Until I went to the band organ rally in Flint last
month, I'd only ever seen one calliope.  I saw it
in Issaquah Washington (near Seattle) in late summer
of 1983.  I was visiting a park there that had a steam
locomotive on display and was attracted to the sound of
the calliope playing elsewhere in the park.  It was on
a trailer and had been brought there by its owner as an
inoffensive place for him to play it.  It had a keyboard
but was being played by an 8080 (or maybe an 8008)
microprocessor.  I believe that he said that he'd built
the whole thing.  I did not get to see the computer,
nor did I get to see the valves or manifold, but I did
get a peek at the back side.  It was driven by a small,
modern, propane fired, residential steam boiler.

    I've been disappointed to have never another calliope
until the rally, and then to find only air calliopes.  The
air ones were certainly fun.  But there's a mystique to me
(and a richer sound according to David Wasson) about steam
power.

    Does anyone know who's calliope I saw in Issaquah ?

    Are steam calliopes still commercially produced ?

    Some places have very strict pressure vessel and/or
    boiler laws.  What regulatory hoops does one have to
    jump through to bring a steam calliope to a rally,
    parade, or other public event ?

Thanks

Jody