The Great Windchest of 2007
Organ Supply Industries of Erie, Pennsylvania, built a new nine rank electric slider chest for the great division of the organ which arrived here on Sept 21st. Here are pictures showing the progress of the installation of this chest which took a couple months:
The windchest arrived in this crate which weighed 905 lbs, in which the chest stood on its side.
It took about 2 weeks to cut holes in the rackboards for the 539 pipes that fit on the chest. Many of them are in place here.
The windchest has been hauled in from the garage, waiting on the floor to be lifted into place. The toeboards have been removed.
New chest supports, above the old great, waiting for the new chest.
Pipes on the old windchest, 4 ranks of diapason, plus the pedal diapasons 8 and 4.
The windchest was lifted up by pulley hoist and a winch, sliding along the boards, and passed through this opening into its new spot. It was slid up vertically, and then we laid it down.
Pipes of the WaldFlute, Octave, Twelfth, Fifteenth and Seventeenth are on the chest here, along with basses of the Violincello and a single Gemshorn. The mixture is against the far wall.
Looking up at the new chest from below, the 4, 2 2/3, 2 and 1 3/5' ranks are on the close side of the chest, with the basses of the 8' diapason sticking into the peak of the ceiling.
Pipes of the 16' Principal are installed in the facade. The center pipe has an actual height of 17 feet.