanical Music"
and a very flood-damaged book called "The Fairground Organ" (Eric V.
Cockayne).

I've looked in the "Treasures of MM", and found what appears to be
somewhat close to what I have (bottom of page 538 and top of 539) but
the only information I have on the organ, I guess, is a serial (or opus?)
number *80* stamped in several places on the case, bellows, chest, and
keyframe.

The cabinet has 24 holes (plus what looks like a wind line hole) on the
top, so I am assuming that something is missing, unless the cabinets were
universal.  Also, on the bung side of the valve box is a 1" (or so)
nipple that goes nowhere.

The organ itself is exactly as the key frame layout in the "Treasures"
indicates, but there are no traps or percussions; just flutes and
violins.  No reeds, and there doesn't seem to be any place for a reed
chest, or any chestwork missing, unless they went up above on top of
the cabinet. ?????

Pipe work is flutes; jazz flutes, stopped flutes and a rank of
vibratones.  The balance of the pipework are violins and cellos.  There
are 12 bass flute pipes under the box, and  12 bass cellos (I assume)
mounted 6 and 6 in the upper top portion of the cabinet.  There are also
two tremulants: Main and Jazz.

Was there a standard "rank-list" for these organs, or were they all
different?  Did they all have traps and percussions?  Was there ever a
list compiled of what each instrument had in the way of a specification?

There is an 11-switch "stop-register" action box.  I have not messed with
this, as the tubing is old and I don't want to disturb the tubing until I
have a chance to map where they are attached.

Can anyone tell me if records were ever kept on these instruments so I
can figure out what should be there or what is missing.

Is there a standard "tubing" chart for these organs?  All the tubing from
the keyframe has deteriorated and has broken off from the nipple block
that attaches to the organ.  I don't have a test book.  Were the all
different?

Sorry for so many questions, but better to hit it now than a thousand
requests later.

Anybody care to venture a guess of what this organ is worth as is?  It
appears to be in very good condition, no broken or badly damaged pipes,
chests, etc.  Obviously bellows, tubing and other materials will need to
be restored and replaced.

I plan to restore the organ, although it looks as if it could play, but
the drive motor is missing. The Organ has been in dry (cool) warehouse
storage for about 15-20 years.  There is no motor, but the large belt
drive pulley is with the organ.  What size motor and what RPM should be
used for the drive motor?

I'd sure appreciate any help the list could provide.  If anyone cares to
respond, the email address is below.  Thanks,

Tim Rickman, Rickman Control Systems
P.O. Box 11222 , Reno, NV 89510-1222
(702)324-4265 ; (702) 324-4250 Fax
rickman@uniflex.reno.nv.us