Thanks for your input, Kai. However ...

1. Well, maybe I don't remember as clearly as I think, how hot parts used to get back then ... <sigh> ... but that doesn't explain the failure to function. However, peak power consumption is when the part is running at maximal speed, right? These aren't running at all!

2. These parts, at least the AMD ones, are clearly marked 8751H-12.

3. That's very nearly what's in the circuit. Actually, it's 27 pf, but it oscillates quite well.

4. These parts are brand-new (they're in unopened rails from the distributor) though I've had 'em since Christ was a child, but I erased the ones I'm using when I first observed this problem.

5. In this case, the oscillator is at 11.0592 MHz.

6. Well ... there's a 20A supply driving the 660 uF swamping cap;s and a dozen or more 10 nF cap's between Vcc and GND. I don't know what the rise time of the Vcc is. Maybe that's the problem ... but I doubt it.

RE