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The Original You Might Say

Started by Mark, May 02, 2005, 08:43 am

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ironageman

May 11, 2005, 04:11 pm #30 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:00 pm by scarfwearer
They're all pictures of the Barnet box, except for the one with daylight which is the Avoncroft one about a decade ago.

Ah, the different sign widths - well, one would sort of expect a wider sign if there's a bolt, so that the bolt isn't too close to the edge of the sign.  I don't think the Avoncroft one has bolts so there were apparently a few build methods in use.

Of course, the line under the sign box could be from the mould that it was cast from.  But it all sort of adds up.

Sort of...
leonard cohen  1934-2016  standing by the window where the light is strong

Mark

May 11, 2005, 07:53 pm #31 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:00 pm by scarfwearer
Beginning to understand why the BEEB decided to just make up a police box rather than re-create a real one!!!

purpleblancmange

May 12, 2005, 11:36 am #32 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:00 pm by scarfwearer
Quote from: Mark link=board=build&thread=1115023419&start=31#2 date=1115841184Beginning to understand why the BEEB decided to just make up a police box rather than re-create a real one!!!


Hmm, couldn't possibly comment on this - but they could have had a more accurate prop if they'd been a bit more... shall we say, organised?

The model pictures and the full sized prop pictures in this shot look familiar...
[noIMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/stasia13/Anthony/TARDISmodelsbbci1.jpg[/img]

and here...
[noIMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/stasia13/Anthony/0TARDISmodelsbbci2.jpg[/img]

Oh well, never mind.  It looks to me that they've based part of the new props on a dodgy photograph of one of my models - and Ed Thomas saying that he always thought the TARDIS looked too small - he wasn't even aware that it was too short until I told him.  Water under the bridge now anyway!

Purple

Mark

May 12, 2005, 06:36 pm #33 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:00 pm by scarfwearer
I know it's not the end of the world, the programme seems to be a hit, but was really hoping they would have made more of an effort to get the TARDIS more true to it's earthly twin.

Look how good the Charles Dickens episode was in re-creating the past accurately!

Add to this all the trouble the Beeb went to in order to rob the trademark from the Met, pointless ???

ironageman

May 16, 2005, 04:12 pm #34 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:01 pm by scarfwearer
>>I've included interior pics of ringbeam thing. Anyone spot anything useful?

Just spotted that the insides of the sign boxes meet at a 90 degree angle, unlike the pair of 135 degree angles on the Glasgow type of box.  Proving that there is indeed more than one way to skin a police box.
leonard cohen  1934-2016  standing by the window where the light is strong

Mark

May 16, 2005, 04:40 pm #35 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:01 pm by scarfwearer
See what you mean Ironage. Is it just me or does the reverse part of the signbox protrude less on the Scottish box?

Can anyone help with a timeline on this?

Scotland had Police Boxes before the met (Cast iron jobbies), but who had the "TARDIS" style first?

Reason being is that both designs are remarkable similar but credited to different architects. You'd think one wouldn't copy the other, it would be better to have your own design immortalised wouldn't it.


ironageman

May 16, 2005, 05:18 pm #36 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:01 pm by scarfwearer
>>Is it just me or does the reverse part of the signbox protrude less on the Scottish box?

Yes, I thought that too, but it's hard to be sure.  And who's credited with the design of the Glasgow box?  I've always taken it that the London boxes came first, as they were designed by MacKenzie Trench, the Met's architect/surveyor, and were evidently trialled in 1929 whereas the Glasgow boxes were reportedly introduced by Percy Stillitoe who I think joined the Glasgow force in 1931.

And in any case the Glasgow ones have the air of a good design that's been messed about with!

Anyhow, to repeat the plea, can anyone help with a timeline on this?
leonard cohen  1934-2016  standing by the window where the light is strong

Mark

May 16, 2005, 05:29 pm #37 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:01 pm by scarfwearer
Somebody McCrae (I'm furiously trying to remember where I read this! ???)

I know Chief Percy Shillitoe had some part to play in in police box history, but can't get my head round his time line either!

ironageman

May 16, 2005, 05:46 pm #38 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:02 pm by scarfwearer
Ebenezer MacRae perhaps?  He certainly did the Edinburgh ones.
leonard cohen  1934-2016  standing by the window where the light is strong

Mark

May 21, 2005, 08:18 pm #39 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:02 pm by scarfwearer
MY BOX

I've started my full size build!

