13 Aug
2004
13 Aug
'04
11:21 a.m.
Jules Richardson wrote:
Actually flat-out the Colossus reader can manage around 8000 chars/sec
IIRC. I'm sure that Cliff (one of the other guys who looks after the
Colossus rebuild) has mentioned to me before that they've had problems
with the tape wearing the metal pulleys on the tape frame before with
those kinds of speeds.
They seem to be letting the public stand in the H Block machine room
itself at the moment (rather than previously whereby the public were
kept in a windowed viewing room) so it's a good time to go and see the
rebuilt Colossus running.
I went to Bletchley for the first time on Wednesday. Tony Sale was there
and he let us into the machine room. It was fascinating to be stood
right next to Colossus's "bedstead" as the tape whirred around at 30
miles per hour, and to see the blinkenlights and valves.
I bought my cheap return ticket, so I'll make the next trip on a
Saturday to see the Retrobeep collection. (Sorry, I've been repeating
that name to myself in an effort to get used to it, and it _still_ sucks!)
--
Paul