[GreenKeys] Model 32 in TX

Tue Jan 8 14:28:46 EST 2013

Ed,

Initially there were two Teletype communcation systems, Telex owned by WU and TWX owned by Ma Bell.  Telex was 5 level Baudot (60 WPM) and TWX was 8 level ASCII (100 WPM).  In the early 1980's (Don House knows the date) WU bought the TWX system and so they both were WU.  

It was interesting to come to work one Monday and start to work on 33 TWX's.  Our only experience with them was at Social Security offices on their own system as I recall.  

Of course there were other dedicated systems as well.  Sears had one.  Dun and Bradstreet was another.  Lots more.  

Wayne

-----Original Message-----
From: COURYHOUSE <COURYHOUSE at aol.com>
To: kh-phillips <kh-phillips at 9-5usa.org>; greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tue, Jan 8, 2013 12:19 am
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Model 32 in TX

Congrats Kevin!

Neat to have something come alive and work!

I have a general question We have a Western Union but ours is a 33 which is ASCII.. at what point did they start using 33's or was there an overlap??

I am curious...

Thanks Ed# www.smecc.org

In a message dated 1/7/2013 8:50:51 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, kh-phillips at 9-5usa.org writes:
I thought I would post a note to the list to give a report on my "rescue 
expedition".  I picked up this machine this morning.  If anyone is in 
the Austin vicinity and needs office equipment, I would recommend a 
visit to this place.  It reminded me of the "warehouse scene" at the end 
of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" except without the boxes and crates.  Lots 
of "stuff".  When I began talking about Teletypes, the young man waiting 
on me said that they *used* to have some of those but an inquiring with 
an older man with longer tenure at the company confirmed those had all 
been sold long ago.

The machine is definitely a 32.  It didn't look quite as good up close 
as I had convinced myself it would be from looking at the picture (my 
eyesight is obviously failing) but it was mostly exterior dirt and 
grime; the inside appeared surprisingly clean.  The cover was in good 
condition (no cracks, etc.) with only the plexiglass window over paper 
area being loose from the cover at one end.  I was told that it had 
occasionally been rented out as a prop for movies.  Despite that, it was 
in good shape.  The cover still had stickers with numbers for 
"International Messages" as well as the local Western Union Telex number 
and local service numbers.  Some other local numbers had been penciled 
in.  It still has the four-wire telephone cable with connector attached. 
  The print hammer looked virtually unused.  The ribbon was on a plastic 
spool so it seemed as if it had been in use not so long ago (??).  The 
keys have a "frosty" look and will need cleaning.

Wayne has, as usual, been very helpful.  After getting it home I powered 
it up and closed the loop by rotating the dial.  I put a piece of tape 
over the dial to keep the loop closed so I could type.  At first, I 
noticed several problems.  CR wouldn't work; I had to release it 
manually with a screwdriver.  The bell didn't ring.  LTRS worked fine 
but the FIGS shift wouldn't work; it printed LTRS instead.  Typing rows 
of RY's initially produced inappropriate responses but eventually it got 
back to normal.  After letting the machine idle or run "open" for some 
time, I began exercising it more.  I repeatedly pressed CR (and applied 
a few drops of oil with a pen oiler) and it started working, 
sporadically at first but then regularly.  Then, while typing more and 
more rows of RY's, the bell started dinging.  FIGS shift took a bit more 
work but it too eventually loosened up and worked normally.  The "Here 
Is" also began working normally.  It returned REPUBLICBK AUS.  I believe 
this was one of the ill-fated banks (Republic Bank) which crashed in the 
economic crash of the mid '80s.  I believe I used that bank when I lived 
in Austin so this is a nice souvenir along with being a working machine. 
  If memory serves (which at this stage it may not), lurid tales 
circulated about the owner/President of the bank and what happened in 
his penthouse suite high atop the bank building.  From this vantage 
point in time, it seems much better than what we have to read in the 
newspapers these days.

I will try to spend some time cleaning the machine and applying some new 
lubrication to bring it back to life but it seems to be working pretty 
well even now.  I've been trying to find some way of transitioning into 
a new line of work so while working on this machine it occurred to me 
that perhaps I could open a tavern and call it "The Code Bar . . . the 
place where everyone knows your range."  Well, maybe not!  Thanks to the 
list for everyone's help with this and other machines.  It is currently 
in my radio shack where I managed to find a few square millimeters of 
"open" space (after moving some of my old musical instruments because my 
shack also serves as my practice room).

73
Kevin
W5TTY

On 1/3/2013 10:59 AM, Cory Heisterkamp wrote:
> Head's up if someone's looking for a Telex M32. I'm on the hunt for
> one, but TX is a bit too far!  -Cory
>
> http://austin.craigslist.org/bfd/3421458732.html
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