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IBM 402
& Trip Report
July 2010
The IBM 402 is an Accounting Machine -
- as seen at Columbia Univ. web site
- developed at Endicott in 1948
- another web page about Sparkle Filters
Table of Contents a trip report of a visit the last known operational unit - in Conroe, Texas.
- - Executive Summary
- - Frank's Inventory
- - Pictures of trip to Sparkler Filters Thurs July 22, 2010
- - Side Trips
- - A comment on Texas (Houston) Heat
- - Stan Paddock's Conroe Texas IBM 402 YouTube Presentation
- - Stan Paddock's Data Processing in the 1960s
- - Stan spotted this Newspaper report
three years later - local copy
It and many other articles state "... and the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., even sent a team out to try and coax the company into abandoning the 402, ...".
The Computer History Museum did not send us, did not pay for us, and we did not tell them we were going. !! - - Stan made a YouTube of our trip to Sparkler Filters
Executive Summary - by Frank King, an instigator of the trip.
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The only thing we need at the CHM to complete our unit record display of working IBM
machines is a tabulator. Robert heard of a 402 that was operational at Sparkler Filters
in Conroe Texas from the CE who serviced their IBM machines. As far as I know It's
the only running one in the world. (Remember it's as far as I know :-))
A meeting was set up with Carl Kracklauer and the folks who run that portion of data processing at Sparkler Filters. Carl is the son of the of the man who founded the company in 1927 and has recently started to work there. Our purpose was to meet the folks at Sparkler Filters and charm them into giving up the 402 by suggesting they transfer the jobs it is doing to more modern equipment So Stan Paddock, Ed Thelen and I booked flights, a car and motels for the trip. Ron Crane planned a trip to overlap with our meeting. Stan contacted Duwayne Lafley (the guy who serviced the 402 and other machines in the account) he came up to meet us there. It was a good thing because the 402 had a really bad jam that the operator was unable to remove. We had a good meeting, demos of the 402 and a tour of their plant where they make filters for any type of liquid. We met the owner and I believe the general manager of the company, Jim Reneau. He seemed to have no problem with giving up the machine if the work it is doing would not be disrupted. I think they will let us have the machine for the CHM If we stay in communications with them. We could have it running for demos in no time. If we do get it, along with all the control wiring panels (programs), a summary punch, a spare 402 for parts and other miscellaneous equipment, it will be around 6,000 pounds of equipment. After the meetings and tour of the plant, Stan, Ed, Ron and I went to Galveston to see the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum and spent several hours there. It was especially interesting due to the recent oil rig disaster off the gulf coast. The next day (Friday) Stan, Ed and I toured the Johnson space center In Houston then went back to Galveston in the evening to see more sights and eat and drink at the Spot Restaurant on the gulf shore. http://www.thespotgalveston.com/ Saturday we slept in and flew back to San Jose. When we walked outside and were waiting for our ride at the San Jose Airport we all commented at why we like the Bay Area. "It's the weather stupid" We had just left the wild thunderstorms, 95 degree heat and high humidity of the Houston area. It was a great trip and felt like the biggest boondoggle I had ever gone on; three days for a 3 hour meeting :-). Traveling with Ed and Stan is a lot of fun.
Frank C King
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Frank's Inventory (may need work)
Pictures of trip to
Sparkler Filters Thurs July 22, 2010
Side Trips
A comment on Texas (Houston) Heat
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I guess we should call Duwayne at some point who
could easily give us the details of what they have.
We should also decide what we want.
We should decide whether we hire Duwayne to
supervise the loading and packing
or should one of us fly down.
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Type Status Weight For 1401
- 402 operational 2,000 pounds
- 402 wiring panels about 25 100 pounds
- 402 parts 2,000 pounds
- 514 operational 800 pounds
- 514 wiring panels about 20 60 pounds
- 026 in big crate 400 pounds
- 129 operational 80 pounds
- wires for control panels 30 pounds
- 552 ? interpreter 200 pounds
We also visited
Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum , in Galveston, a WONDERFUL techie off-shore oil museum
- we only spent 4 hours - I needed more.
semi-annotated pictures
Johnson Space Center (much of it a rumpus area for kids)
got to see a *HUGE* Saturn V and view the Apollo Mission Center
Near the SPOT on the Galveston breakwater
Dear Friends - Houston has all of the Bay Area problems - plus HUMID HEAT !!
We are INSIDE in the SPOT restaurant on the breakwater in nearby Galveston.
Note the bag of ice in the beer to help keep it cool !!
After pouring the first round, you pop the bag into the pitcher.
