I noted with interest the comments about tracker organs being compared
to old cars on a freeway, but its au contraire !

Tracker organs, in my opinion, have advantages over the application of
electricity to the action.  With a tracker organ you can control the
initial tone to pipes which are voiced with chiff.  The initial burst
of harmonics notable on some ranks is dependent upon the organist's
touch.

Besides all that, playing a tracker organ is a real treat.  You are
very much connected to the instrument as you feel the pluck as the key
overcomes the resistance of the windchest air against the pallet.  All
that is lost when you remove the direct connection of the fingers to
the pipe.  When the keyboards are coupled the touch is slightly
heavier, but that is not a problem.

As I see it, the advantage of electrifying keyboards is that you can
move the console around corners, have multiple consoles, put them on
hydraulic lifts, and transfer ranks.  This gives rise to a different
type of sound that has its own literature.

Bill Chapman

 [ Since the key in a tracker organ moves the pipe valve directly
 [ it really constitutes a continuous control valve, whereas the usual
 [ electric organ keyboard is on-off.  The calliope is a very simple
 [ tracker organ.  The keyboard is right above the valves and the key
 [ pushes directly down upon the valve stem.  It's fun to modulate
 [ the air flow through the valves to make the "hwoo-woo" sound of
 [ a locomotive whistle!   -- Robbie