 |
| Original Nichol calliope in the America Bandwagon, Circus World Museum |
 |
| Brass Keyboard of the America Bandwagon calliope |
 |
| Tracker mechanism below the America calliope keyboard |
 |
| Full length view of Nichol-built America Bandwagon calliope |
 |
| The author examines the whistles of the Str. Natchez calliope |
 |
| Looking down the Str. Natchez calliope with treble whistles and Magnatrol valves |
 |
| The author measures the Str. Natchez calliope |
 |
| Capt. Steve Nicoulin, master of the Str. Natchez |
 |
| The manifold and steam pressure gauge of the Natchez calliope |
 |
| The Str. Natchez calliope in action |
 |
| Debbie Fagnano at the keys of the Natchez calliope |
 |
| The Natchez calliope tootled by Debbie Fagnano at Toulouse Street |
 |
| The author makes an audio recording of the Natchez calliope in New Orleans |
 |
| Console keyboard of the Str. Natchez calliope |
 |
| Frisbie Co. manufacturer's plate on the Natchez calliope's console |
 |
| The Wilbur Deppe calliope aboard the Str. Julia Belle Swain |
 |
| A view of whistles and solenoid valves on the Julia Belle Swain's calliope |
 |
| A whistle bell reflects the author's image on the Str. Julia Belle Swain |
 |
| The ornate keyboard of the Julia Belle Swain calliope |
 |
| Steamboatman Lee Havlik and his mother aboard the Str. Julia Belle Swain |
 |
| Bobbi and Bill Steinike of Stoddard, WI watch the Julia Belle Swain lock through |
 |
| Dad tootles the Julia Belle Swain steam calliope |
 |
| The Str. Julia Belle Swain's calliope in action |
 |
| Dave Morecraft's latest and greatest steam calliope |
 |
| Morecraft calliope number 008-32, mounted in the #44 wagon |
 |
| Manufacturer's nameplate on the calliope wagon |
 |
| Dave wrestles with a valve on his newest steam calliope |
 |
| Dad and Dave discuss the calliope's boiler at the Circus Hall of Fame |
 |
| Dave performs on one of the Tangley calliaphones at the ICHoF |
 |
| Tuning the last whistle on Dave's calliope with the help of his son |
 |
| Maestro Morecraft impresses us with his stylings outside |
 |
| Waiting for steam pressure to build back up |
 |
| Mobile keyboard of the latest Dave Morecraft calliope |
 |
| Dave poses in Peru, IN with a Morecraft whistle and a Nichol whistle |
 |
| The author attempts to hammer out a tune on the Belle of Louisville's calliope |
 |
| The author at the Wilde-built brass keyboard of the Str. Belle of Louisville |
 |
| Up on the roof of Belle of Louisville, Dave Morecraft's instrument glistens |
 |
| The author takes measurements of the Belle's calliope |
 |
| Measuring the bell thickness of the Morecraft-constructed calliope whistles |
 |
| The author records the bell diameter of the Belle of Louisville's lowest note |
 |
| A full view of the Str. Belle of Louisville's steam calliope |
 |
| Looking down the manifold of Dave Morecraft's calliope on the Belle |
 |
| Normal operating pressure of 80 PSI on the Belle of Louisville's calliope |
 |
| Indiana Steam Music, Inc's imprint on the Belle calliope (now Morecraft Mfg.) |
 |
| Calliope virtuoso Keith Norrington at his home in New Albany, IN |
 |
| The author stands next to the Belle of Louisville steam calliope in action |
 |
| Authentic steam music eclipses the author on the Belle |
 |
| The second of three Frisbie calliope aboard the M/V P. A. Denny |
 |
| A look down the bass side of the P. A. Denny Frisbie calliope with colored lights |
 |
| The annotated keyboard console of the second Frisbie instrument |
 |
| The author gets a feel for real tracker action at the former Str. Avalon calliope |
 |
| Getting used to the fortitude required to operate an original Nichol tracker calliope |
 |
| Capt. Gabe Chengery and the author tune up an old-timey copper-whistled calliope |
 |
| Making some turns to fine tune a Nichol note |
 |
| The author assists Capt. Chengery in making the Avalon's calliope tootle a little better |
 |
| Capt. Gabe plays the freshly-tuned Str. Avalon calliope at his home in Thornton, CO |
 |
| Dad plays "Beautiful Ohio" on the former Avalon calliope (now run on an air blower) |
 |
| A full-length view of the Nichol instrument in the Chengery home's backyard |
 |
| Looking down the tracker action towards Capt. Gabe at the keyboard |
 |
| The lowest bass whistles of this original Nichol-built calliope |
 |
| The Nichol brass keys shine, ready for the touch of a calliope master |
 |
| The Str. Avalon calliope mounted on a flatbed with the air blower |
 |
| Measurements being taken by the author in Thornton, CO |
 |
| An appropriate warning to any American Queen roof-goer |
 |
| Around the half-moon shaped manifold of the Str. American Queen's calliope |
 |
| American Queen calliope stamped with "MORECRAFT 1995 PERU, INDIANA 37-005" |
 |
| Closeup view of Morecraft whistle on the American Queen steam calliope |
 |
| Keyboard console aboard the Str. American Queen, directly below the whistles |
 |
| Full view of whistles arranged on a half-moon manifold above the Calliope Bar |
 |
| The American Queen Morecraft steam calliope in action as seen from above |
 |
| Phil Westbrook tootles the Str. American Queen's calliope while in Dubuque, IA |
 |
