[GreenKeys] French barn find

[Thierry Stora]

Hi fellows,

many thanks to all for these nice comments and also for your indulgence 
for my lack of knowledge on the topic.For example I've now understood 
that I've made a mistake calling this SAGEM a teletype as it is surely 
NOT a Teletype but a SAGEM...

Thus it's a SAGEM teleprinter isn't it?

I had forgotten to say that I've not yet found any model identification 
plate anywhere on the outer. Nothing also  under the cover, maybe I will 
found something deeper inside under the pieces of decaying sound damping 
foam fallen in.

Also, the date codes on some chips says 1969... At least we know the 
approximate date of manufacture.

Henning DF3OE a écrit :
> ....
>
> it looks like an ASCII (8 level) computer terminal teleprinter with a 
> drum printing head.
> Never seen before.
> ...

Nice website, Henning, I'll take time to visit further in these next 
days. You surely are absolutely right as the SAGEM was not alone in that 
barn but in company of the relics of a large computer that I have 
identified as built by the Telemecanique company in 1970 (manufacturing 
dates on the power supplies).

The SAGEM stands on the top of the processing unit of which not much 
remains and it is still connected to it. We  have moved and lifted the 
whole (...heavy...) as it was difficult to have access to the connectors 
on location. These kept company to an AMPEX 9 tracks tape transport with 
vacuum columns that I picked up also of  course, heavy also. The 
processing unit is beyond repair but the AMPEX looks perfectly 
recoverable, all the more so since the original AMPEX technical manual 
was included in the "package"! Damn, I'll have to find the correct reels 
and tape for this, still another impossible quest...

I have learnt a little more about all these since my first message. The 
tale says that this was the computer of an early traffic monitoring / 
control system used in the city of Toulouse, a major town in the 
south-west of France.

Sam, thanks for the link to the Queensland telecommunication museum, I 
think I'll ask them if they have an internal view of their SAGEM, may be 
there is some similarities between the two machines. I've already read 
that these were part electronic and controlled by a Motorola 6800, 
surely a successor of my model, I noticed the similar placement of the 
control switches. Yes, R.S. components seems to experience some problems 
to impose their "new" name here, the subject line of their e-mails  
always bears the good old Radiospares brand, I thought they did the same 
in the other countries. Even the operators answer to phone calls with 
"Radiospares bonjour!" even if the "Please hold the line" loop 
introduces the company as "R.S. components". The business of electronics 
components is in very bad state here (as it is in most places except in 
Asia, no?), all the once big local dealers have disappeared even in 
major towns, maybe are they doing so to reassure their unadventurous 
customers ... Just a suggestion.

What you say about your Creed machine is most interesting as I have also 
discovered since my first post that this machine is also part mechanic 
and part electronic, I've already identified pick-up coils in various 
places, I hope that things will not end up for this SAGEM in the same 
way that they ended for your Creed. I had already heard the name of 
Creed but never saw one. I've not inspected the boards with enough care 
to say if they carry custom chips. And yes, I feel already that this 
particular restoration will be a very challenging work. Not sure at all 
to see it works one day but still believe that it could happen... With 
the help of a significant amount of great care and good fortune of 
course! I'll already look for more information about these ITT-Creed 
teleprinters to see if these are the same.
Glad that you liked the steam locomotives site, I would like to have 
more spare time to spend on it.

Thanks also Jim, do you feel that the manuals you own indicate that 
there could be something similar with the internals of my model?

Many thanks to who is concerned for the initiative and maintenance of 
this mailing list, really great!

I'll keep the list informed of the progress of this restoration project 
or of any new information that I could find about this machine. I'm 
currently writing a letter to the public relation service of SAGEM 
without any confidence in a possible response.

Best regards to all



Thierry