Relays from Z3 or similar device

Anyone know the size and weight of the individual relays used to build the Zuse Z3 or similar period device? Or an online resource to consult? Interested in creating an authentic looking/feeling model (partial). None of the pictures are scaled.

Welcome! I don’t know the answer, but I suspect something around a cubic inch and an ounce, in old units, probably covers it. Relays have got smaller and more reliable since then, so you have lots of choices.

I notice that Z3 contained some thousands of relays and weighed a thousand kilograms, which gives some idea of the scale, although of course the relays themselves won’t dominate the overall weight.

Here are a few related videos which might help, or at least be of interest:

Here’s an image from the German edition of Wikipedia:


(https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuse_Z3#/media/Datei:Elektromagnetischerspeicher_zuse_relais.jpg)

There’s also a (Youtube) video by the German Museum (Deutsches Museum) on the occasion of the retirement of the Z3. It’s in German, but close captions in English are available. Maybe there’s something to be discerned…

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