Traveling carillons and chimes
worldwide

Early in the 20th century, the first traveling or mobile carillon was constructed using conventional tower bells.  Since then, several more transportable instruments have been produced.  Most were originally intended to publicize the work of a particular bellfoundry.  Some have been built on trucks or trailers, while others have been built with independent frames that can be carried by trucks or trailers.  In the most recent development, small bells are hung in three small frames which can be rolled off the transport vehicle and reassembled with the keyboard at an indoor or outdoor concert venue.

This index page lists all known mobile or transportable carillons and chimes, past and present.

 

Existing traveling carillons and chimes

These instruments are listed in approximate order of establishment at the present center of operations (unknown first).  Links are to the site data pages which describe the instruments. 
OSAKA - Mobile                : JAPAN        19?? C  trad
   Traveling carillon
   (unknown)
ROSTOCK - Mobile              : GERMANY-DDR  19?? C  trad
   Konzertglockenspiel Olaf Sandkuhl
SIGTUNA                       : SWEDEN       19?? C  trad
   Traveling Carillon
   Bergholtz Klockgjuteri

MECHELEN - OLVVH (mobile)     : BELGIUM      1955 C  trad
   Procession carillon (traveling)
   Basiliek OLV-van Hanswijk
NAUEN                         : NORWAY       1971 F  trad
   Traveling Carillon
   Olsen Nauen Bellfoundry (home) 
CASTELNOVO - Mobile/1         : ITALY - RE   1975 C  chime
   Transportable chime
   Capanni Bellfoundry
MONS - T                      : BELGIUM      1988 C  trad
   Carillon Reine Fabiola
     (traveling carillon)
   Association Catiau Montois
     et Carillons de Mons
(Traveling)                   : USA - PA     1991*C  trad
   CariBelle - America's Only Traveling Carillon
   travels with "Cast in Bronze" musical group 
   * bells cast in 1980
DAYTON - BW                   : USA - OH     199? *  chime
   The Bell Wagon
   (mobile, currently in storage) 
   * bells cast in as 1923&26 trebles of Andover carillon
SUGAR GROVE - 2               : USA - OH     1992*C  trad
   Chime Master - Eijsbouts
     Mobile Millennium Carillon
   Chime Master Systems World Headquarters
   * originally located in Europe
SASEBO - HTB/4                : JAPAN        1992 C  trad
   Self-propelled carillon
   Huis ten Bosch
SOEST                         : NETHERLANDS  1996*C  trad
   Travelling Carillon 'de Paltz'
     (was Papageno Traveling Carillon)
   'de Paltz' (private estate)
   * bells cast 1965-67 for another site
BETHUNE - SC/Mobile           : FRANCE       1998 E  trad
   Carillon mobile "Christophe"
   Église Saint-Christophe de Béthune
PRAHA - Mobile                : CZECH REP.   2000 C  trad
   Prazská Mobilní Zvonohra
   (Prague Mobile Carillon)
LOUGHBOROUGH - Mobile         : ENGLAND      2001 C  chime
   Mobile chime
SYDNEY - Mobile               : AUSTRALIA    2002 C  chime
   (Mobile trailer)
DORDRECHT - Mobile            : NETHERLANDS  2003 C  trad
   "Bell Moods"
   Concert carillon
DOUAI - Mobile/2              : FRANCE       2004 C  trad
   Carillon ambulant de Douai,
     Région Nord, Pas-de-Calais
   (mobile)
LOGUMKLOSTER - Mobile         : DENMARK - J  2006 C  trad
   Travelling carillon
   Church Music School

 

Former traveling carillons which no longer exist

Links are to the relevant paragraphs of regional pages for defunct instruments. 
CROYDON - MOBILE              : ENGLAND      19?? C [trad]
   Travelling carillon
HEILIGERLEE - Mobile          : NETHERLANDS  1??? C [trad]
   Van Bergen's Traveling Carillon

 

Former traveling carillons which have been transferred or transformed

These instruments are listed in approximate order of original manufacture.  Links are to the site data pages which describe the present instruments, or to the relevant paragraphs of regional pages for relocated instruments.

The Eijsbouts bellfoundry built a 35-bell travelling carillon in 1949, with a bass bell of C2; this was in use until at least 1954.  In 1955 it was replaced with a new instrument of 37 bells, having the same size bass bell.  In 1967 it is believed to have been replaced with another new 37-bell instrument having the same size bass bell.  The dispositions of these three instruments are all unknown, though it is reported that one of them may have been installed at Bolsward, Netherlands.

Some time between 1967 and 1970, the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry built the "Pepsi Carillon", which travelled around the USA as publicity for the Pepsi-Cola Company.  It was disassembled in 1982; the frame was re-used (see below), while the bells went to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, Kentucky.

Some time between 1980 and 1982, the Verdin Company put new bells from the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry on the frame from the Pepsi Carillon to make a new traveling carillon for John P. Hall, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  In 1992 that instrument was reported sold to a private investor to become the basis for the Pennsylvania-based "CariBelle" (see above). But the evidence is somewhat confusing, because that instrument is also reported to have been installed on its present frame in 1991, and a former travelling carillon is reported to have provided the bells which are now at St.John's Westminster Union Church, Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1986, Eijsbouts constructed a travelling carillon of 48 major-third bells, and made it available for display and use at the World Carillon Congress which was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that year.  In 1991, these bells (and the main frame) were used to form the core of a 53-bell carillon in Dallas, Texas.

In 1981, Paccard made a travelling carillon of 49 bells which was based in Douai, France.  A 50th bell was added by Paccard in 1989.  This instrument was used by the carillon school there, as well as for special events, and also travelled all across Europe.  In 2005, it was disassembled, and the bells were installed in the city hall of Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Eijsbouts built a travelling carillon of conventional bells in 1991-92; it traveled all over Europe for many years before being transferred to the USA in 2008 (see index above).

The Papageno travelling carillon was built in 1990 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Federation, using bells cast in 1967 for Libingen, Switzerland.  It was later sold, and is now based in Soest, Netherlands.

Return to Indexes to tower bell sites throughout the world.

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This page was created 2008/03/13 and last revised 2008/04/16.

Please send comments or questions to csz_stl@swbell.net