New tractor coming soon!

[8ntruck 7,013]

Yup.  Early in my carrier, I used both punch cards and paper tape.

 

A couple of my first projects as a fresh out of college engineer were stress analysis of wheels for the Chrylser K car and Olds version GM's X car.   We went high tech on these and used Finite Element Analysis.

 

We had a coordinate measuring machine that used a PDP 11 computer, which spoke to the outside world through a teletype and paper tape.  I was using that machine to digitize blueprints to build FEA models.  That PDP 11 was a 16 bit machine  that had a line of bit switches and lights on the front panel.  When it was working, you could watch the bit lights flash as it cycled through the code,

 

Once the blueprint was digitized, I would then fill out keypunch coding forms to send to the keypunch department (unionized shop) to get my deck (about 1000 cards) punched. 

 

The deck would go through the card reader over a 'fast' 9600 baud phone line to a 'big' computer in Detroit. This usually took several tries, as the phone line was not too stable and would frequently drop in the middle of the deck.  This process was repeated several in a debug mode to catch all of the keeping typos and coding from mistakes.

 

Finally, I would change one card in the deck to indicate execute mode and feed the deck back in.  Computer run time on my FEA models was 4 to 6 hours - we were renting the computer time by the minute.  The next morning, I would call the computer service and ask about the job.  Did it finish? Did it make plots?  If yes, please put the pilots on the bus and send them to me.  Next call, several hours later was to the local bus station.  Was there a package for me on the bus from Detroit?

 

Ah, the 'Good Old Days'.

 

Would not surprise me if the tablet I am writing this on has more memory and processing power than that 'big' computer in Detroit we renting time on had.  That computer in Detroit needed a large room with temperature control.  The processor and memory in my tablet are a few chips that fit in the palm of your hand.

Edited May 10, 2023 by 8ntruck

[Handy Don 12,232]

Yeah, we’ve completely derailed this thread!

The largest PDP 11/70 I ran, and likely similar to your “big box” in Detroit, had 4mb of RAM (as core memory, not solid state) and used discrete logic chips (not a microprocessor) at ~3MHz (the vastly different architecture prevents direct comparison to today’s microprocessor speeds).

My 2018 iPad?

   16,000 times the memory

   ~1/1,000th as many discrete chips

   ~ 8,000 times faster

  ~ 1.1% of the cost ($800 in 2018 vs. ~$12,000 in 1979 worth about $72,000 in 2018)

Edited May 10, 2023 by Handy Don

[dcrage 628]

And then back in the punch card days there was the horror of dropping your stack or box or boxes of cards and then having to get them all back in the correct order!!

[squonk 41,136]

15 hours ago, Darrenw85 said:

Not too many people keep all the paperwork for the life of the tractor. Good find. 

Few Years ago I got a 73 no name 12 from the original owner. Had everything down to the original spark plug. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by squonk

[oliver2-44 9,756]

4 hours ago, Handy Don said:

I spent many an hour in college keying FORTRAN programming instructions and data onto punch cards

Your really dating your self their Don. I’m right there with you. 

Sorry to jump in your thread @TonyToro Jr.  WH was fairly progressive using punch cards for warrants registration. 

[oliver2-44 9,756]

1 hour ago, dcrage said:

And then back in the punch card days there was the horror of dropping your stack or box or boxes of cards and then having to get them all back in the correct order!!

Back in 1982 I had a coworker  working on his Masterss in Engineering His thesis involved a thermodynamics project with had about a dozen boxes of cards. He was paranoid of them getting out of order. 

[Horse Newbie 7,071]

7 hours ago, Handy Don said:

I spent many an hour in college keying FORTRAN programming instructions and data onto punch cards using IBM 026 and 029 machines (the 029 had slick features like being able to auto-punch a sequential number onto each successive  card or copy selected columns from the previously punched card).

Being a touch typist let me make some money by keypunching for other students and even for some of the faculty!

The pattern of holes to encode the letters, number, and punctuation was called Hollerith after its inventor.

