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

[Dave]

On 02/05/2013 09:53, Sam Hallas wrote:
> 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
>
Hi Javier,

  I am working on a similar project for the Pegasus at www.mosi.org.uk 
which was the predecessor of the Mercury. However we do have the Creed 
54, Creed6S/5 and the Creed 25, but I too would like to get a set of 
these so we can avoid using the originals. The Creed 54 is basically an 
enhanced Creed 7B and you should be able to substitute a 7B  and get 
almost exactly the same effect. The 7Bs were fairly common throughout 
the old British Empire so you may be able to find one at least on the 
same continent.

Not sure why you want 2x Creed 6S/5 readers. As you an see from the 
Mercury brochure here:-

http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Ferranti/Ferranti.Mercury.1956.102646224.pdf

The Mercury (and Pegasus before it) used a Ferranti high speed optical 
tape reader as the main input device, not a 6S/5 which is a mechanical 
reader. The 6S/5 was basically only used to slow the output down to the 
speed of the Creed. Of course finding a Ferranti high speed reader would 
probably be harder than finding a Creed 6S/5. I personally would see if 
I could find an more modern reader and build it into a box that 
represents the Ferranti reader, probably a TR4 or maybe a TR3 or TR5.

The Creed 25 was also a special with a parallel input, so basically 
manufactured for Computer Use so also rare, and I think it weights 
nearly as much as the 54. I guess you know that the that the Computer 
punched the output on the Creed 25 at high speed, and it was feed to the 
Creed 6S/5 which read it in more slowly and fed the Creed 54 for 
printing. . If the program punched faster than the reader the tape was 
stored in a bin so providing buffering. The Creed 6S also had a tape 
tension arrangement so it stopped if the tape got tight...

There was also a column counter on the Creed 54 that generated a Line 
Feed so if the computer program didn't you didn't keep banging the 
printer against the end stop

> 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.
>

If you do find them and need manuals, I have books for the 6S/6 (which 
is only slightly different to the 6S/5), the Creed 25 and the 7B but not 
the 54. I also have a Ferranti TR5 manual and there is a TR3 manual at 
MOSI..

> 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)
>
> _________

Cheers from me too,
Dave
G4UGM
Manchester
England...

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