Hi guys on to Part 2 now, i'm going to do a manual for what each switch did in the show.

So firstly lets do the door switch, there has been lots of door switches during the Hartnell era and also the Troughton era, 1) in 'an unearthly child' there was two ways to open/close the door,
1: on panel 3,



2: on panel 2,



2) in 'the rescue' there was one way and that i think keeps on going to the end of season 4, on panel 6, number 4 switch, (when the doctor talks about his switches/console, he says them backwards)



3) in 'the mind robber' Zoe pulled a switch on panel 1 and the doors opened, number 6 switch,



which switch does the doors?

- Rich

I have no idea how accurate this is, but in one of the early Doctor Who Weekly (now Doctor Who Magazine) articles, the writers claim that they watched every available episode from the Hartnell/Troughton era to determine what each control on each panel was used for (though they occasionally also made references to some Pertwee era controls).

According to that article (which Tony has mostly rewritten in a more accurate way for the non-fiction aide as well as the fictional side), this is the control they claim was the Door Switch:

That article also claims that both Hartnell and Troughton "invariably used the same controls to initiate the same functions". You can find the complete article, with drawings posted here http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2104.0.

Some of the panel controls are inaccurate, like Panel 4 with the Pertwee era "Time Sensor" on it when it should be the backwards "L" and that large knob; there are also extra controls on it that were never seen on Panel 4 in the Hartnell or Troughton era. Also, the shapes of some of the controls are wrong, the Meter Faces are all wrong, they've got more meters and dials than what were actually there... It's not the best bit of research they've done - Tony's is far better, as is yours for the "fictional" side of the house - but for what controls that we do know were "named" in episodes, there are explanations as to how they were supposed to have operated. At least this will give you an entertaining read.

Mind you, going by the first few episodes to determine which control is which - like the door switch - is tricky because the actors themselves were just learning the console and what control may have done what. It was Hartnell that started assigning functions to the controls to maintain consistency, and as seen in a subdued manner in "An Adventure In Space And Time", Hartnell (David Bradley) tells the director that the door control is on the other side of the console and he can't reach it from where he's standing. In an interview with Verity Lambert back in the late 1980s, she recalled that time, only she said that Hartnell went on a tirade about the console, and what would happen to the TARDIS if the Doctor flipped the switch the director wanted him to, and proceeded to conduct a half-hour dissertation on the console, explaining what each control on each panel did. (Would I love to have been there with a tape recorder for that one!)

Anyway, the article says that lever on Panel 2 is the Door Switch. Is it really? I have no idea. We do know that after a while Hartnell did use certain controls consistently for the same functions, so I'm sure as you delve deeper into your research of the fictional operation of the console, you'll figure out which control is supposed to do what. (And that will change a little, no doubt, with the Troughton era, although I have heard others say that he tried to copy Hartnell as closely as possible when it came to control usage.)

I hope some of this is helpful.

Dino.

I've got the DWM (Doctor Who Monthly) mag at home, I got it two years ago, but I think sometimes that is the mag wrong? and the show is right, I don't really know like you (Dino) but we have got different types of door switches in Dr who, only one in the mag, from all those switches it choose that one that was not used in the show, even you said william hartnell and one of the staff had a conversation about what switch did the doors, how do they know/remember that.

Well the only way to know what did the door switch is by Tony, he knows a lot about the MK 1 Tardis Console Unit, hopefully he knows the answer.

- Rich

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 17, 2016, 04:41 pm
I've got the DWM (Doctor Who Monthly) mag at home, I got it two years ago,...

Well, I had a 50/50 chance on the name of the mag. I'd gotten it so long ago (late 1980s/early 1990s) that I couldn't remember if they'd gone from ~ Weekly to ~ Monthly by that issue. I've got a nice stack of both Weekly and Monthly issues on my bookshelves and I just took a guess. (I chose... poorly. )

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 17, 2016, 04:41 pm
Well the only way to know what did the door switch is by Tony, he knows a lot about the MK 1 Tardis Console Unit, hopefully he knows the answer.

Of that I have no doubt. I thought I knew that console and then Tony showed me just how much I didn't know about it. I'm sure he'll join in on this one as soon as he's able to. But for the most part, Tony is working on the "real world" aspect of the consoles, and not the "fictional" side of things, so we may be on our own trying to figure this one out. Hopefully Tony will be able to nudge us in the right direction, though, as his eyes when spotting which control Hartnell used at which times are better than mine are.

Dino.

Hi,

Dino is correct in saying that I'm not so much interested in the fictional operation of the Tardis Console but rather in its physical operation as a prop.

I've already been through what I know of Panel Four for you.

In terms of Panel Five, the top-right 'ancillary switch' seems to operate the top left small 'function indicator lamp' (ping-pong ball light). The Radiation meter and the big round meters seem to be operated from underneath the Console using the two knobs which were fitted for "The Dead Planet" (i.e., by a stagehand hiding underneath the Console out-of-sight of the cameras). If you look closely at the Radiation meter's face, there is a screw-head visible - when the needle 'reaches' this screw-head, the warning lamp begins to flash (so, I assume there is some kind of contact switch inside the radiation meter which is activated when the needle 'reaches' this screw-head).

