[OT] 1950's WITCH computer running again

[Tim Watts]

Now that is a real man's computer :)

Bletchley Park - mostly original parts reassembled and now working.

Beautiful to watch - all clicking relays and dekatron tubes :)

[Bob Eager]

Have to take a look at that. Nearer to home for you....

[Gordon Henderson]

Gordon

[polygonum]

A friend (sadly now deceased) used to tell me about how his removal company transported a computer of some sort from the south up somewhere. As he lived and was based in Wolverhampton, and the dates make sense, I am suspecting it was indeed WITCH. His description, so far as I can remember, also tallies. He claimed that not a single part was damaged in transit. So rather better than HDNL... :-)

[harry]

I thought they had an even older "Colossus" up and running? I saw the "Bombe" running at Bletchley that predated even that.

[Dave Liquorice]

They aren't orginals though are they? They are modern reconstructions. The WITCH is mostly orginal.

[Tim Watts]

The designs did but both were IIRC rebuilt from scratch.

WITCH is unique in that is was stored as an original kit of modules from the original machine and apparantly most of the dekatrons still worked.

[Bob Eager]

I know...very patchy! THe talk he gave to us was rather like that, but worth it anyway!

[Brian Gaff]

I was up close with Colossus a few weeks ago, don't half throw out some heat I can tell you.

Brian

[Andrew Mawson]

So would that be a colossal amount of heat then ....... ok I'll get my hat

AWEM

[Gordon Henderson]

I'm off to Bletchly/TNMOC in a couple of weeks time too - looking forward to seeing it!

Gordon

[Jim K]

Wolves Poly (as was) did indeed have an early machine named "Witch"

is same one.

Jim K

[Bob Eager]

Yes, that's right (I get their newsletter).

[Halmyre]

I have heard a story about the WRNS who operated Colossus stripping down to their undies because of the heat. There's a lot to be said against air-conditioning.

-- Halmyre

[Jules Richardson]

Yes - although the suspended ceiling's gone now, hasn't it, so it's probably quite a bit better than it used to be!

[Bob Martin]

Colleague was called into a customer in London in the middle of the night and when he got there the lights were out (only illumination was from lights on the tape drives) and all the operators (both sexes) were in their undies and sun-glasses.

[harry]

You can often speak to people that operated them during the war.

[Man at B&Q]

Yes, the link in the OPs article told us that.

MBQ

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Tim Watts writes

I've followed all the links and read the articles - very interesting - but want to know whether they have spare Dekatrons, and what they will do when supplies run out. Anyone?

[dennis]

Use Pis to simulate them?