Bourdon of the Rockefeller Memorial Carillon in New York

This was the largest bell ever cast by Gillett & Johnston. The bell is also struck. It has a clapper on the inside (for swinging), and two strikers on the outside; I assume they have two so one side of the bell doesn't get too worn out. The inscription encircling the base of the bell is:
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, A CARILLON COMPASS OF 5 OCTAVES IS HERE ACHIEVED AND EXCEEDED
The carillon is the second largest in the world (74 bells), and still the heaviest in the world - 100 tons (91 metric tons).

[@RatPfink66]

The Chicago carillon was renovated awhile back - what did they do about the "worn out" bells? They're too big ever to leave the chamber. I was visiting the tower one afternoon when 2:00 came. The sound of those bells was awe-inspiring - not so terribly loud, just soul-filling and HUGE.

[@robertgift]

This bourdon sounds low C. 40,926 lbs. according to G&J Due to concerns about stress on the tower, they are no longer swinging this bell. I briefly played this carillon in 1986(?). Heavy action. Also I moved the clapper and gently struck (tapped) the bell. The audible sound quickly diminished. I placed my ear on the bell and listened to it continuing to ring for several minutes! Largest carillon by weight. A much smaller carillon has 77 bells. Do the 5(?) other swinging bells still swing?

[@irkibby]

you aren't going to wear a bell that big out. I regularly ring on a bell that was cast so long ago that we arent sure how old it is, was probably in about 1410, this we assume from other existing examples of this founders work. Our old bell (or "1410" as we call him) has been smacked with a clapper milions and millions of times over the last 600 years and is still fine. You have to move the point where you hit the bell occasionally because a groove appears, but other than that, no probs.