This system was a step up from the punched paper tape used by Teletype machines of the day which encoded with a 5-hole pattern called Baudot. Cards could be inserted or replaced in a deck individually to add new instructions or make corrections. With tape, you had to punch a whole new tape or do a complicated copy/pause/insert/skip/resume dance with a connected reader and punch.

@Handy Don explained it way better and way more accurate than me…

Edited May 10, 2023 by Horse Newbie

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,314]

Since this thread is a history lesson what is the actual name of the card . Coach may know since he works for BIG BLUE. 

[Horse Newbie 7,071]

They were called the “IBM card”, or the Hollerith card.

 

I cheated…

Edited May 10, 2023 by Horse Newbie

[TonyToro Jr. 1,440]

We just picked up!! It’s in very nice condition and even better once we clean it up. While we’re talking about that is there any way to restore this old paint since it’s started to like flake off. Any help to restore the paint?? But anyway we are trying to get it started and has no spark but in the pictures there’s a piece next to the condenser does anyone know about it? Or if it’s still available?

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,314]

@Horse Newbie Sorry IBM named them a 5081 card. I purchased them by the pallet load for a large " National " Bank from 1976 to 1984 . Back in the days when very large Firms could tell the user what had to be used on the "their " equipment. Big Blue , NCR , and Xerox to name a few all had the same theory " you want to use our equipment , we specify what supplies are to be used on the equipment ".

[WHX?? 48,823]

Yep pay no never mind to the old farts and ther outdated things... well they do like vintage tractors!

 

Nice score and good luck with her 

[TJ5208 1,824]

@The Freightliner Guy we didn't get played. 

 

[Handy Don 12,232]

2 hours ago, TonyToro Jr. said:

a piece next to the condenser does anyone know about it?

I haven’t a clue but I’ll follow and hopefully learn!

[ebinmaine 67,550]

9 hours ago, TonyToro Jr. said:

we are trying to get it started and has no spark but in the pictures there’s a piece next to the condenser does anyone know about it? Or if it’s still available?

 

I'm gonna hazard a guess that it's an aftermarket ignition module of some sort. 

There are several brands available nowadays. One is Pertronix. 

@formariz Caz did some experimenting with them a bit ago. 

You'll want to clean it up and get the numbers off of it then so some internet searching. 

Likely its directions are online somewhere.  

 

Don't make any assumptions about what's causing your no-spark condition.  Could be something simple like a broken wire or bad ground.  

Get a NEW spark plug in there. 

Find the instructions for your exact model of ignition.  

Do some careful testing with a test light or volt meter.  

 

As to the paint restoration there are a few great ideas here on Redsquare. @peter lena could really help you folks there. 

 

The overall condition of that tractor looks excellent!!

Great save there!

 

 

[953 nut 55,279]

12 hours ago, TonyToro Jr. said:

there’s a piece next to the condenser does anyone know about it?

Like EB said, looks like an aftermarket ignition module. Clean the grime off the face of it and do a  search for the name and any model number on it.

 

[peter lena 8,631]

@TonyToro Jr.  nice pick up , that seat , 303 BRAND vinyl boat  cleaner in spray bottle , that paint , MMO , or similar paint feeding  start , most important is the initial soak time , don't rush it , clean soft cloth rub down , do it again , agree  with @formariz on the ignition , issue . take advantage of anything that works / functions , and enhance that area.  that seat is amazing ! would take that off and do some lubrication , cleaning detail on that . doing the  drool just looking that over , sending you good juju , on that . pete

[formariz 11,987]

It’s a pretty old ignition module. There is one now selling on eBay 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204039414258

[formariz 11,987]

Correct me if I am wrong but it looks like that engine is a K161. If so it may have had a coil which is an oddball and extremely hard and expensive to get. Very possibly it went bad and they resorted to that ignition. 

[ebinmaine 67,550]

22 minutes ago, formariz said:

Correct me if I am wrong but it looks like that engine is a K161. If so it may have had a coil which is an oddball and extremely hard and expensive to get. Very possibly it went bad and they resorted to that ignition. 

I'd second that as a reasonable assumption 

[WHGuy413 2,690]

What a great tractor. Maybe @WheelHorse_Kid will see this and want to get his B-60 running.