When William Hartnell 'sabotages' the Tardis' fluid link, the right-hand big meters' needle is seen to oscillate wildly. Like the Radiation Meter I think this is operated by someone hiding under the Console using one of the two knobs I mentioned. Alternatively, the round meter may be operated by Hartnell himself and he is turning the knob on the underside of the Console.

For the scanner, Hartnell always seems to use the same switch on Control Panel 6 and one of the 'function indicator lamps' comes on (I can't remember - off the top of my head - which one, but if you watch Edge of Destruction/Brink of Disaster, it's clear which lamp illuminates as he throws the switch).

So - physically - there are certain switches which actually operate certain parts of the Console as a prop i.e., these specific switches are actually wired up to lamps or indeed the the central column's turn-table and (perhaps) its raising/lowering mechanism as well (see discussion on Panel Four).

In terms of the doors, Rich has correctly identified the switch Susan uses to 'close' the doors in "An Unearthly Child" but - it should be noted - William Hartnell uses the same switch to 'electrocute' William Russell only a few minutes later in the same episode (the lamp immediately above this switch is however operated by this switch)!

In terms of the actual operation of the doors, these are moved by stagehands in the Pilot Episode but for the transmitted episode they gain the two curved metal covers (one either side of the doors in the gaps in the wainscoting). These curved metal covers conceal some kind of cog/chain driven mechanism and remain in use throughout the 'classic' series run (though they're later mounted at the top of the doors in the Tom Baker era). This cog/chain mechanism holds the doors in position so that they don't swing open as they did in the Pilot Episode.

I hope this helps in terms of the physical/practical operation of the Console as a prop. As regards its 'fictional' operation, I'm afraid I can't help you.

T

You have helped a lot with us Tony as you said "i'm afraid i can't help you" that is fine by me as long other help me do this. also you have a lot of knowledge about the MK 1 Tardis Console Unit that is why I counted on you, but just like i said that is fine.

- Rich

Rich, if you have the DVD of "The Rescue" (the story after 'The Daleks Invasion of Earth'), in the opening scenes inside the TARDIS, the Doctor instinctively asks Susan to open the doors after they've landed, only then to realize that he'd left her behind on Earth with the man she was falling for. Barbara sees how sad he looks, and asks the Doctor if he could show her how to open the doors, hoping to cheer him up a little by having someone to open them when he asks.

I know my DVD is around here somewhere, but I have to dig for it. However, in that scene it might be possible to tell which control the Doctor shows Barbara for opening the doors. This would be about a year after the premier and the controls would have been established by then (or at least some of them would have), whereas in the Pilot and first transmitted episode, as Tony mentioned, Susan uses that toggle switch to close the doors, and moments later that same toggle is what the Doctor uses to electrify the console and "zap" Ian - not uncommon when starting a new show and working with a new prop that is full of switches and levers that you haven't figured out yet.

So, maybe 'The Rescue' will answer the door control question. (If you don't have the DVD for that one, maybe someone else who has it can take a look and let us know if the control is shown. I have no idea how long it's going to take me to find my DVD; the cabinet is a total wreck after my son went digging through it looking for a video game... which was in a different cabinet!)

I know it's not much to go on, but it was something I remembered and thought it might be of some help.

Dino.

Sorry to say this but I have already said that the switch was from the episode 'the rescue' no 4 switch, so when you think about it I already told myself the answer. Oh never mind.

- Rich

For a long time I studied the operation of this original console from watching first the VHS tapes and then the DVDs again and again. So much easier to do this research with DVDs! Some general observations:

- I don't find the legendary Doctor Who Weekly magazine helpful at all. It doesn't seem to correlate to anything seen on screen. Apart from the schematic inaccuracies, much of the console feature seemed to have been made up for the article. That's fine, but many people seem to assume it was based on more accurate research. For example, where does "Stasis switch" come from? I don't recall that name being said in any DVD I have, plus I've not seen it in any of the transcripts for the missing episodes. The same goes for a lot of the other control names in that article.

- The oft repeated fan fact that Hartnell was consistent in his use of the TARDIS controls is easily disproved by just watching the first couple of episodes. The door control has been seen in at least 4 different positions! However there does appear to be a more general consistency in his use of controls for dematerialization and flight.

- My TARDIS Manual (it was online a long time ago) has attempted to record the location of switches and controls used. But probably we should agree on a identification scheme for switches so that we can agree which one we are talking about? I have such a scheme but unfortunately the panel numbering I have chosen doesn't match what you guys are using.

- As a start, the three main levers are used for flight related controls.
- Lever 1-left is the dematerialization control, clearly seen in use in The Daleks. Pulled down to initiate demat, flipped back up to cancel it when the fluid link was removed.
- Lever 1-right is the power control, clearly seen in use in The Rescue. The Dr wakes up after the ship lands itself, and says something about turning off the [flight] power, before using this lever.
- Lever 6-middle is always used at the start or end of the flight sequence, but after demat and before landing. I have imagined that this is something like the vortex drive. See for example the end of The Daleks.

So that's the levers done!

