Hello all,  The recent topic about Bushkill Park in Easton,
Pennsylvania, and it's carousels and organs brought back some memories.
First, Justin Senneff wanted to know the maker of that organ in the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHtO0uD3a74
 

I can do no better than to quote my own comments on the video:
"Hi, thanks for the video.  I have never seen this organ before, nor
am I sure what has become of it.  It is confusing because it appears
to be a mix of parts from different sources.  The basic organ (judging
from the trumpet/trombone layout and back double doors) appears to be
a North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works model 82 or 182.  The snare
drum beaters and roll frame are Wurlitzer, which is typical, many
organs of other makes were later converted to use Wurlitzer rolls.

What is _really_ bizarre, and what threw me initially, are the
three figures on the front.  They appear to have come from some kind
of European organ, perhaps French, but probably German as they are
(relatively more) crudely carved.  Finally, a xylophone from a Seeburg
coin piano (such as a model E or K) has been placed on the top and
sort-of connected to the organ.  Will Markey of Pennsylvania owned
a North Tonawanda 182 sometime in the 1990s, perhaps it's the same one."

Second, now for some personal reminiscence about the second
(flood-damaged) Bushkill Park carousel and organ.  About 1994 or '95
I was living in New Jersey and my family visited Bushkill Park a couple
times.  I was just getting interested in band organs at that time and
there was a nice gentleman (a maintenance worker?) at the park who
took the time to talk about the Wurlitzer 146-B organ, which had been
recently worked on and was playing nice and loud from the (then-empty)
carousel building, behind some orange plastic construction mesh.
I would assume the organ was playing there to let people know that
soon a carousel would be joining the organ in the building to provide
additional merriment.

At that time the facade was not on the organ but was (probably)
out with the rest of the carousel getting meticulously re-painted.
The rest of the park was a very friendly, old-time, small family-run
amusement park with a lot of kiddie rides.  The gentleman let us take
a photo of the organ, which I still have.  (When I manage to find it,
I'll be happy to scan it and send it into MMD for the photos section.)

I remember, on our second visit, the carousel (an antique Allan
Herschell) was all restored and running, and I rode on it a few times.
The organ now had its facade and still sounded great.  It was in the
middle of the carousel.  I remember thinking this was a really neat
experience, a small-town family-run amusement park, nothing fancy, with
an little old-time carousel and band organ.  Boy, that carousel sure
was painted nice, too.  There were lots of people riding the carousel,
children and adults.  I don't remember whether it has been mentioned
here, but this carousel was one of the few that still had the brass
ring game.

There's a nice pre-flood photo of the carousel as it looked in 1998
here: http://www.ridezone.com/parks/pa/bushkill/bushkill02.htm  and
another nice photo, from 2002.  This time, the organ is visible:
http://www.coasterimage.com/pictures/bushkillpark/otherrides02.htm 

I had heard about the flood at Bushkill Park when it happened, but
I had assumed that the carousel, organ, etc. made it through okay and
were up and running by now!  (Just like Knoebels, right?  Well...!)
It's really too bad to hear that the park owner has legal issues to
wrestle with in addition to the unimaginably huge task of repairing
all the massive flood damage etc.

http://timbertales.smugmug.com/gallery/2636764_RQcog#139276550_vuwLe 

I sure hope this park opens back up again.  My recommendation would
be for them to raise the park up 20 or 30 feet from ground level by
putting it on a giant concrete slab... just kidding.  Concrete is not
very stable and will crack, move, etc.  But seriously, I was thinking
that if they only build some kind of reinforced "mound", at least for
the carousel, where water would want to trickle down away from the
building rather than surge through it.  Something like that could have
helped spare the carousel from the worst of the floodwaters.  Dirt (or
mud when you add water) is also not very stable.  What about asphalt?

Is this the same idea Six Flags Over Georgia uses with PTC #17 where
the whole carousel is by itself on top of a tall (but gently-sloped)
hill, surrounded by trees?  Disregarding hurricanes, how well does this
work in floods?

http://history.amusement-parks.com/Carousels/SFOG/hill.jpg
 

Anyway, here's a couple web sites which seem to make mention of the
owner's desire to return the "original" (Long?) Bushkill Park carousel
back to the park in place of the Allan Herschell, and also demonstrating
the extensive restoration efforts that have gone into some of the other
rides etc.

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/44232.aspx 
http://www.amusementpics.com/Bushkill%20Park%202006.htm 
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.roller-coaster/2006-03/msg00850.html 

On second thought, a sentence from the latter web site:  "Three former
Dorney Park and Six Flags full time employees -- Management, Inspection
and Maintenance experts -- will now be managing Bushkill Park.  All
repairs will be performed by these skilled professionals[...]"

This makes me wonder if, if/when the park re-opens, it will be very
band-organ friendly.  Perhaps they are interested in selling the North
Tonawanda, 153, and (very flood-damaged) 146-B? Especially the North
Tonawanda and 146-B, I guess they could keep the 153 for the carousel,
assuming it is still in the family's possession.

Food for thought,
Andrew Barrett