It had been about a six months or so since I ran through the test
roll so today I was going to spend the morning checking that everything
was okay with my Ampico Symphonique (late "A", 1928).  I noticed that
the hammer rail lift was sluggish so I went investigating.  This piano
also has the lost-motion compensators.  I found:

1. the tracker bar was clean;
2. the tubing from tracker to cut-out was clean;
3. the cut-out was fine.

I could activate the hammer rail lift by putting my finger on the
3T hole of the hammer lift valve itself.  So far so good.  I attached
an extra piece of 9/64-inch tubing to the nipple and tried to activate
it that way.  Nothing happened.  It seemed the closer I was to the
valve it would work, but the farther I got away, it wouldn't, even if
I attached a perfectly clear, new piece of tube.  I was thinking of
leaky valve and weak vacuum.

I thought the trouble must be in the valve block (not closing
completely or debris) so I sucked and blew on the extra tubing and
when I turned the piano back on, nothing happened at all; I could not
actuate the valve at all!

Seeing that I was in for the "long haul" I removed the valve block to
see if there was something wrong with it.  It was in good shape, clean
and airtight.  I re-installed it, but still nothing.  There was vacuum
coming from T3 but nothing happened when the valve was closed/opened.

To add to the confusion, the lift rail assembly looks nothing like
Illustration 6 of the 1923 manual.  The valve block is detachable and
the pneumatic itself is separate from the valve(s).  The pneumatic is
fed from a trunk off the pump and there are a number of smaller trunks
(perhaps 4) and about four or five 9/64" connections to who knows where.

Aside from the lift rail not working, the piano works fine otherwise.
The vacuum levels are good throughout.  With "Ampico" on and the hammer
rail assembly put back together there is still plenty of vacuum coming
from hole T3 in the tracker bar.

I certainly could use any tips or suggestions. (The piano was restored
well in the late 1990s or early 2000s.  I have had it about two years.)

Thanks,
Adam Aceto
Burbank, California