15th May 2005

Weather was fine so decided to do a bit of tidying in the garden (much to the surprise of my better half!)

The main reason as far as I was concerned was to clear all the rubbish and weeds from the odd shaped area that is right at the bottom of the garden. This is going to be the home for my Police Box.

21st May 2005

Won my first ever E-bay auction  ;D and in this process, I am now the proud owner of a (hopefully) working bakerlite phone for my box. Its not entirely accurate to the prototype (posted earlier by Ironageman) but it's close.

I figured that as the years past and police boxes had bits renewed and fixed, the phone may well have been replaced with one like this. Either way, as this is going to be a working phone and in my garden, I definately wanted an ingoing line only so this phone having not dial is perfect!

[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/Telephone.jpg[/img]

Mark

May 22, 2005, 10:48 am #40 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:02 pm by scarfwearer
MY BOX
22nd May 2005

Found a suitable roof lamp a couple of days ago. Emailed the company and asked for sizes. Unfortunately the chap couldn't get to measure the lamp until 21st May.

All being well should have the dimensions this week and decide if this is the lamp for me :D

Its got the correct number of steps at the top and bottom (although they are not as steep as the prototype) and I think its going to be as close as I'm going to get

[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/ShipsAnchorLight.jpg[/img]

Today I also marked out the space for my box. After a few test runs I found the position I liked.

UPDATE 19:21

Just received measurements, the lamps has practically identical measurements to the one at Crich. Needless to say, there's a cheque in the post as we speak ;D

Mark

May 22, 2005, 06:41 pm #41 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:02 pm by scarfwearer
Just to prove (to myself more than anything else!) the difference in the roof structure between Crich and Barnet, I put this picture together using Paint.
[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/Crich_Barnet_COMPARISON.jpg[/img]
Everthing in the picture matches up perfectly up until the roof (although you can see the slight difference in the sign boxes).

I think the Mile End red police boxes also had the same type of roof as Crich (can't find a picture at minute).

Perhaps this style of box was introduced between the Barnet style and the Heathrow style. Mk. II(a) perhaps?

ironageman

May 24, 2005, 02:02 pm #42 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:02 pm by scarfwearer
Here's the Mile End roof:
mileendroof.jpg
There are other similarities between the Mile End and the Crich box.  Perhaps these 'Mk 2a' boxes are post-war and the Barnet was pre-war?

That said, there's one photograph of a long-gone box that seems to show the central upright (to the left of the door) stopping a couple of inches from the sign box. Presumably, as with GPO red boxes, there were different manufacturers with slightly different ideas of the thing.

Nice dial-less telephone, Mark.  Yes... I think you'd have a job to prove that a telephone like that was never used in a Police Box!  So... nobody rushing to replicate the 'Empty Child' style telephone then?
leonard cohen  1934-2016  standing by the window where the light is strong

Mark

May 26, 2005, 09:01 pm #43 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:03 pm by scarfwearer
Found this picture which gives a really good idea of the size of the Met style police boxes.
[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/comparison.jpg[/img]
Its not the best quality, but you get the idea.

So if you're thinking of buildng a full size replica box of this type, go stand next to a red phone box (the smaller type if in London) and figure if you have the space (Then convince yourself that you do regardless ;D)

Mark

May 30, 2005, 12:07 pm #44 Last Edit: Jun 26, 2011, 07:03 pm by scarfwearer
My Box - Update 30th May
Slowly but surely I'm making progress on my build (in a sort of back to front way!)

I received my telephone and it is perfect (did have concerns that it may be too big for the phone cabinet, but I measured it and it'll fit)
[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/Front.jpg[/img][noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/Side.jpg[/img]
I'm just waiting for an e-mail telling me the actual make of the phone so I can connect it (Illegally apparently) to the BT line.

I also dug a rather large hole down the bottom of the garden. It took me ages and knackered me up, but this will be filled with concrete and serve as the boxes foundations.
[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/BaseHole.jpg[/img]
It doesn't look much of a TARDIS/police box build compared with others, but to me, it's a start.

I also put a picture together to give me an idea how the box will look once complete. The neighbours are gonna hate me ;D

[noIMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/Mark7081/MyBox.jpg[/img]