I was told that Player Piano Supply Company in Kansas once supplied
replacement metal castings for these superb valve units.  I have never
been able to verify or discredit this notion.  Certainly I have never
seen them mentioned in any of the oldest P.P.Co. catalogues I have.

Then there is this infuriating tidbit.  Some years ago three friends
of mine absented themselves from some activity held by a tenant in the
Wurlitzer building and began to explore.  One of these folks had worked
at Wurlitzer in the 1960s and still had some keys.

They got themselves into the tower and among the dirt and clutter saw
a wood board with a dozen or two of these valves mounted on it.  Sadly,
they thought better of trying to spirit it out of the building and left
it there.  I tried several times over the years to get access to the
tower (legitimately, thank you) and have failed.  I was told by a
functionary at the building that there is absolutely no such item in
the tower.

My experience with these delightful mechanical masterpieces is only
once encountering a foot pumper so decrepit that it wasn't worth the
price of firewood.  The owner insisted I try to make it work, which
I did.  Naturally some of the units could not be salvaged but enough
worked to make plenty of music with the remaining center section of
keys.  The customer never got over their excitement and gratitude for
making that pile of rubble play Christmas music in their basement.

Doug Hershberger
Martinsville, New York (In the shadow of the Wurlitzer tower)