The Tom Yardley Jones TARDIS (Original) (1980)

[kiwidoc]

Now that you say it, those snaps above do have that look...

I haven't studied the windows but we know that they were frequently damaged and often change a little from show to show so maybe for a while there was a new set of frames installed that featured a thick middle bar?  Or, as you say, maybe a trick of the angle/light... but the more you look....

[galacticprobe]

It's really hard to tell in those photos because all but one are at sharp angles. And the one that's almost straight-on has a harsh lighting source that hitting the window frames at a sharp angle. (I'd say at the moment: inconclusive; we really need a nice straight-on shot without a harsh light source.)

Dino.

[warmcanofcoke]

Tardis looks a little battered in Warriors' Gate

[galacticprobe]

Whoa! Really battered! I wonder if that's why they put the TY-J mark II into service so soon after the mark I started. The mark I wasn't holding up well to the rigors of transporting and rough prop handlers (not to mention being shifted about during the 18-month hiatus).

Dino.

[exleo]

WOW it does look really Battered in that 'Warriors Gate' Photo, and that was only, it's Fifth Appearance.....

[DoctorWho8]

Whoa! Really battered! I wonder if that's why they put the TY-J mark II into service so soon after the mark I started. The mark I wasn't holding up well to the rigors of transporting and rough prop handlers (not to mention being shifted about during the 18-month hiatus).

Dino.

The Mark 2 wasn't built until 1986, though.  There's a shot in Logopolis after the TARDIS had landed on Logopolis, you can see the back doors are pulled outwards at a very on angle when the prop sits in the background.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[galacticprobe]

That is true, Bill. The mark I did see some service from 1981 until the hiatus in 1985, so that's four years if hard labor. Then add in the 18 months of being shuffled about in storage during the hiatus and when production re-started in 1986 the mark I was probably too beat up, hence the mark II came about.

Dino.

[warmcanofcoke]

The Mark 2 wasn't built until 1986, though.  There's a shot in Logopolis after the TARDIS had landed on Logopolis, you can see the back doors are pulled outwards at a very on angle when the prop sits in the background.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[nebula1253]

What are the dimensions for the base of the box?

[fivefingeredstyre]

Have we ever noticed those little squares at the bottom of the side walls before..?

[galacticprobe]

The (sort of) easy one first:

Have we ever noticed those little squares at the bottom of the side walls before..?

Probably not, or someone would have mentioned them. (Good eyes, Steve!) Looking back through all of the reference images that we have for the TY-J box, they're not there in "Logopolis", or in any of the Davison era images or publicity photos (depending on which box they used: the mark I or mark II). They are there in McCoy's "Silver Nemesis". No good reference images for the Colin Baker era showing the side (at least not that side), and I can't find any good images for McCoy prior to "Silver Nemesis". Not a lot of help, but it at least narrows down the timeframe for when those square things appeared on the box.

Now the (sort of) somewhat easier one:

What are the dimensions for the base of the box?

If you check out the link in the first post in this thread (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2299.0), it will take you to one of our member's sites where he's got some plans drawn up from the best calculations we've been able to do. (Not sure if they're for the TY-J mark I or mark II, but I think they used the same plans when they built the originals.)

And someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the base is about the same size as that on the Newbery TARDIS, and you can find those plans (by the same member) here: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=651.msg1390#msg1390 (the first post that pops up when you get to that page). You'll have to do some adding up of the measurements as they're broken down (you'll see what I mean). Both sets of plans are free PDF downloads; in fact the link in those posts open to the PDF itself, so all you have to do is "Save As...".

And last try, there are these plans for the TY-J TARDIS, though they're not that easy to read:

It shows the base being 4'6" by 4'6". Jonathan (Markofrani) posted them here: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=653.msg23979#msg23979.

I hope some of this is helpful.

Dino.

[nebula1253]

Thanks, galacticprobe! I wanted that to make a replica of a police box in Sketchup.

[galacticprobe]

No problem, nebula! Hopefully I threw enough at you that you've got more than you need. Although, when working on a 3-D render, I hear that you can never have too much detail if you're trying to make something accurate, and look like a real, solid build.

Dino.

[Volpone]

It's interesting that the plans call for a POLICE BOX sign like on the earlier props (and on police boxes) but as built, the plexiglass extends the full width of the sign. 

[galacticprobe]

Not only does it extend the full width of the sign box, but depending on which TY-J box you're looking at, the bezel/frame around the sign is very thick, while the other is the thin bezel. (It's also interesting that this thin bezel version is what they carried into the New Series, but going back to the black background, even though the TVM used the pre-TY-J Top Sign boxes, and made the background a very dark blue.)

It does make one wonder why, when they had the Newbery prop on hand and the Brachacki-Altered somewhere in the wings, the builders chose to ignore these prints and the previous versions of the prop and those Top Signs for them to use as a guide, and completely change the Top Sign box's design.

This also reinforces the efforts that Tony is putting into his research for accuracy with regards to the "as built" (or "as seen on screen") sets and props, as opposed to the "as intended" or "as drawn" prints.

Dino.