The Wurlitzer Style YU or YO photoplayers and any of the Wurlitzer
piano console organs with the 88/98 or 88-note players must have had
the same or similar stacks.  I, too, am going to have to build an
88-note stack for my machine.  Some of the units played Wurlitzer
98-hole Concert Organ rolls or PianOrchestra rolls as well as
88-note rolls.  My machine must have been an economy model as it
only played 88-note rolls, much like an American Photo Player.

Don Teach directed me to the MMDigest web site technical article that
shows how to build the Wurlitzer unit valve blocks that were used in
later stacks around 1921 and on.  The photos document the building
process well.  These are the same unit blocks used in band organs.
Someone had a couple sets of valve blocks for sale on eBay not too
long ago.  As Don Teach showed me via photos, the earlier Wurlitzer
photoplayers did not use the unit valve blocks such as the later
stacks.

The stacks were a reversed Vorsetzer of sorts.  Rather than sitting on
the keys in front, the "reverse Vorsetzer" player "fingered" [pushed]
the long keys from behind the fallboard rather than using "lifters" on
the piano action as is found on home 88-note players.

Not including the Wurlitzer photoplayers, Wurlitzer built over 500
piano console theatre organs.  These encompassed the largest, the
Style V with eight ranks, to the style 160 with six ranks.  By far the
biggest production was the style 135 with four ranks.  My style 109 has
just three ranks.  Of all the styles of Wurlitzer electro-pneumatic
action piano console organs, there are far fewer than a dozen left.

1.  A style 135 is in a private home in New Hampshire
2.  A style 160 is in a private home in Indiana
3.  A style 135 is in a Montana Museum (under restoration I understand)
4.  A style 135 is unrestored in a private home in San Francisco
5.  A style 135 in a private home in Australia
6.  My style 109, presently under restoration

Bits and parts are all over including consoles, but that is it or
nearly it for the complete organ list of over 500 piano console organs.

Some years ago, Dave Bowers produced a fine CD, titled "An Evening at
the Home of Cecil B. DeMille," which is loaded with wonderful automatic
music on his style 135 augmented to six ranks.  In addition to the
Concert Rolls and PianOrchestra rolls, there are MIDI tracks interfaced
into the organ's relay to also play some rolls by Link and Weber Maesto
(with superb arrangements by Gustav Bruder).  A roll by Art Reblitz is
also included.  Very good production indeed.

As to complete plans, if you find any plans for a complete stack,
please let us all know -- the stack is missing from my small instrument
and I am going to have to build one as well.  Short of that, photos and
exact measurements from existing machines will have to suffice.

Tom DeLay
Salinas, California