During the last three years here in Buffalo we have been restoring one of the last Herschel carousels ever built (c. 1935) and also one of its finest artistically. The job is complete, and you can come ride the carousel at Canalside, our downtown multifunction theme park on the Lake Erie shore. At the center of the carousel is a Model 153 Band Organ. This instrument was not originally installed in the carousel, but was located via a contact with the Herschel Carousel Museum in N. Tonawanda, NY. The organ has some physical problems, and we are trying to restore it to its full operating capacity. As a member of the carousel's volunteer restoration group, I have taken on the responsibility of creating a System's Manual for the Wurlitzer Model 153. This manual will provide both a structural analysis of the organ's internal mechanisms, as well as detailed views of the individual organ's components, including the pipes, control valves, drive system, and the roll transfer-drive mechanism, which will explain the method by which Wurlitzer drove the take-up spindle during feed 1, and the simultaneous transfer at roll's end (stop 54) to drive take-up spindle 2 while rewinding spindle 1. Finally, the manual will offer a maintenance and troubleshooting guide for future technicians who will be responsible for ensuring that this instrument remains performing at full capability. I am hoping to publish the manual by 1 June 2023, but we are presently lacking significant detailed technical drawings and information on the operating system, especially the transmission that drives the winder and transfer mechanism. I will greatly appreciate any technical information on the Model 153 that anyone can provide to me. When the System's Manual is finally published, we will make it available to any party interested in supporting maintenance of the Model 153. Bradford Lewis, Ph.D.
WOW, what an amazing sounding 153 Wurlitzer. Great work on the restoration on this beautiful band organ. I’m so fascinated by these band organs. I grew up in the 50’s and would go to Playland at the Beach in San Francisco and ride the Charles Looff Carousel there. It had 4 band organs on it. A Wurlitzer 165 and an Artizan style D band organ and also 2 wurlitzer 153’s operating on that carousel. I believe that one of those 153’s serial #3928 that ran on the Playland carousel from 1926-1972 has been restored and now is in Acme, MI residing at The Music House Museum. I have always loved the sound of the Wurlitzer 153’s sitting as a child on the inside bench in the merry go round building just listening to it’s beautiful music for hours on end, or for as long as my grandparents would let me stay and enjoy it. Again great work on the restoration of such an amazing band organ. I truly appreciate craftsman’s like you, who continue to maintain and preserve these wonderful band organs. Thank you so much for uploading the video!!!!!!! 👍
What a great restoration!!!! Kudos on a job so well done,and restoring such a beautiful and historic machine!! I could listen to it all day! Everything on it sounds PERFECT!!!!! There's just something about the #153's sound that is so totally different from all the other's! It just warms the soul! Again,congratulations on job so well done! ~Kelly
We had this model of Wurlitzer Organ 153 in are haunted 1921 denzel carousel which was at at lake Lansing amusement Park from 1941 till 1971.. I think it's at dorney Park allenstown Pennsylvania minus one horse.... It's sad because this horse was the best part of the carousel. It was a military horse and it was haunted.....😊
Very nice organ , best of luck with it. With the front off you can see a rubber tube with a metal tube at the end, I take it that this is to operate the swell shutters.
@GermanStreetOrgan Sorry to burst your bubble but this organ is a post 1920 one. Post 1920 organs had a decorative column in the center of the swell shade. Some post 1920 organs had no swell shades at all. I only know of 3 or 4 pre-1920 organs in existence.
I am glad you appreciate the video. I am going to pass on your information and comments to the guy who restored the music machine... I am sure he didn't expect to get so many posts from this little movie. It is a work of love for him.... Thank you!
The tunes in this video are 0:00 "In A Little Garden", 1:39 "Red Hot Henry Brown", 1:59-2:21 "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland" 2:48 "Yes Sir! That's My Baby".
