Ed Chaban in MMD Digest 2000.09.03  was questioning the tracking
sensing method of his Stroud and Steinway.  I have a Stroud and a
Steinway and have mentioned this here before and will again because
I am curious about the development of the sensing holes.

I cannot comment about the sensing method used on my Steinway because
I do not have the original spoolbox.

The Stroud is dated December 6, 1916.  This date is found stamped on
the tails of the last two hammers in the lowest treble section.  That
is the last two hammers just before the bass section begins.

As pictured at my Stroud Identification web site this piano has a
tracker bar with both sensing holes and fingers.  In the picture you
can barely see the sensing hole at the edge of the paper path.  The
holes are tubed to the back of the spool box where they are cleanly
cut off flush with the back of the box.  The fingers are tubed to the
tracking unit.  I also made a rubbing of the tracker bar which is
pictured at the web site.

There are other things that are a little different about this piano.
For example, it does not have a rewind/repeat unit.  The rewind hole is
tubed to the electric switch pneumatic.  At the end of the roll the
rewind hole simply shuts off the power, then one will have to place the
piano into rewind manually then turn the switch back on to rewind the
roll.

There are a few other little neat differences that one can explore at
the Stroud section of my web site.  If you do visit the site don't miss
the Comments section.  The direct address to the Stroud section is
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/9374/stroud/stindex.html

Hope this helps, Ed.

Sam Harris - Greenville, North Carolina
Player Piano Restorations Illustrated
http://www.Geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/9374