The IBM 701 stored 2 instructions per 36 bit word,
the rest stored 1 instruction per 36 bit word and were somewhat upward compatable (code written for a lower number machine might execute correctly on a higher number machine).

Hmmm - I think the Computer History Museum IBM-1620 Restoration Crew said that the 1620 air cooled memory box had a thermostat set of 104 degrees F. - and the unit would think about executing programs until the memory box was up to temperature?

I've been contacted about the potential availability of a complete IBM 7094 system in Rosedale, Australia. It's owner is Susan Vigors. Included are docs, tapes, punched cards, etc.. Also two 1401s.

Here's what Susan has written about the collection so far. Please contact her at < vigors at iinet dot net dot au > and please cc John Deane (Australian Computer Museum Society) and I (or whole list) if interested.

[The computer collection] started with David's purchase of the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) IBMs at auction, following a suggestion by his cousin (then Purchasing Officer for WRE) that it would be prudent to keep the Defense computer in working order for a while in case a need for it arose. He added that its scrap value was unlikely to be recognised by the scrappies, and additionally it was the first computer on which David worked in the late 50's and early 60's. By the way, the 1401's we used at WRE as front end consoles for the 7094, which is why they were sold in the same lot. To this very large computer (I believe the largest ever in the southern hemisphere) was subsequently added a collection of computers over the years including calculators, manuals and accessories, with a view to one day assembling a computer museum on the property. We are in the process of converting the property to a tourist centre, but lack resources to initiate or manage the museum. So - any ideas? The shed where they are stored is needed for tools and equipment, but I have so far restrained my sons from sending them for scrap, partly on the grounds of their value far exceeding anything the scrap yard will offer.

The computers were initially stored securely in our barn, but the 7094 drum was so heavy it broke the floor boards. So after a few years they were banished to the machinery shed with a concrete floor, high iron roof and walls and iron sliding doors (like an aircraft hangar). They were kept dry, but not covered, so that dust, insects and rodents over the years have deposited on the tops of the cabinets, and infiltrated where doors were not securely shut. In the last 10 years my sons have pushed the cabinets close together and stacked smaller computer equipment on top of the 7094 to make space for a workshop in half the shed, so photos are hard to come by. There is no catalogue of the hardware and software. ... We have a set of manuals for the 7094 equipment, paper tapes and card decks for boot-up, tapes for the tape drives, and I'm not sure what software is included. ... We never planned to [restore the system], as the cost of power and air conditioning would have made it quite impractical. We envisaged a working tape unit, possibly driven by a 1401 or a more modern PC, and perhaps a tape or card reader to demonstrate the older technology.

Regards,

- Robert

• The IBM 7094 and CTSS
• "Computer Structures: Readings and Examples", (1971 edition) by C. Gordon Bell & Allen Newell, Part 6, Section 1, Chapter 41
• The IBM 7094 and CTSS by Tom Van Vleck