American Queen steam calliope

[cleannewyork]

Oh dear, I should've realized that duh. It's set up like the Delta Queen.

[cleannewyork]

Am I seeing this correctly? Why isnt there any steam coming out of the highest whistles when you hit them?

[pianomanthree16]

@cleannewyork The manifold that Dave Morecraft built for this calliope is horseshoe-shaped, and the the whistles are arranged diatonic-opposing. This means that, starting in the middle of the manifold, each successively higher pitch is placed on the opposite side. So one octave would look like this: C' A# G# F# E D C, C# D# F G A B (with the lowest note, C, in the middle).

[pianomanthree16]

@cleannewyork In other words, every-other "highest whistle" is out of view on the other side of the manifold. Only about half the whistles are visible in this video, the starboard side of the manifold.

[SweetJaneofGoth]

My mom's granpap made one of these out of car horns and hubcaps. She said he played in a whorehouse in Salt Lake City. The place was owned by the church and so the cops never busted it.

[doughesson]

My most recent "Waterways Journal" has a very informative article on calliopes and the people who played them. 44 kesy meant that some notes couldn't be played so the player had to think about what to play next.

[pianomanthree16]

@doughesson Which WWJ issue had the article, and who was the author? I'm a steam calliope researcher (alluded to in my other videos) and I'm amazed this one fell under my radar!

[doughesson]

@pianomanthree16 I'll have to look it up,if I still have it.I usually read them and then have a buddy who is still working for the towboat company I did to take them to hand off to towboat crews so they'd have newer reading material.It should be in the September month issues if I am correct about that time frame. Somehow,I don't think it'd be possible to play "Innagaddadavita" or "Stairway to Heaven" on a calliope.Might be fun to try but I know very little about actually playing music.

[samborez]

As Capt'n Fred Way said one time, a steam "cally-ope" is the only instrument that makes music you can see.

[doughesson]

@ augpeh:I'm told that the Dec 1982 Popular Mechanics has the plans for a calliope that runs off an air compressor.One of those projects that requires simple tools if you use them day in and day out.

[0099wrestler]

Keep Ohio Beautiful! click my name, read my website. As the lightning "Internet" flashes from east to west, so will be the coming of the son of man, who keeps Ohio clean: God's country.

[SailorBarsoom]

Now, if there is one instrument bands calling themselves "steampunk" should incorporate, it is this.

[augpeh]

These are normally on boats and in wagons and are also quite loud.

So the question is, How would you get one?

[SailorBarsoom]

Steampunk types pride themselves on their ability to build things, and to modify existing objects. So I guess they need to build one to scale.

[music22589]

@SailorBarsoom They don't build things, they destroy priceless antiques.

[SailorBarsoom]

@music22589

I sure wouldn't suggest handing them such an antique and telling them to mod away! No, they need to build one from scratch, or from other existing (non-priceless, non-antique) parts.

According to pianomanthree16 (few posts down), a guy named Dave Morecraft of Peru, Indiana still builds them. He could build one for a steampunk band.

[sagginlowashell]

@augpeh You would need to either build it yourself or have a pipefitter do it for you.

The song is Beautiful Ohio

[pianomanthree16]

@augpeh The only person who currently builds authentic steam calliopes is Dave Morecraft of Peru, Indiana. He has many videos here on YouTube under the name SteamCalliope44 and a few more under indianasteammusic.

[SailorBarsoom]

@pianomanthree16

That's cool. Yes, the steampunk music types definitely need to talk to this man.

[dacatholicbandorgan]

What is the name of this waltz?

[pianomanthree16]

Um... it's right in the video and the description. The song is "Beautiful Ohio."

[SteamCalliope44]

Good job JON,,..One of "DOC'S favorites,,..

[PatFitzhugh]

Excellent!

[carousel19]

Beautiful Ohio and a beautiful sound.Thank you!