| Lounge pianist and able calliopist Phil Westbrook at the American Queen keyboard |
 |
| Sun deck view of the legendary Str. Delta Queen steam calliope |
 |
| The author gets some measurements up on the hot rubber roof of the Delta Queen |
 |
| Baked in the summer sun, the author cautiously avoids leaky whistles |
 |
| A personal glimpse of gingerbread behind the Delta Queen calliope's manifold |
 |
| Some steam escapes from the Morecraft replacement whistle on the Str. Delta Queen |
 |
| A look at the Nichol whistles on the new manifold with Aurora effect floodlights |
 |
| Dad tickles the ivories of the superlative Delta Queen calliope |
 |
| Looking in on the manual dexterity required of calliope players |
 |
| The hardened concentration becomes evident at the keyboard |
 |
| Traditionally, the calliopist stands before his instrument to apply the necessary pressure |
 |
| A full view of Dad at the calliope of the Str. Delta Queen |
 |
| The vintage Nichol-built whistles of the Delta Queen calliope serenade passers-by |
 |
| Closed cover of the Delta Queen calliope, installed in 1960 |
 |
| Calliope pressure gauge and breaker for the Aurora effect |
 |
| Keyboard of the Delta Queen's steam calliope on the Sun deck |
 |
| Father-and-son team in Cape Girardeau, MO with the Str. Delta Queen in the background |
 |
| Year 2: Summer 2009 Dave Morecraft tinkers with the low E-flat on Steam Calliope 44 |
 |
| Dave plays a tune in Peru, Indiana |
 |
| Making video recordings of Steam Calliope 44 |
 |
| Pressure gauges next to Steam Calliope 44's 15 HP boiler |
 |
| A nice wide view of the entire calliope wagon |
 |
| The author tries his hand at the keyboard of Steam Calliope 44 |
 |
| Looking down the Sparks Circus calliope at the Circus Hall of Fame Museum |
 |
| Original Nichol whistles and valves on the Sparks Circus calliope |
 |
| Highest note (G natural) imprinted with whistle no. 32 |
 |
| A look at the valves and tracker wires on the Sparks Circus calliope |
 |
| The Gentry Twin calliope wagon, with manifold and some whistles by Harry Shell |
 |
| Builder's plate installed by John M. Van Splunter on the Gentry Twin keyboard |
 |
| Original Thomas J. Nichol builder's plate as reproduced in aluminum by Dave Morecraft |
 |
| Bryant showboat calliope at the Ohio River Museum, one of the oldest Nichols around |
 |
| The brass keyboard of the Bryant showboat calliope |
 |
| Interesting machining on the manifold and stand for an older Nichol instrument |
 |
| A rare look inside a Nichol-built calliope whistle valve on the Bryant showboat calliope |
 |
| The seam where the rolled copper bell was joined on a Nichol whistle, ca. 1910 |
 |
| One of the few surviving brass keys from the Island Queen's calliope keyboard |
 |
| Dad with Jeff Spear on the W. P. Snyder at the Ohio River Museum in Marietta |
 |
| A collection of whistles at the Point Pleasant River Museum including a tiny Nichol |
 |
| Nichol's final resting place in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio |
 |
| The monument at Nichol's cemetery plot |
 |
| An ironic bit of signage for the now semi-permanently-moored Delta Queen |
 |
| The Tennessee River at Chattanooga behind the Texas Deck of the Delta Queen |
 |
| Proof that the Delta Queen still has steam up, even as a floating hotel |
 |
| More proof that the pitmans and cranks are still intact with the paddlewheel |
 |
| 30 pounds of steam for the Delta Queen's calliope |
 |
| Still being played after 49 years on the boat |
 |
| The Delta Queen, now docked in Chattanooga, Tennessee |
 |
| The Delta Queen Hotel at Coolidge Park |
 |
| Stern quarter view, painted up real nice |
 |
| Framed by the foliage in the park |
 |
| The obligatory night shot from the dock in Chattanooga |
 |
| Dad used to bunk in this little room right next to the starboard engine |
 |
| A close-up of the pitman, crank, and journal |
 |
| Looking through the intricate sternwheel of the legendary Delta Queen |
 |
| The splashboard from the fantail, painted by Capt. Hawley all those years ago |
 |
| Yet more proof of live steam onboard the boat |
 |
| Final proof, 60 pounds of pressure off the main steam line in the pilothouse |
 |
| Not sure why the whistle is chained down |
 |
| The Str. Natchez blows a departure whistle from the Toulouse Street Wharf |
 |
| Returning from an evening dinner and jazz cruise in New Orleans |
 |
| Passersby look on from the Moonwalk in the French Quarter as Capt. Hawley plays |
 |
| Recording Doc's performance for posterity and musical analysis |
 |
| The electrical contacts inside the keyboard of the Natchez' Frisbie steam calliope |
 |
| Capt. "Doc" Hawley performs one of his many concerts on the Str. Natchez' calliope |
 |
| The dean of steam calliopists on America's rivers |
 |
| Capt. Hawley provides narration from atop the roof of the Str. Natchez |
 |
| Downtown New Orleans comes in sight as the Natchez rounds Algiers |
 |
| A sunset on the river is too pretty for words |
 |
| The calliope keyboard from the instrument formerly on the Str. President |
 |
| A look at Nichol's devised tracker mechanism for steam calliopes |
 |
| Unique keys designed by Nichol, now housed at the Mercantile Library in St. Louis |
