Electrified Chimes - are played from a keyboard or automatic device.
Short stand-alone
keyboards are often supplied by the founder next to the organ or sometimes they
play hooked into the organ keyboard. This sometimes causes an unintended conflict with
the organist, whose main job is to play the organ and the chiming is justifiably
secondary. It is often impossible for the organist or keyboarder to hear the bells
playing (or not playing).
An electrical impulse activates a relay, a separate power source goes thru
the relay and pulls or pushes an electrical solenoid to hit the bell. Some solenoids are
mounted at the bell and push a hammer directly into the bell. Others are
located anywhere from the first level to the tower level and pull a cable over a
transmission, like manual chimes.
Caution, do not attempt repairs if you are not an electrician and ALL power
sources are noted. There may be additional power sources from automatic
devices, such as westminster chimes, hour strike, angelus, etc., in ANY tower.
The tradeoffs with manual chimes, which are easily repaired by a maintenance
person, is playing pump handles vs. a keyboard. When the electrical system breaks down
it is often not repaired (because this is beyond the expertise of in-house help
and will cost money) and then the whole chime
becomes
abandoned. I visited two this past year where it was only a 50 cent fuse.