Back in the mid 1980's there was a management change at Knott's.
Bud Hurlbut, who owned and built some of Knotts signature rides, was
for the most part forced to sell out his operation to the Knott family.

Bud left the Wurlitzer 153 and the one-of-a-kind Wulitzer 157 on the
carousel.  The Ruth and the Gavioli had been removed some time before.
The Ruth organ wound up on display at Bud's operation, "Castle Park",
in Riverside, Calif.  The Gavioli was sold at Bud's house cleaning
auction.  Both are now in private collections, restored to their former
glory.

Meanwhile, back at the Farm, both Wurlitzers were played to death.
Along the way somebody came up with the "bright" idea of altering the
loft so that the 157 faced into Fiesta Village, exposing it totally to
the elements and further hastening it's demise.  The 153 was removed
from the carousel when it quite playing.  I understood that one of the
maintenance persons who had some band organ experience started working
on it.  He was a former Hurlbut employee, and unfortunately he left
before the job was completed.  It's sitting in pieces in a storeroom
at the Farm.  The 157 gave up the ghost shortly thereafter.

When Cedar Fair L.P. bought Knott's in the late 1990's there was some
hope that at least one of the organs would be returned to duty.  However,
from conversations I've had with management, it's not a priority.

Bruce R. Pier

 [ Cedar Fair L.P. is a publicly traded partnership which owns and
 [ operates five water parks and six amusement parks, including
 [ Knott's Berry Farm, Cedar Point and Dorney Park.  -- Robbie