We have recently been commissioned to restore and rebuild, for a church
in Alberta, Canada, a cathedral chime unit by Maas Organ Co. (later
Maas-Rowe).  It has been subjected to the attention of a person with
wire-cutters, resulting in no wiring, no paperwork, no block diagram or
anything useful.

There are 32 chime tubes hanging on a rack.  Wiring should be in place,
but isn't, for electric hammer and damper connections (Sostenuto was
one of the features of the system) and also a sound pickup.

We are wondering how the two 32-note keyboards connected to the chime
hammers.  Were they just in parallel in different parts of the church,
or was there a 32-way change-over switch somewhere?

There are three (vacuum tube) power amplifiers, two 32-note keyboards,
several loudspeakers (still in the church, including a pair of high
power horn loudspeakers up in the tower as well as smaller ones in the
church) and a large box of transformers and other parts.  Rebuilding
the amplifiers is no problem, as they are basically similar to cinema
amplifiers of the same period (circa 1950).

There is also an electro-mechanical clock unit to sound Westminster
Chimes over the loudspeakers, and a player unit could have been fitted,
but there is no sign of it (yet...).

Does anyone have any experience of these installations?

Thanks,
David Evans
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

 [ A 21-note Maas cathedral chimes is described at
 [ http://www.hammondorganservice.com/carillonsacs.htm 
 [ and demonstrated in a video at
 [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrPrKq3Qt0Y  -- Robbie