message from comp.sys.cdc

From: Al Kossow <aek_at_spies.com>
Date: Fri Apr 18 14:45:00 2003

Just saw this on comp.sys.cdc

Unfortunately, they may have waited too long for help :-<

Greetings:

Our computer museum, The Cybertheque Museum, has been preserving
important CDC computers and their software, manuals and spare
parts since 1971; we are currently in a major funding crisis and
there is jeopardy of the irretrievable loss (lien sale) of the
following machines (and more):

     1. CDC 160 S/N 18 (handwired at Chippewa, overhanging desktop,
        rising punch)
     2. CDC 160A S/N 270
     3. CDC 606A S/N 9 (non-corporate switches)
     4. CDC 8092 Teleprogrammer S/N 24
     5. Librascope General Precision LGP-30 vacuum tube computer S/N 254
     6. Various IBM card unit record peripherals for the 160.
     7. CDC 1604 Console (with typewriter and punch)
     8. CDC 3200 Console and Typewriter Console and various 3200 frames.
     9. CDC 6400 cabinet
    10. large amount of 1604, 3000, 6000, 7000, Control Corp, DDI,
        and peripheral logic cards
    11. The entire FOCUS program library for the 160/160A
    12. Much of the software library for the 1604
    13. Much object and source for 6000 SCOPE
    14. Experimental Operating Systems from Roseville and Rochester for
        the 160A/8090
    15. 1700 Software
    16. The entire software library for the Roseville TFC/MTC 32bit mini-
        computer.

And much much more.

Since a crisis precipitated by the unreasonable real-estate tax and
redevelopment policies of Anoka County, MN in 1991, we were denied
our musuem building and forced to store the above systems in storage
unit warehousing in the Twin Cities area. The rental agreement was
reasonable at the time but in the ensuing years the warehouse company
decided to breach the agreement and forced us to pay ever increasing
rent until it has become a major burden. The intent was to ready
new facilities in Northern Minnesota and move the collection; the
high rent at the warehouses and the high cost of transportation has
delayed the relocation effort.

We must pay $900.00 per month for the storage; we are attempting to
raise money to cover some past rent to avoid a lien sale on April
23. We are open to discussions to salvage the collection before the
sale and/or to partner with others and receive donations to support
the ongoing rental until relocation is possible.

Please help us avoid the sad loss of such important artifacts.

Michael Grigoni
founder and president
Cybertheque Museum
Received on Fri Apr 18 2003 - 14:45:00 BST