Original Console Control Panels

[tony farrell]

Nice find on those spiked massage balls! They certainly look the part. The description says they're 1.85 inches (4.7cm) in diameter. (Tony, does that measurement fit in with what you've calculated?)

Erm, too small I'm afraid. The size needed would be 2.75" or 70mm. Though, as Rob says, if the right size can be found, the design of these is really very,very close indeed!

[Rassilons Rod]

Just spotted these in Frontier in Space... Could they be 2 of the three "speaker" grill types from the sixties console?

[tony farrell]

Hi Marc,
Only just seen your post....  To my eye the top image looks more like the grilles used on the Pertwee console (with just the two screw fixings). Very similar (if not identical) grilles were used on the Master's Tardis exterior when it appeared as a computer in The Time Monster. Perhaps the grille in Frontier was part of the Master's Tardis which was cannibalised/re-used?  

As for the white grille, it is indeed similar to those used on panel number one -

- but the 'cross-bars' appear to be thicker and fewer in number.



I'm inclined to think that this white grille wasn't a 'hang-over' from the Hartnell Console as all serviceable parts from the original were re-utilised on the Pertwee version.

T

[Rassilons Rod]

Perhaps the grille in Frontier was part of the Master's Tardis which was cannibalised/re-used?  

Certainly could be the case. I think the Master's "Time Monster"  TARDIS does reappear in The Green Death as part of BOSS, looking quite different.

[galacticprobe]

Almost the entire Control Sphere interior (almost in its original form!) from 'UFO''s Moonbase was used in "The Green Death" as part of BOSS, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Master's "Time Monster" TARDIS (with little re-dressing) was also used as part of BOSS.

Dino.

[tony farrell]

Continuing our (intermittent) look at the original Tardis console and its controls, next on my 'to do' list is the Stasis Switch.
Made up of two rectangular tiers, the stasis switch's 'base-plate' looks, in some lights, to be flat; in others, the upper tier of the plate appears to rise to a slight pyramid:



Again, with thanks to Dino, here is my interpretation of the Stasis Switch:

[galacticprobe]

That's a beautiful drawing, Tony! (We really do make a great team: my housing; your switch; Voila!)

Dino.

[tony farrell]

My (Time) Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your delight, delectation and deliberation, I give you the "Symbolic Indicator Lamps"!




Tony

[galacticprobe]

Those look excellent, Tony (as usual). I don't know if you want to stick to the naming convention that was assigned to these in that old Doctor Who Magazine article (see this thread, first post: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2104.0) where they supposedly scrutinized all available episodes at the time to see what those controls (well, all controls) on this console were used for. But the ones they have listed are:

• Panel 2: Helmic Regulator (Manual control for steering the TARDIS... maybe later evolved into the Atom Accelerator - that "Steering Wheel" the pirate captain referred to in "Curse of the Black Spot"?)

• Panel 3: Environment Governor (Counteracts certain Temporal Phenomena - too many to list here, but they list examples of when it was used in the above article)

• Panel 5: Dimension Scale Control (Controls the interior size of the TARDIS)

• Panel 6: Gravity Control (left side of Demat Lever, self explanatory); Attitude Control (right side of Demat Lever - used to keep the TARDIS interior "upright" regardless of the exterior's position)

If you did use that naming convention, then it might help identify each one by the design on it (and what it does).

Just a humble suggestion.

Dino.

[barryrwuk]

Great work again, Tony.

I am curious about a couple of things.

Are we sure that the lamps all have the same profile? To me it has always looked like those lamps on panels 2, 3 and 6 are slightly 'pointier' than the others.

Celation mentioned that the bezels on panel two might be double the usual bezel: "There is a lamp with an unusual double-height surround (2x2 checker pattern, low down on panel 2)." I took this to mean that it was two normal bezels on top of each other. This seems to be borne out by some of the reference photos. What do you think?

Your graphics for the symbolic indicator lamps are fantastic.

