360 peripherals wanted

[Alsilisk]

Hello,

While I understand that is frowned upon and for that I am sorry. Some background: I have been collecting for a while mainly HP minicomputers and similarly sized systems and this is all thanks to my grandfather who inspired me to do this, as he was a 1401 and later 360 operator and systems engineer. It has been my mission ever since I started collecting (5 years ago) to own and demo a piece of IBM equipment again to him. If I were in America this would be easy and I could take him to the CHM and show him the 1401 exhibit. Alas I am in the UK and the Cambridge museum has no such system. So I must resort to buying, I have waited and seen Ebay posts for what I am looking for (3420s, etc) but these things weigh a ton an shipping them just isn't an option as they are all in America. However Europe is an option but the only thing that was recently on there was that huge haul in Nuremberg (which I plan on volunteering to help restore) of 2 360 systems. If anyone in Europe has any small pieces that are relatively complete (2311s, 3420s) and are willing to sell please PM me it would be greatly appreciated. I saw the hilarious post about the guy who came and begged for a vacuum column tape drive as a 'conversation piece' and I hope this hasn't sparked the same anger.

Thanks and sorry for the long post,

Al

 

[g4ugm]

Hello,

While I understand that is frowned upon and for that I am sorry. Some background: I have been collecting for a while mainly HP minicomputers and similarly sized systems and this is all thanks to my grandfather who inspired me to do this, as he was a 1401 and later 360 operator and systems engineer. It has been my mission ever since I started collecting (5 years ago) to own and demo a piece of IBM equipment again to him. If I were in America this would be easy and I could take him to the CHM and show him the 1401 exhibit. Alas I am in the UK and the Cambridge museum has no such system. So I must resort to buying, I have waited and seen Ebay posts for what I am looking for (3420s, etc) but these things weigh a ton an shipping them just isn't an option as they are all in America. However Europe is an option but the only thing that was recently on there was that huge haul in Nuremberg (which I plan on volunteering to help restore) of 2 360 systems. If anyone in Europe has any small pieces that are relatively complete (2311s, 3420s) and are willing to sell please PM me it would be greatly appreciated. I saw the hilarious post about the guy who came and begged for a vacuum column tape drive as a 'conversation piece' and I hope this hasn't sparked the same anger.

Thanks and sorry for the long post,

Al

Al,

I think 360 bits are both rare and valuable....
So if you can be satisfied by a look I think that you might want to try an arrange a visit to Jim Austin's computer sheds.

http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/

there you can see a huge range of kit including IBM mainframes. There are some museums in Europe where you can see mainframes, but not operating. The Deutches Museum in Munich

https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/communication/computers/universal-computers/

has a 360/20 on display but I can't find my pictures ...

 

[Alsilisk]

Hi,

this is what I feared I visit Munich regularly and to be honest the machines themselves are just not too enticing them operating are the interesting part. Jim Austin may not be a bad idea.

thanks for the reply.

Al

 

[g4ugm]

In the UK there is very little working kit. The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) is the nearest to what you seek, and whilst the ICL2900 isn't an IBM, it does run, and gives the closest impression of a mainframe that I know of. The installation is IMHO more representative of a large mainframe than the 1401 at CHM (I have visited both). I has real tape drives with vacuum columns and a reasonable disk farm. In addition there is an IBM1130. Yes I know its small and weedy, but it is the proper shade of blue.. Of course these don't always run, if you want to see them running probably best to ask...

... and the only other place with a working machine is the Baby Replica in Manchester, but no demos at present, I think most of the demonstrators are of an age where we would prefer not to catch covid...

 

[firedome]

If you want to see both a working 1401 and 360/30 we have them, and a whole lot more IBM equipment, even an original Hollerith machine, right here in Endicott NY, the original home of IBM, the location of Plant #1, and at one time the home of 4 huge IBM factories with 15,000 employees! I was an IBM mainframe programmer (not here), and my uncle was a principal manager of the Endicott-Glenwood Lab where much IBM research, including 360/370, was done. It's not in the UK but it's quite a bit closer than Mountain View CA!

http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/IBM-EndicottMuseum.html