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Help Identifying Baldwin and Hardman Actions
By Julian Brook

If anyone can help me identify 2 player actions I would appreciate it.
The first is in a Bell & Company piano. Player Piano Company's ID Guide
says this should be a Baldwin.  It has the taller square holes and
tracker ears that would agree.  Also the stack looks like a Baldwin
stack with the wooden fingers.  The only hitch is the motor is a
4 pneumatic motor when all I see pictured are 5 with Baldwin.  Did they
do some 4's?  (There is no sign of replacement of the motor.  (It also
has what Reblitz calls a "later" Baldwin transmission.

The other would seem to be a Hardman head with tracking on both sides.
The spool box and tracking all seem to be Hardman (also PPC ID Guide
indicates it should be a Hardman or Aeolian).  However, this one is
strange.  They indicate the Hardman (and Aeolian) have a 6 point double
pneumatic motor, this has a 5 pneumatic single,  and the stack is not
like anything I have found descriptions of.  It is 2 tier (Hardman is
supposedly always 3) and interfaces with the piano action at the bottom
of the stack.  The bottom tier has little (approx. 1/2") wedge shaped
fingers fixed to the bottom of the pneumatics and the top tier has the
same on the end of wires from the bottom of the pneumatics  down through
a guide bar to the same level as the bottom ones.  (This is in a
Playotone Junior according to the name board,  Hardman, Peck according
to the frame and inside top.) Can anyone shed any light on these?
I can work on them without knowing, but I really would like to know.

Much Thanks.
:-)


(Message sent Thu 11 May 2000, 19:17:02 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Actions, Baldwin, Hardman, Help, Identifying
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