Barry 

[tony farrell]

Celation mentioned that the bezels on panel two might be double the usual bezel: "There is a lamp with an unusual double-height surround (2x2 checker pattern, low down on panel 2)." I took this to mean that it was two normal bezels on top of each other. This seems to be borne out by some of the reference photos. What do you think?
Your graphics for the symbolic indicator lamps are fantastic.
Barry  

Hi Barry - glad you like the logos/graphics. Thanks.

The double stacked bezel on Control Panel 2 is included in the first drawing (indicated with the capital 'B' and explanatory text).

I got the design of the lenses from a 1955/56 railwayman's safety lamp - this kind of lamp was handheld and had different coloured lenses to indicate which way the person was walking in the dark. These lamps were in use when I was a kid in the 1960s and into the 1970s and (the reason I chose them) have a visible lens diameter of 3.25 inches which worked well for the top bezel's internal diameter.

If the originals were fresnel lenses (from railway workers'/other safety workers' lamps) then they would have a focal length and a standard ellipse to match a given diameter. Have you a decent photo of the 'shallower' lens you refer to on Panel Six?

Hi Dino,

I'm not a fan of that article (though I have used the same panel numbering system) because the drawings are (to say the least) not very accurate. (If the drawings are so inaccurate, I'm not sure that the names they've come up with are that accurate either.)

The other caveat to naming controls in accordance with fictional story requirements (except where the control is well known e.g., the 'Radiation Meter', the 'Fast Return Switch' or the 'Stasis Switch') is that the functions of the controls could change from episode to episode depending on story requirements (this was particularly true of Patrick Troughton's tenure).

I came up with a 'naming' convention a while back. I've tried to assign names which best describe the appearance of the controls not which conform to 'fictionalised' explanations of their use(s):



I think, Dino, that I'll stick with this as a means of consistent descriptions. 

Tony

[galacticprobe]

Tony, I completely understand, and after thinking about what you wrote, I have to agree. Besides, with only having (for the most part) one of those indicators on a panel there really is no need for a "function" name for it. That said, may I (once again, humbly) suggest for Panel 6 - the only panel with two of those indicators on it - that you add "left" and "right" to the respective indicators? Since that article is indeed inaccurate with the "design" that's on those indicators, and you have drawn them with far greater accuracy from known, visible references, it would be nice to remove any ambiguity of which indicator goes to the left of the Demat Lever, and which one goes to the right.

Dino.
P. S. Sorry; I missed your "Principal Controls" drawing. I looked in my "Tony's Drawings" folder and it wasn't there with all of your other ones. However, it is now!

[barryrwuk]

Hi Barry - glad you like the logos/graphics. Thanks.

The double stacked bezel on Control Panel 2 is included in the first drawing (indicated with the capital 'B' and explanatory text).

I got the design of the lenses from a 1955/56 railwayman's safety lamp - this kind of lamp was handheld and had different coloured lenses to indicate which way the person was walking in the dark. These lamps were in use when I was a kid in the 1960s and into the 1970s and (the reason I chose them) have a visible lens diameter of 3.25 inches which worked well for the top bezel's internal diameter.

If the originals were fresnel lenses (from railway workers'/other safety workers' lamps) then they would have a focal length and a standard ellipse to match a given diameter. Have you a decent photo of the 'shallower' lens you refer to on Panel Six?

Hi Tony.

Thanks for your reply. I find these details interesting and I know that we both enjoy trying to get things as accurate as possible.

Here is how I see it. I think the lens on Panel 5 seems to be flatter than the other panel mounted lenses.



In fact, it seems to be the same lower profile as the lenses used for 'The Movement Sensors' on Panel 4.



I would think that the lenses on Panel 4 are amber versions of the red lens used on Panel 5. Celation used 'Butlers 1518' lenses and he is almost 100% certain that they are the correct part - at least for 'The Movement Sensors/Telepathic Circuits'.



You can see from the picture above that the 'Butlers 1518' lens came fitted in a double sided metal surround that, I believe, acted as indicators on a Bedford Ambulance from the late 50s / early 60s.