One thing that has been bothering me: did those slide switches actually move? I never saw anyone onscreen actually flicking those switches!

Quote from: abrxx on Aug 19, 2016, 03:49 pm
One thing that has been bothering me: did those slide switches actually move? I never saw anyone onscreen actually flicking those switches!

Yes the slide switches did if you look in the episode 'the war games - episode 10' its shows Patrick pulling the switches down.

- Rich

PS: Thanks, abrxx

Right, lets start with the ones that I know definite,

The scanner switch, shown in 'the edge of destruction',  



The light switch, turns the light off, the whole room NOT the console, shown in 'the space museum',



The dematerialize switch, shown in 'the daleks'



The materialize switch, shown in 'the daleks'



The flight switch, I can't remember when I saw this,



The Turn on/off - power switch, I can't remember when I saw this one too,



And of cause the door switch, shown in 'the rescue',



- Rich

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 19, 2016, 05:45 pm
The dematerialize switch, shown in 'the daleks'

Aren't those 2 levers used as the two-stage materialisation levers? I remember it being mentioned in another thread...

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 19, 2016, 05:45 pm
The flight switch, I can't remember when I saw this,

Also, I think that is the demat lever.

The on-screen evidence does not point towards those being both materialisation levers. I believe the DWM Weekly article speculated that this was the case, but the RHS lever is rarely used with the LHS.  TBH lets ignore any fan theory and just post confirmed usage from the DVDs.

I just watched the beginning of The Rescue right now. It appears that a great many more controls are touched than I had first realised when the Dr says "all we have to do is turn the power off". Its not totally clear but I think:

- it sounds like the "status switch" is turned to the left or right first. This is off camera but I can't think what else otherwise he did. You can hear the switch hit the stop at the end of its movements.

- both LHS and RHS levers on panel one are moved from top to bottom. Only the RHS one is moved on camera, but you can hear him move the LHS one, and both are clearly in down position a second later when the camera angle changes (both were up at the start of the scene)

- two or three secondary levers are also moved on panel 1. I can't see which ones. These levers don't tend to have a fixed function from story to story, at least, not that I have seen.

Regarding the panel 6 lever: it clearly does not initiate dematerialisation: that is always the first lever OR some buttons on Panel 4. Just watch the TARDIS scenes in The Daleks. At the very end you see the lever on panel 6 being used MID FLIGHT. Also the same is seen at the start of The Giants.

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 19, 2016, 10:29 am
Sorry to say this but I have already said that the switch was from the episode 'the rescue' no 4 switch...

Oops. Sorry I missed that (or more likely forgot that I'd read it: short-term memory problems).

Quote from: Richman695 on Aug 19, 2016, 05:45 pm
Right, lets start with the ones that I know definite,...

Rich, I'd say that between you and abrxx, you're off to a great start on this.

Quote from: abrxx on Aug 19, 2016, 03:49 pm
- The oft repeated fan fact that Hartnell was consistent in his use of the TARDIS controls is easily disproved by just watching the first couple of episodes. The door control has been seen in at least 4 different positions!

Abrxx, I agree, and that "oft repeated fan fact" (guilty as charged until Rich started his research into the on-screen operation of the console) I believe is the result of that faulty Doctor Who Monthly article; but again we also have to remember that those first few episodes are still in the "break-in period" where you have (relatively) new actors launching a new show, and using a new prop like never before seen, loaded with levers, switches, and other assorted handles. Of course you're going to see inconsistencies until the actors get more familiar with the prop. (I do wonder if that Door Switch settled into that position Rich showed before 'The Rescue'.)

Quote from: nebula1253 on Aug 19, 2016, 06:12 pm
Aren't those 2 levers used as the two-stage materialisation levers? I remember it being mentioned in another thread...

Also, I think that is the demat lever.

As abrxx already pointed out (twice, now), those levers in Rich's drawings are labeled as they were seen used on screen. The other thread you're referring to is the one with that Doctor Who Monthly article in which they purportedly studied "all available episodes" to determine which control did what. And as seen on screen, again as abrxx pointed out, that article is totally wrong with "...much of the console feature seemed to have been made up for the article." Indeed, there are some controls on the console in that article whose functions and appearance did not come about until the Pertwee era (the "Time Sensor", "Emergency Switch", and "Telescopic Microphone" being several that immediately spring to mind)! So how accurate is that article really? Not very at all.

The levers you mention as having those functions are only identified as such in that erroneous article. That is not how those levers were used on screen.

What abrxx and Rich have shown in the above drawings are how those controls were seen used - with "some" consistency - during the Hartnell years. So when it comes to "as seen on screen" vs. some inaccurate article that conflicts with what is actually observed, always go with what's actually observed.

Great work, Rich and abrxx. Keep going!

Dino.

Quote from: galacticprobe on Aug 19, 2016, 08:42 pm

Great work, Rich and abrxx. Keep going!

Dino.

Thanks Dino! To re-iterate what Dino said, can everyone posting to this thread ensure they have watched the DVD sequence first. Lets ignore fan facts, fan theories, previous articles, etc. The only source of truth here is what the actors did on the tv show...