Press coverage of the Society and its activities

First Chalk River “electronic” computer recovered

Written by
M.E.Stephens and Jim Ungrin
for
the North Renfrew Times
2018 Sep 19

In 1957 Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories (CRNL) acquired its first “electronic” computer.

Known as the Datatron, Bendix, Burroughs 205 or Electrodata 205, it included a three meter long control cabinet, many vacuum-tube- based plug-in memory modules, a large memory drum, a control console with a paper-tape drive and a motor-generator power supply.

Versions of the control console, with its multiple blinking lights, have been made famous in more than 15 science fiction movies and TV shows. The CRNL computer was retired from service and disposed of through Crown Assets in 1965.

A very early member of the CRNL computing group, Arden Okazaki, donated the programming and equipment manuals for the computer to the local Society for the Preservation of Canada’s Nuclear Heritage Inc. (SPCHNI) over two years ago. However, It was unclear what had happened to the computer itself.

In June 2016, Society members visited the local storage sheds of Walter Woytowich, a retired AECL employee who has saved a large collection of obsolete scientific materials from the scrap dealers. Walter revealed that he had purchased the computer from Crown Assets and that the mainframe, at least, existed.

Unfortunately, it was very heavy and had been sitting outdoors exposed to the elements for the past half century and was in very poor condition. However, Walter had stored the roughly 150 plug-in modules in an enclosed shelter. We found several of them in June 2017, and a further search in July 2018 located the control console. Walter generously agreed to donate the console and several of the plug-in units to the Society. Early in September a Society work party removed the extremely-heavily constructed console from its safe resting place behind tonnes of other equipment and transported it to our interim storage facility.

The mission of SPCHNI is to collect and preserve key historical artifacts related to Canada’s world-class nuclear research and development history and to promote public education about Canada’s nuclear history. Immediate action is required if this history is to retained for the future generations. The early generations of staff at the laboratories have long been retired and are passing on.

Much interesting historical information and many artifacts have already been lost. The descendants of the nuclear pioneers may not recognize the significance of papers and memorabilia in attics, basements and garages, so they end up in the landfill.

As well, decommissioning at AECL’s sites is now being greatly accelerated and if items are discarded now, they will also be lost forever. Soon little tangible record of the history may be left.

The Society’s immediate goals in 2028-2019 are to preserve and catalogue historically important nuclear R&D artifacts and documents, expand the Society’s online virtual museum at www.nuclearheritage.com, determine what size and quality of a collection can be assembled in an interim storage facility, and evaluate and put into place the necessary financing and staffing for a permanent physical museum.