STEAM CALLIOPE Delta Queen DOC HAWLEY 68' 7" Limited Editon VINYL Disc EP RECORD

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Where did the Delta Queen’s calliope come from?

A dutifully researched and slightly indulgent article from Jon Tschiggfrie

There are probably as many differing opinions regarding the origin of the Delta Queen’s calliope as there are people who have played it. Like any steamboat-related research, the issue lies in separating fact from fiction in the stories and limited documentation available. Steamboat historians are something of a self-hating bunch, wishing to preserve and accurately represent river culture but at the same time inviting the scorn of people who remember the “facts” differently. In any case, our own Travis C. Vasconcelos has done a wonderful job covering the history of the famous Delta Queen steam calliope from its building by the Thomas J. Nichol firm to the present-day modifications. You can read Travis’ coverage here: http://www.steamboats.org/whistle-calliope/ecaliope.html

Without written records, there is no way to know for sure the origin and direct lineage of the Delta Queen’s calliope, although what happened to it after 1958 is relatively certain. The immutable facts are thus: Dick Simonton and E. J. Quinby purchased the calliope whistles, sans manifold and valves, from Ellsworth “Slim” Somers of Waterbury, Connecticut in 1958, installing it 1959 for use starting in the boat’s 1960 season. Quinby was responsible for “electrifying” the keyboard, replacing the steam valve on each whistle with a Magnatrol brand solenoid valve and the brass keyboard with an electronic Hammond organ style manual. This allowed the console to be placed somewhere other than directly adjacent to the whistles, and also made for easier operation of the instrument, since the calliopist no longer had to overcome the steam pressure of the valves mechanically.

Quinby also added the “Aurora effect,” and other modifications have been made over the years, as outlined in Travis’ article. However, the real mystery surrounding this particular instrument involves when it was built and how it got to Mr. Somers to be sold for use on the Delta Queen. The style of the whistles indicates without a doubt that the Thomas J. Nichol company of Cincinnati built the original calliope, in whatever form it may have taken. Beyond that, there are no markings or stamps indicating much beyond whistle numbers: no year of construction, no manufacturer’s plate, no symbol of any kind. This was typical for Nichol instruments, especially later models. The early history of this calliope is largely speculation, although both Tom Parkinson and Fred Dahlinger, having worked with the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin, have made some headway as to the supposed illustrious career of this instrument.

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