Answering Mr. Pelletier's inquiry yesterday about fitting a player to a
pipe organ;  I have not converted a pipe organ to play 88 note rolls,
although I see nothing wrong with the idea.  My Aeolian pipe organ
already is a player, using the 58- and 116-note rolls made for it.  But
I did design and make replacement contact pouch boards, according to
the pattern used by later Aeolian player organs, but using materials
available today.  The plans for these are in the MMD Technical archives
here:  http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/vanceSwitch1.html

These units will work either by pressure from the organ's own wind, if
you make a pressurized spoolbox with a glass door, or by vacuum.  That
would require getting a suction unit, with the speed turned way down
for quietness, or fitting an aspirator to make vacuum from a side
stream from the organ's wind, if the blower has the required extra
capacity.

They can not be made for nothing, but if about $150 fits in a 'bottled
water budget', the system does work well, and has been used in many
different player pipe organs for decades.

Also, Robbie has kindly posted several additional chapters of my never
ending saga about rebuilding an Aeolian Orchestrelle, at

   http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/AeoW/index.html

While you are at it, go back and surf the MMD Technical Library index
at  http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech

This section of MMD's permanent archives contains all kinds of plans
and technical tips about many different kinds of mechanical music
devices, submitted by several MMD members.  It should be better known.

Richard Vance