Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Kickoff - the mission to rescue IBM 1130 systems and other vintage artifacts from being scrapped

This all began about one week ago, when I read a post on the IBM1130 group that there were two 1130 systems and other gear that had to be removed before the end of August. The seller was in the middle of Kansas, had surgery scheduled for the end of the month and needed everything removed from the storage space before that time.

Current owners of a running 1130 system, Norm Aleks and Brian Knittel, were contacted by the seller but not in a position to respond. They posted this situation to the IBM1130 group where I read it. I knew right away that these machines couldn't be allowed to fade away. On the other hand, I didn't have room to store two systems and everything else in that storage space.

Fortunately, various members of the group were willing to collaborate with me so that I could lead the mission, bring home an 1130 system to restore, while others would take the remainder. I worked out a price with the seller, then booked flights and the biggest rental truck I could find. Another member, Will Donzelli, is driving from NY out to Kansas to meet us, taking back one 1131 processor, a printer, and all the data center cabinetry in his van plus trailer.

With the major units allotted among group members who had responded, I could drop off much of the remainder to various collectors and museums on the west coast after I drove it all from Kansas. I have room enough to haul 12,000 pounds of payload in roughly 1400 cubic feet of space.

The following people will be meeting at the storage space in Kansas to load everything onto the truck, trailer or van:

Carl Claunch - driving the truck back to California
Alan Campbell - my daughter's boyfriend
Arthur Dieli - a former IBM SE who is flying out from California to assist
John McKee - an 1130 group member who lives less than 100 miles from the site
Will Donzelli - the east coast collector who will drive his van and trailer back to NY

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