Greetings Does anyone know a good source to get model calliopes.
Thanks
Wayne

I'm not sure if there is such a thing Wayne, but an interesting question none the less....

Regards
Eddy

If you go to y-tube there are several movies of calliopes there complete with music which to my ear sounds kind of like the American version of the Bag Pipes. (some one doing something unmentionably obscene to some poor sheep)    The reason I went looking for such things was I was thinking of putting a Calliope on a river steam boat and playing the "music" as it paddled around and finally decided that it sounded more like finger nails on a chalk board to me and decided to just go with some dixieland jazz or honky tonk style piano instead.

Andre 
over yonder in Portland Oregon

Thanks guys. I am building a 40 in towboat. My plan is to push a 24 in fan barge. I got 2 30 sec digital recorders, I recorded a calliope playing Daisy. The recording came out quite good. I am going to run a second speaker to the barge . The barge will have railing all around, some scale figures. I would like to put a calliope model towards the front of the barge, maybe with a figure  sitting at it looking like he or she is playing it.  I looked at a couple doll house furniture aites but havent been able to find what I am looking for. Any ideas will be appreciated.
Wayne

I think that you are going to have to scratch build your own, I have found a few photos of typical river boat calliopes and it should not be to hard to build.

Andre

Probably not really what your looking for, but......

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/gem/gem9105.htm

Regards
Eddy

Shouldn't be too difficult to fabricate. Your right about the sound. Must need a lot of steam pressure.

Anyway, here is the "You tube" location. Stick with it, as the second film shows a differrent style of calliope and sounds much better. I should think the MP3 player stuck out of sight would suffice.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh9hVK3XKQM&feature=PlayList&p=1DDECC1D4C48FB1B&index=0&playnext=1


ken

Thanks for the pics Andre should be able to build something like that.
Wayne

Quote from: wjr63 on July 17, 2009, 06:55:42 AM
Thanks for the pics Andre should be able to build something like that.
Wayne

But then you need to figure out how to get the steam coming from the whistles to make it look realistic.... Now there's a challenge!!

Regards
Eddy

Eddy,

All of the ones that I have seen being played had a cloud of steam around them and not really noticeably coming from the whistles, so if I was going to do one I would just put a vent from one of the water smoke units under the assembly with the whistles and call it good, And since the boat would be a ways from the edge of the pond no one will be able to tell the difference.

Andre

Hehehehe, I want one on Monarch now!!!   

This shot does show the steam coming from the whistles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh9hVK3XKQM&feature=PlayList&p=1DDECC1D4C48FB1B&index=0&playnext=1

I do remember an article in Live steam magazine many years ago about a model steam launch with eight whistles on it that the operater radio controles, but I can't find the issue. I think it was a fellow in Washington or Vancover that had it.
I do think that calliope music is best played like some like bagpipe music (far off in the distance), but I had a bad introduction to Calliopes, when I was young and foolish I worked the carnies and our trailer was allways stick next to the calliope. The operator used to claim that he had to clear the pipes and tune it every morning at 6AM.
Regards,
Gerald.

That sounds perfectly resonable!  Must remember is ever I meet him to pack the nuerofen!