electromechanical calculator

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Sat Jan 30 14:37:49 1999

> I've often thought it would be fun to collect old telephone company
> equipment, like chunks of crossbar and step-by-step switches, early
> ESS switches and so on. My fantasy is to acquire the equipment from
> a small rural exchange that was upgraded, get it set up and run an
> actual non-connected telephone exchange in my basement. But the
> power requirements are bizarre and that equipment never seems to
> surface anyplace I can find it.

Oh, have I got a URL for you!

I'm also posting it because Hans asked for it a while ago.

http://www.scn.org/tech/telmuseum/index.html
The Vintage Telephone Equipment Museum

This place is in the Seattle area. They have a number of working, actual
non-connected telephone exchanges. At the old end, there are a couple of
switchboards (the kind that go with magneto phones). There are also
step-by-step and crossbar switches and there's a 3ESS switch. And there are
phones to go with the switches, of course, and PBXs, not to mention a very
nice Teletype collection and a further range of non-working or non-connected
equipment. (Did you know that Western Electric made washing machines?)

They do have a small computer collection. I'm still looking for docs and
software for the 3B2, by the way.

Perhaps they could tell you how to get more equipment.

-- Derek
Received on Sat Jan 30 1999 - 14:37:49 GMT

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