The other lamps (Panels 2, 3 and 6) are definitely more domed than the Butler 1518s. For these Celation used 'Wipac 267' lenses as they were the closest available match to what he felt he was seeing in the reference images. However, I now feel that these lenses are too pointy and Celation himself says that he doesn't really feel they are the correct part.

Below: Red Butlers 1518 and Amber (only colour I could find) Wipac 267




My feeling is that the actual shape is probably somewhere between the 'Wipac 267' lens and the design that you have in your drawings. Interestingly, the Wipac lens does not have a constant elipse shape despite being a fresnel lens.

I think we were at cross purposes about the bezel on Panel 2. I saw that you had drawn a version of this labeled 'B' in your drawings. However, I had previously thought that there were four rings forming this bezel. That was my interpretation of Celation's description: "...an unusual double-height surround (2x2 checker pattern, low down on panel 2)..."



These lamps are my current mini project on my own virtual build and I am keen to see if we can reach a consensus.

Barry 

[tony farrell]

Hi Tony.
Here is how I see it. I think the lens on Panel 5 seems to be flatter than the other panel mounted lenses.



In fact, it seems to be the same lower profile as the lenses used for 'The Movement Sensors' on Panel 4.



I would think that the lenses on Panel 4 are amber versions of the red lens used on Panel 5. Celation used 'Butlers 1518' lenses and he is almost 100% certain that they are the correct part - at least for 'The Movement Sensors/Telepathic Circuits'.



You can see from the picture above that the 'Butlers 1518' lens came fitted in a double sided metal surround that, I believe, acted as indicators on a Bedford Ambulance from the late 50s / early 60s.

The other lamps (Panels 2, 3 and 6) are definitely more domed than the Butler 1518s. For these Celation used 'Wipac 267' lenses as they were the closest available match to what he felt he was seeing in the reference images. However, I now feel that these lenses are too pointy and Celation himself says that he doesn't really feel they are the correct part.

Below: Red Butlers 1518 and Amber (only colour I could find) Wipac 267




My feeling is that the actual shape is probably somewhere between the 'Wipac 267' lens and the design that you have in your drawings. Interestingly, the Wipac lens does not have a constant elipse shape despite being a fresnel lens.

I think we were at cross purposes about the bezel on Panel 2. I saw that you had drawn a version of this labeled 'B' in your drawings. However, I had previously thought that there were four rings forming this bezel. That was my interpretation of Celation's description: "...an unusual double-height surround (2x2 checker pattern, low down on panel 2)..."



These lamps are my current mini project on my own virtual build and I am keen to see if we can reach a consensus.

Barry 

Hi Dino/Barry,

First, to incorporate Dino's suggestion about the Symbolic Indicator Lamps on Control Panel Six:



Barry,
You've had me searching for decent screen grabs again!  
I think you're quite correct about the amber lenses used on the Movement Sensors (telepathic circuits), they are indeed much flatter than the red-tinted lenses used elsewhere (the Movement Sensors are  next on my 'to do' list). I think the photos you posted of these more or less prove this (though, intriguingly, they don't show the curious internal partitions - perhaps these are something to do with the rotating light effect):



I agree with you (and Chris/Celation) that the Wipac lenses you've shown are much too conical in shape to have been the parts used to create the other Symbolic Indicators whilst the amber ones used in the Movement Sensors are much too flat.
This brings me to the indicator just below the radiation meter. I must say, I've 'ummed and ahed' (is this how you spell ummed and ahed?  ) as to whether this is less domed than the other symbolic indicators. The short answer is I'm not sure there's very much in it (here are the best screen grabs I could find:



Lastly, I've looked for a usable screen grab of the deeper bezel you refer to but can't (at the moment) find one. If you can show me a decent photo of the double bezel you refer to, I'll gladly amend my plans.

I'm glad we share the same desire for accuracy!

Tony

[tony farrell]

Not quite sure what I've done there but here are larger photos: