Rhoad's Carousel PTC #41 and organ at the former Wildwood Marine Pier
Hello, I paid a visit to the Wildwood Historical Society Museum while
I was in Wildwood for the day earlier this week. I had discovered that
the former Marine Pier had the antique PTC #41 carousel called the
Rhoad's Carousel. Marine Pier was where Mariner's Landing now is. The
photos down below explain the history of the Rhoad's carousel and its
Wilhelm Bruder Söhne Model 79 organ.
To sum it up, PTC [Philadelphia Toboggan Company] carousel #41 was
built in 1917 and its first location was at Ross Farms in Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania. Then it moved to Wildwood, New Jersey, 1918 and became
the Rhoad's Carousel at the then Marine Pier in an arcade building off
the pier itself. The Wilhelm Bruder Söhne Model 79 48-keyless "Concert
Book Organ" that went along with the carousel was converted in 1957
to play Wurlitzer Style 125 music rolls.
Then the carousel was sold off and broken up in 1977 when the Nickels
family purchased that side of Marine Pier. That pier had burned down
in 2002 due to arson. The other side of the pier is now present-day
Mariner's Landing owned by Morey's Piers. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morey%27s_Piers
When the Rhoad's Carousel was sold and broken up in 1977, the Wilhelm
Bruder Söhne organ was in storage for a few years until Clementon Park
purchased the organ for PTC #49 at their park. Then in 1994, that
carousel was sold and broken off, too. Then Knoebels purchased this
Wilhelm Bruder Söhne organ which is still there to this day at their
S & G Merry Go Round.
Cassidy Juraniec
[ Rhoad's Carousel and Organ History 1
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/24/08/16/240816_163405_thumbnail-13.jpg
[ Rhoad's Carousel and Organ History 2
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/24/08/16/240816_163405_thumbnail-12.jpg
[ Rhoad's Carousel and Organ History 3
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/24/08/16/240816_163405_thumbnail-14.jpg
[ Rhoad's Carousel and Organ History 4
[ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/24/08/16/240816_163405_thumbnail-15.jpg
[ An earlier organ conversion was to play Wurlitzer Style 150 music, see
[ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wilhelm_Bruder_model_79,_roll_frame,_Knoebels_Amusement_Resort.jpg
[ A later conversion changed to Style 125 music. More about the organ at
[ https://www.knoebels.com/play/knoebels-carousel-organ-history
[ and https://www.mmdigest.com/Pictures/leachBruder.html
[ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPpKzvJ0eTk
[ -- Robbie
|
