Dear MMD:  Was looking through a recent "Antique Trader" in the
coin-op for sale section when I came upon an ad for a "Laughing Sal"
funhouse fat lady automaton for sale.  This got me to philosophizing
on how I was simultaneously fascinated and terrified of them as a child
of eight at the Pike in Long Beach, Pacific Ocean Park, and the Los
Angeles County Fair.

Being an Internet junky I typed in the words "Laughing Sal" and got
a web site featuring one at San Francisco's Playland at the Beach,
complete with a small audio sound track of her cackling along with
a band organ.  Now even more intrigued, I searched one link after
another.

I ended up at the National Amusement Park Historical Society , where
after an e-mail inquiry, I subsequently found out that "Laughing Sals"
were manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.(!)., that only one
was operating at Kennywood currently, and that one was in storage at
Lakeside Park in Denver (you can still see and hear Laughing Sal at
Musee Mechanique in S.F., by the way).

Where is all this going, you say?  At the Amusement Historical web site
there was a link for used thrill rides, which I immediately went to.

Here you can buy a used 1950 Eyerly Octopus for 15K, an Eyerly Loop-O-
Plane for 35K, or (are you listening Matthew Caulfield?) a restored
band organ (looks like a B.A.B.) "converted to play the popular
Wurlitzer 165 roll style, of which there are 70 rolls (!)" There is
also a Tangley Calliaphone for sale.

Perhaps someone could call this chap up and see just what titles
and rarities he just may have on these 70 165 rolls.  He does not
specify if these are recuts or not, but you never know.  Web site is

    http://www.usedrides.com/

Mark Forer

P.S.  With all this talk about Paul Torin's Wurlitzer 164, I must
add that I never cared for the machine's loud bleating sound when
I bought the album as new two decades ago.  I promptly got rid of it.

But the other day at the Pasadena City College's Record Swapmeet,
I spied a copy of it , factory mint sealed, and just couldn't resist
picking it up for the vendor's asking price:  $4.00.

I think it's worth every penny.