These were the songs handed down to my parents, Aunts and Uncles by my grandparents and theirs. On Saturday nights our whole extended family sat around the campfire at our side by side summer cottages, and sang these and others.. There was an old favorite I have tried unsuccessfully for decades to find Part of the main lyrics went " When I wore my fathers brown derby, and you wore a big red rose." Any chance this is familiar to you? As I find myself growing older and sicker by the day, I would love to hear it at least one last time. Since you recognized the titles of the songs on this marvelous video, I'm hoping you might be able to help me find my song.
@GermanStreetOrgan This sounds a bit too much like a 146 to me, sounds just a little too "tinny" but I love the sound of the bells! I've heard way too many organs with flat and chunky sounding bells!
@GermanStreetOrgan I really don't like how most of the pre-1920 153s get re-voiced to sound like post-1920 organs. Not sure what it is about post 1920 instruments, they just sound either too tinny, airy, or squeaky, etc. There are just way too many 153s built that sound like- or were re-voiced to sound like post-1920 overgrown 146s. The pre-1920 ones have a much more powerful sound in my opinion, and that goes for ALL Wurlitzer instruments (that have kept their original voice)
I Wish many Amusement Park's like Cedar Point and Hershey Park ect would have you restore their Carousel Organ's! There are quite a few #153's that are still operating,but you can clearly hear a lot of the problems they have,as they sound so fair to really poor,and have not been maintained or at the very best,very poorly maintained! Many Parks now just simply installed a large speaker or two next to or behind their Organ's to play recorded rolls.Most from different model machine's!
Most 153's are badly maintained these days, take Dorney Park's for example the bells play very weakly, most of the pipes are out of tune, and the bass drum doesn't even work at all.
great job... as one who has built 4 wurlitzers 125 and 3 104's i know just how much time and effort it takes..
During the last three years here in Buffalo we have been restoring one of the last Herschel carousels ever built (c. 1935) and also one of its finest artistically. The job is complete, and you can come ride the carousel at Canalside, our downtown multifunction theme park on the Lake Erie shore.
At the center of the carousel is a Model 153 Band Organ. This instrument was not originally installed in the carousel, but was located via a contact with the Herschel Carousel Museum in N. Tonawanda, NY. The organ has some physical problems, and we are trying to restore it to its full operating capacity.
As a member of the carousel's volunteer restoration group, I have taken on the responsibility of creating a System's Manual for the Wurlitzer Model 153. This manual will provide both a structural analysis of the organ's internal mechanisms, as well as detailed views of the individual organ's components, including the pipes, control valves, drive system, and the roll transfer-drive mechanism, which will explain the method by which Wurlitzer drove the take-up spindle during feed 1, and the simultaneous transfer at roll's end (stop 54) to drive take-up spindle 2 while rewinding spindle 1. Finally, the manual will offer a maintenance and troubleshooting guide for future technicians who will be responsible for ensuring that this instrument remains performing at full capability.
I am hoping to publish the manual by 1 June 2023, but we are presently lacking significant detailed technical drawings and information on the operating system, especially the transmission that drives the winder and transfer mechanism. I will greatly appreciate any technical information on the Model 153 that anyone can provide to me.
When the System's Manual is finally published, we will make it available to any party interested in supporting maintenance of the Model 153.
Bradford Lewis, Ph.D.
I would contact Art Reblitz for help with that. A very well renowned and respected mechanical musical instrument care taker in the hobby.
WOW, what an amazing sounding 153 Wurlitzer. Great work on the restoration on this beautiful band organ. I’m so fascinated by these band organs. I grew up in the 50’s and would go to Playland at the Beach in San Francisco and ride the Charles Looff Carousel there. It had 4 band organs on it. A Wurlitzer 165 and an Artizan style D band organ and also 2 wurlitzer 153’s operating on that carousel. I believe that one of those 153’s serial #3928 that ran on the Playland carousel from 1926-1972 has been restored and now is in Acme, MI residing at The Music House Museum. I have always loved the sound of the Wurlitzer 153’s sitting as a child on the inside bench in the merry go round building just listening to it’s beautiful music for hours on end, or for as long as my grandparents would let me stay and enjoy it. Again great work on the restoration of such an amazing band organ. I truly appreciate craftsman’s like you, who continue to maintain and preserve these wonderful band organs. Thank you so much for uploading the video!!!!!!! 👍
good restoration! I love the wooden pipe work!
