Hello all MMDers,  Does anyone have any information regarding the
collection of band and fairground organs at Knoebels Groves Amusement
Resort in Elysburg, PA?

I recently took a little trip down there to ride the two wooden
coasters, and I thought I was in heaven when I saw not one, not two,
but five band organs playing throughout the park.  Three were on their
beautiful Grand Carousel, which still offers the free ride to the lucky
rider catching the brass ring.

What I know is this:

On one side of the 1913 Grand Carousel is a large Frati barrel organ
built in 1888.  It is in amazing shape for its age and it plays 61-key
Artizan rolls on a duplex roll frame.  On the other side is a Gebrueder
Bruder 107 52-key organ imported by Berni.  It still plays from cardboard
books.  In the center of the carousel is a small Wilhelm Bruder organ
that plays Wurlitzer 125 rolls.  On the "kiddie" carousel you can find
a Wurlitzer 146B band organ.

In the back of the park, opposite the Phoenix roller coaster (what an
amazing coaster I must say) sits a very rare Wurlitzer "165" organ as
the park calls it.  It was built as a barrel organ in 1904, and
converted to play duplex 165 rolls by the Wurlitzer factory in the
1920s.  That's basically what I've gathered from plaques that accompany
the organs.

Does anyone know anything more about these organs?  I've also heard
from various sources around the park, that Knoebels owns a handful of
other mechanical instruments and organs.  (I did see a nickelodeon in
the mining museum, however it was out of order.)  Does anyone know
anything about these other instruments?

I do plan on returning to the park again soon to hear these amazing
instruments play again (especially the Frati).

Last: if anyone has any advice for me (being young and still new to the
world of band organs) as how to go about purchasing a nice organ, and
considering I don't have much money, please let me know.  Many thanks.

Bill Griswold, Jr.
gavioli89@aol.com

 [ See
 [ http://www.ridezone.com/opparks/P/knoebels/knoebels01.htm
 [ http://www.ridezone.com/opparks/P/knoebels/knoeb09.jpg
 [ -- Robbie