Chippewa Falls Museum visit

I managed to take some time off during my visit to Minneapolis to get to Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology. It was an easy 2-hour drive, and the museum opens at 1pm on weekdays. This trip had the air of a pilgrimage for me, since I still have a Cray-1S architecture manual I ordered from them c. 1981 and I've always wanted to see where they came from. Chippewa Falls is a tiny place, and I had no trouble finding the museum (though the street it's on is currently closed off for work). I only had an hour or so there, as I had to get back to my flight later that afternoon. The museum director, Yvette Viets Flaten, is very enthusiastic about her Cray exhibits. It also turns out that her mother comes from Northampton, not far from where I live (and Chippewa Falls also had a show manufacturing industry, just like Northampton). Complete CPUs they have there (AFAIK all except the X/MP are Cray designs): CDC 160A CDC 1604 CDC 6500 CDC 7600 Cray 1 Cray X/MP Cray 2 plus various other exhibits, including a ERA magnetic drum unit and Seymour Cray's desk. You can walk around them all, and in many cases there are samples of the internal boards removed for closer viewing. There are some videos on show, but I didn't have time for those. I took a few photos, but they haven't come out too well, so I suggest anyone interested look at: http://www.spikynorman.dsl.pipex.com/CrayWWWStuff/Cfaqmustop.html http://csumc.wisc.edu/gallery/album74 It really is worth a visit, if only to see a collection of the fastest machines of their time. I think if you're travelling some distance you might be able to ask nicely and visit out of hours. I'm hoping to get back there in a month or two for a better look. One thing Yvette is after is a circular sliderule (as Cray apparently used), does anyone here have one they could spare for a good cause? There is a site with details at http://www.cfmit.org/ -- Lawrence Wilkinson lawrence at ljw.me.uk The IBM 360/30 page http://www.ljw.me.uk/ibm360