Lakeview Kilgen Theater Pipe Organ

This picture above shows you the so-called "toy counter," a group of instruments and sound effects which are an integral part of all theater pipe organs. Some of the effects which are visible here are the tambourine and a set of sleighbells mounted on a wooden wheel. Other effects include a siren, a wood block, a snare drum, castanets and a bird whistle. Note the catwalks, made slatted instead of solid to let sound from pipes on lower level through and also to allow freer air circulation for temperature stability in the chamber. Note 16' tuba basses to the rear (left) starting on lower level.

Here is a closeup shot of the toy counter. In the immediate foreground partly visible in the lower right is the siren, which is mounted on a pneumatic. The arrangement is such that when the siren is sounded, the pneumatic also inflates. Then, when you cut the siren signal, the pneumatic (which has an inlet check valve) deflates through the siren, allowing the siren sound to coast down for a certain time rather than cutting off suddenly. In the center, you see a set of castanets. The sleighbells are visible in the background. If you roll your mouse around over this picture, the titles of the individual devices will show in a small text box near the cursor. If you click on one of these devices, you will come to a page with a more detailed explanation of what the toy counter actually is.