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Unknown Box in the 1930's

looks like:

https://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=4125.msg132858#msg132858


V15

02-Dec-1929
09-Apr-1970
Junction of Upper Richmond Road, south side and Sheen Lane on island in centre of roadway



District: Mortlake

Division: Richmond



https://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=4125.0




1950s map:

v15-map.png
 
I love this photo!  Pity the watermarks are obscuring the lovely detail.

It looks very much like a wooden prototype box, the base appears to be 'sitting' on the pavement, rather than set into concrete.  The roof looks oddly incongruent, possibly just a factor of the roof being concrete whilst the rest of the box being made of wood, but perhaps it has yet to be painted?  Impossible to be certain from a black&white photo.
 
I could be wrong, but my own thoughts are that a concrete roof on a wooden structure would be too heavy. ( I'm thinking of the story of the original Dr who box collapsing on Liz Sladen's head...Concrete would be very messy)The possibility of the boxes simply not having had the rooves painted is far more likely to my mind at least. The bloke told to do the painting might not have had a step ladder! Or perhaps they were just undercoated or even a paler shade of blue? ( or green, or even white) I suppose we shall never know! ( Unless one of us builds a real Tardis and we go back to find out!)

( And yes, Alexcutler, it is great shame about those ugly watermarks! Quite spoils the picture!)
 
Just another thought that Alexcutler might or might not agree with, a lead flashing finish on the rooves of wooden boxes might account for that colour discrepancy.....Not as heavy as concrete, but heavy enough! Everyone was using lead back then....lead pipes, lead based paint, bread, butter and lead...Lard with lead in it...beans and lead..
 
Andrew Harvey said:
I could be wrong, but my own thoughts are that a concrete roof on a wooden structure would be too heavy. ( I'm thinking of the story of the original Dr who box collapsing on Liz Sladen's head...Concrete would be very messy)The possibility of the boxes simply not having had the rooves painted is far more likely to my mind at least. The bloke told to do the painting might not have had a step ladder! Or perhaps they were just undercoated or even a paler shade of blue? ( or green, or even white) I suppose we shall never know! ( Unless one of us builds a real Tardis and we go back to find out!)

( And yes, Alexcutler, it is great shame about those ugly watermarks! Quite spoils the picture!)
Click to expand...

I think someone on this forum has already done the maths, and it turns out a well constructed box even of pine would support the concrete roof -- the prototypes were probably teak which would have many, many times the holding capacity.  That doesn't mean you are wrong - but structurally the wood can easily cope.

As to the TARDIS prop collapsing on Elisabeth Sladen - we are talking about a box that was built as a 'prop' not an all-weather, outside structure that was meant to last.  The prop was continually moved, bashed, altered, and went well past the life it would have been built for.  Many on this forum have documented the incredible abuses the prop went through.  If anything it is truly remarkable it lasted as long as it did!!  We are all very, very grateful that Elisabeth Sladen took no serious harm from the dangerous collapse!
 
Andrew Harvey said:
Just another thought that Alexcutler might or might not agree with, a lead flashing finish on the rooves of wooden boxes might account for that colour discrepancy.....Not as heavy as concrete, but heavy enough! Everyone was using lead back then....lead pipes, lead based paint, bread, butter and lead...Lard with lead in it...beans and lead..
Click to expand...

You raise a good point, you may be right.  Just call me 'Alex'! ;-)
 
I will say, I seem to remember reading that the roofs on the timber boxes were concrete, but I'll be darned if I'm going to go look for that info. 

(On a related note, I've heard at least one person say that the roof on the old Barachaki box collapsing on Elizabeth Sladen is apocryphal.  They got a new box for the same reason they got a new control room:  That was the direction they were going with the production on the show, but again, I'll be darned if I'm going to look for that info either.) 
 
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