> I'm basing an "Early Internet Hardware" interpretive museum based on
> equipment dating back to 1983, including quite a number of Sun3s,
> RS/6000s, Intel 286, Cisco AGS, etc.

Cool!  Where is it?  I'll have to drop by if I'm in the vicinity. :)
[Later - just saw your answer to this below.]

> I'm wondering if anyone has any long term experience operating these
> space heaters now nearly 20 years old?  I've got Sun 3/60s, 3/50s,
> 3/110s and other hardware but I'd hate to see them die because I
> didn't know something critical about them.

In my experience, the major killer of -3/50 and -3/60 boxen is heat.
In particular, WATCH THOSE FAN SCREENS.  They clog up with lint very
fast, and it's easy to not notice until one day your machine starts
producing random panics, at which point the damage is in large part
probably already done.  I'd say check them monthly (and open them up
and vacuum them out if they show any signs of accumulating dust/lint)
until you know your environment well enough to know how often you
_need_ to check them.

Me, after losing one or two -3/60s to heat even despite that, I'm
running twig (email and DNS for the house LAN) in a -3/260 cardcage,
because I trust its cooling far more than I do the -3/60 case's.

> I'm especially considered as to whether or not I should run them 24/7
> or shut them off everday?

Personally, I'd say run them 24/7.  But I have no particular evidence
or references to back that up, so I'd suggest a hefty dose of salt.  My
house machines run 24/7 _anyway_....

> I think it'd be great to show the youngsters out there just how I saw
> the Web in 1992 on a 3/60 with the 19" mono monitor and good 'ol NCSA
> Mosaic.

Collect spare monitors!  The 9-pin-interface monitors tend to die, and
are getting harder to find as a result.

> I'm also interested in equipment heading for the dumpster; I know the
> equipment is heavy, but I'd hate to see it go.  I know it's
> stereotypical, but a working 9 track tape drive would be really
> great!

If you want stereotypical, though, you need one with visible reels, not
something like an edge-on-loading Cipher....

> For any interested, I plan to open the museum in May of 2002 in
> Butte, Montana, USA.

That'll be So Cool.  I'll definitely have to make a point of dropping
by if I'm ever in the vicinity.

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