What a great restoration!!!! Kudos on a job so well done,and restoring such a beautiful and historic machine!! I could listen to it all day! Everything on it sounds PERFECT!!!!! There's just something about the #153's sound that is so totally different from all the other's! It just warms the soul! Again,congratulations on job so well done! ~Kelly
We had this model of Wurlitzer Organ 153 in are haunted 1921 denzel carousel which was at at lake Lansing amusement Park from 1941 till 1971.. I think it's at dorney Park allenstown Pennsylvania minus one horse.... It's sad because this horse was the best part of the carousel. It was a military horse and it was haunted.....😊
@GermanStreetOrgan It has post-1920 voicing and they say on the website that is was made in 1926
amazing craft and super presentation,,,,danke schoen
@135sinbad It was also built the same year as Kennywood's 153!
Very nice organ , best of luck with it. With the front off you can see a rubber tube with a metal tube at the end, I take it that this is to operate the swell shutters.
2:48 "Yes, Sir! That's My Baby!" A favorite of mine!
That’s a cool band organ I have also meet John ravert’s wurlitzer 153 in the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum
Is that 153 now in Canalside?
Unfortunately the 153 that was used to be in my museum is now at canalside
@GermanStreetOrgan Sorry to burst your bubble but this organ is a post 1920 one. Post 1920 organs had a decorative column in the center of the swell shade. Some post 1920 organs had no swell shades at all. I only know of 3 or 4 pre-1920 organs in existence.
I am glad you appreciate the video. I am going to pass on your information and comments to the guy who restored the music machine... I am sure he didn't expect to get so many posts from this little movie. It is a work of love for him.... Thank you!
The tunes in this video are 0:00 "In A Little Garden", 1:39 "Red Hot Henry Brown", 1:59-2:21 "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland"
2:48 "Yes Sir! That's My Baby".
These were the songs handed down to my parents, Aunts and Uncles by my grandparents and theirs. On Saturday nights our whole extended family sat around the campfire at our side by side summer cottages, and sang these and others.. There was an old favorite I have tried unsuccessfully for decades to find Part of the main lyrics went " When I wore my fathers brown derby, and you wore a big red rose." Any chance this is familiar to you? As I find myself growing older and sicker by the day, I would love to hear it at least one last time. Since you recognized the titles of the songs on this marvelous video, I'm hoping you might be able to help me find my song.
This organ has 3 main bass pipes and plays off the 150 scale roll made by wurlitzer
@GermanStreetOrgan This sounds a bit too much like a 146 to me, sounds just a little too "tinny" but I love the sound of the bells! I've heard way too many organs with flat and chunky sounding bells!
The Prospect Park Carousel's Wurlitzer 153 from 1916 still has it's original voice.
Where’s this organ now?
@GermanStreetOrgan I really don't like how most of the pre-1920 153s get re-voiced to sound like post-1920 organs. Not sure what it is about post 1920 instruments, they just sound either too tinny, airy, or squeaky, etc. There are just way too many 153s built that sound like- or were re-voiced to sound like post-1920 overgrown 146s. The pre-1920 ones have a much more powerful sound in my opinion, and that goes for ALL Wurlitzer instruments (that have kept their original voice)
At 4:22 you can see one of the bass pipes going across the top of the pipes in a horizontal fashion
I Wish many Amusement Park's like Cedar Point and Hershey Park ect would have you restore their Carousel Organ's! There are quite a few #153's that are still operating,but you can clearly hear a lot of the problems they have,as they sound so fair to really poor,and have not been maintained or at the very best,very poorly maintained! Many Parks now just simply installed a large speaker or two next to or behind their Organ's to play recorded rolls.Most from different model machine's!
What ever happened to this 153?
Which were the bass pipes that "Burp"? Were they the cylindrical pipes in the lower part of the organ?
Most 153's are badly maintained these days, take Dorney Park's for example the bells play very weakly, most of the pipes are out of tune, and the bass drum doesn't even work at all.