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My computing experiences do not go back that far... heck, I barely go back that far. And this old dog has definitely been bended, folded, spindled and mutiplated too much to work in those old machines.
I have worked with some pretty large telephone switching systems. While the CPU for the switches are not so huge anymore, there is still a lot of room needed for all the 'peripheral' devices needed for terminating cables and signal routing and switching purposes.
The double floor is pretty standard, and usually is the air conditioning plenum, besides being the cable route. A big A/C unit blows air into the gap between the floors, and a hole underneath each rack allows the chilled air to rise within the rack. These racks are designed with closable fronts and backs so that the air continues past each shelf, cooling the circuits, and finally out an open grill in the top of the rack.
Oh, how we long for the 'good old days'...
<* Wes *>