Hi, well I finally signed up for MMD.  My name is John Merchant, I'm
18, and I'm a band organaholic.  I attended the COAA organ rally in
Franklin, PA, on Aug. 3rd and 4th.  You probably saw me; I had lots
of cameras and a large tripod.  It was great.

My favorite organ was the beautiful homemade Wurlitzer 105, especially
when playing "The Skater's Waltz" (I videotaped the whole song going by
on the roll).  Dave Wasson's "Trudy" was the loudest organ there, with
the Stinson coming in a close second.

A W146A there may have been the organ that I got my first experience
with a band organ; the previous owner (Richard Carnes) had taken an
organ to several steam shows in eastern Ohio area for many years.

Sunday afternoon I finally visited the DeBence Museum.  Martin Anderson
was very hospitable to us.  (He had taken the 153 to several steam
shows, where I first met him.)  The calliope was bigger than I had
thought.

Afterward they turned on the W105 in the window for an entire roll,
but my vidcam was almost out of tape.  :(  Anyway, it was a fun weekend
with lots of film and tape shot up.  I recently purchased the Stanoszek
105 plans, but I don't know if I'll ever build it.

This is a great mailing list, and I know this has been said many times
before, but Jody and Robbie should be commended.

Sincerely,
John P. Merchant - from somewhere near Cleveland

P.S.  I've gone through the MMD Archives for the past three months
and I saw a message early on [MMD 95.08.21] about a calliope at the
festival at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Cleveland and Akron.
I, too, remember it, and I believe it was owned by the park (Hale Farm).
It's on a large wagon.  One end is enclosed with the vertical wood
burning boiler.  At the other end, high up on the wagon, is where the
player sits.  I believe it has had problems with the boiler, though.