[Milsurplus] Computers Leaking Oil, etc.

[Michael D. Harmon]

My first paid computer job was in 1970 at the University of Missouri EE 
Department.  They had an IBM mainframe computer system with 2314 disk 
drives.  These drives used removable disk packs with the phenomenal 
capacity of 29 MEGAbytes per pack.  The drives were built in a cabinet 
containing 9 spindles.  The head assemblies (combs) were hydraulically 
driven.  I suppose the oil was under pretty high pressure, because it 
didn't take much of a leak to spew out quite a bit of oil.  I could 
always tell that we had an oil leak because I'd start seeing data checks 
on the disk drives showing up on the system console long before I'd see 
the puddle.  When I'd start seeing error messages, I'd climb back behind 
the drives and open the back doors of the cabinets.  Sure enough, the 
telltale evidence would be there on the floor.   Time to call the IBM CE.

Wasn't life great back in the "good old days"???

Mike, WB0LDJ