I know this post is not exactly informative or crucial to anything, but
hopefully the replies will generate some useful information for others
as well as for me.  I am a fan of the instruments manufactured by the
North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works.  I wonder how many of each
model are known to exist today?  Not just the band organs, but also the
coin pianos, orchestrions, and photoplayers.  I am especially interested
to know whether any photoplayers, or specimens of the model 1110 truck-
mounted organ (82/87 keyless) or of the Orchestrina exist.  I would also
like to know what happened to the Mando-Orchestra that was sold by Bird
Music several years ago.  If I remember correctly, it had been converted
to play -- of all things -- Weber Otero rolls!

Also, who owns a perforator that can punch 8-to-the-inch spacing for
North Tonawanda?  Balboa Park in San Diego has a library of about 101
original 52-keyless endless band organ rolls, several in poor condition,
that need to be recut in order to survive.  They play on the carousel's
model 187 organ.  Many of the arrangements are really good.  The biggest
complaint I have is that the arranger did not bother taking liberties
(theme and variations, etc.), and simply pasted together verse and
chorus, verse and chorus, etc. ad nauseam, to fill up the roll, which
often had only three tunes anyway.

However, Wurlitzer did this too (though with more tunes on a roll).  So
what I am really saying is that, if the tunes are cut to two verses and
choruses per tune (or equivalent), it should be possible to cram an
awful lot of tunes on a regular-length roll, eliminating boredom.

Though this is quite a long shot, I was also hoping that these
theoretical reissues, coupled with new, fresh arrangements would induce
North Tonawanda owners and carousel operators to have their organs
converted back to endless roll, thus allowing people to re-discover the
true musicality of these fine instruments.

Andrew Barrett

P.S. I am working on a band organ arrangement. Will send a MIDI file
when it is complete.