UNRESTORED KEYBOARDS



In this picture, the console shell has been removed.  The lower manual had several ivory key tops broken.  Other keys had become badly discolored.  Prior ivory replacement had left those keys with noticeable differences between the key heads and key tails.  The Aeolian design was such that key removal was a major task.  These manuals don't pivot up as more modern organ manual typically do.



Some additional items of interest seen in this photo are the two mechanical toe pistons that can set the "Great to Pedal" and "Swell to Great and Pedal".  Above the top keyboard, in the center, are two player controls.  The lower one is for setting the roll speed and the upper one is called the "coupler" which selects in "Normal" the upper keyboard to the upper holes in the music roll, and the middle keyboard to the lower holes.  That three position control has a "Reverse" which does as the name implies, and "Unison" which just hooks both the keyboards to both sets of holes.   Since this is a three manual console,  the two tablets just left of center can select the lower manual to either set of player holes.

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