[GreenKeys] Creed equipment for the Ferranti Mercury computers, 1960

[Javier Albinarrate]

Hi Sam,

Yes, they are absolutely not easy candy :)

My current idea regarding the printer right now, is to use a Siemens T37. I 
have a couple of them that need a heavy cleaning and some derusting, but it 
is feasible. Both the Police and the Post used these a LOT so they appear 
from time to time.
The good points for the T37 is that they are from the same age as the Creed 
54 (give or take), and they both have a movable paper roll, instead of later 
models like the T100 or the CReed 75 which had fixed paper roll.

The Creed 54 was very big and bulky, so my idea is to remove the case of the 
T37, and replace it with a custom made case that looks like the creed 54 but 
fits the T37.
That is the best I can do really.

The perforator and tape reader is what is clearly missing here. These 
computers didn't have an interactive teletype, in the search for "speed" the 
input were "fast" readers and writers and the "output buffer" was the trash 
bin where the paper tape accumulated while the teleprinter sweated printing 
at 66WPM :)

If any of you guys sees Creed gear around, remember me!

Regards!

Javier

-----Original Message----- 
From: Sam Hallas
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 5:53 AM
To: Javier Albinarrate ; greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Creed equipment for the Ferranti Mercury computers, 
1960

Javier Albinarrate wrote:
> At the local computer museum in Buenos Aires, we will be working this
> year in making a replica of the Ferranti Mercury computer....
> This early computer came with the following:
> - Creed 54 Teletypewriter
> - Creed 6S/5 Tape reader (2 of them)
> - Creed 25 Tape perforator

Javier,
I wish them all the best in the reconstruction. What a project!

Model 75s are pretty rare. I've never seen one in the flesh, only in
catalogues. Probably because the British Post Office never adopted it.
Never seen the Model 25 perforator either, though I did own a Model 7P
re-perforator at one time. The later Creed model, the 444, had an
integral punch makng the separate perforator redundant.

> And here in Argentina, everything was Siemens, so for sure we will not
> find a Creed not even by chance.

That may be the way to go. A Siemens T100 would be a great interface for
kids to get their hands on. And probably more reliable than the Creed
anyway! The models I've seen had an integral tape punch and reader.

Cheers,
Sam
(in England)