BRINGING BACK THE BEAUTY It took nearly two years to restore PTC No. 18 to its original beauty. All the horses had to be stripped of their many coats of paint, then repaired, primed, repainted in their original 1909 colors, and varnished. Every picture had to be professionally cleaned and restored, and new, wide-planked oak flooring had to be made, along with all new brass poles and fixtures. The mechanism that turns the carousel had to be totally rebuilt, including recasting the metal gears, joints and jumping poles. The entire carousel was then rewired with a new, up-to-code electrical system, and its hundreds of lights were replaced. The band organ, which was barely operating, had to be completely taken apart and overhauled. New components had to be created, lost connections had to be found, and the complicated instrument had to be tuned. A new center housing enclosure for the band organ, the center pole and the motor had to be built, and then decorated with mirrors, flowers and gold leaf - and all the work had to be done by hand. It was a painstaking project, but it was worth it. All colors, materials and details in this carousel are faithful to the 1909 original. In all respects, it is an authentic restoration of American folk art of which the community can be very proud. Since 1909, Carousel No. 18 from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company has brought joy and laughter to four generations of families, sweethearts and children. MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN.