Catacombs Model GalleryYear 2 Computers
Catacombs Model Gallery
The computer panels in Command Center in Year 2 were designed and built for Gerry Anderson's Into Infinity and were built by Terry Curtis of Space Models. After Into Infinity but before Space: 1999, they appeared in a Space: 1999 exhibition at the Selfridges department store in London for the Christmas 1975 season. After Space 1999, the individual panels were swapped around during the various exhibitions (Blackpool, Alton Towers), so the configurations shown here are not those seen on television.
There are five 4 x 8 foot panels in all; each is made up of 16 2x1foot sections. The top 4 sections and the bottom 6 sections are blank panels also used on the Year 1 computers. The central 6 panels are decorated with lights and switches.
In the original configuration, two of the panels use black sections; two others use grey sections, and one has a mixture of yellow, orange and red sections. In all, the basic pattern is the same: an array of lights, seven columns and 4 rows (28 in total). Various lettering and lines (all Letraset), non-functional "buttons" and squares of coloured perspex are added.
Many of the panels were originally created for Into Infinity. The front control panel is made up of 9 panels.
There are also 6 panels behind the pilots.
Top left Wall 5 ("Vector Imp"), middle left Wall 1 ("INJ"), bottom left Wall 5 ("D2");
top right Wall 3 ("Gyro"), middle right Wall 1 ("Circuit Brakers"), bottom right Wall 3 (original green panel, Metamorph-Journey To Where).
There is a further 6 panels on the reverse wall, but only one side is clearly seen.
Top Wall 2 ("M88"), middle Wall 4 ("Test- Internal Lighting"), bottom Wall 4
Further back in the ship are other panels. Lower left is Wall 1 ("Gravity Generator"). Top left is one of three read-out panels, one of which was expanded into Wall 3 ("Computer Read Out"). Next to it is Wall 1 ("Life Support 1")
Even before they were used in Command Center, they were part of the Selfridges Christmas 1975 exhibition.
Photos by Robin Hill of Command Center set during The Dorcons, 9 December 1976, with damage to Wall 3
After filming at Pinewood, most of the panels were shown at Blackpool Space City, re-arranged and fixed with screws. The top and bottom grey panels were repainted with a darker colour. Four individual panels do not seem to have left Pinewood. A few Year 1 panels were included, plus two panels from Weapons Center. Now, all of the 5 wall banks have at least one missing panel.
After Space City, they were displayed at Alton Towers until 1989.
The final public view was at the Wolverhampton exhibition in 1993. This was the last time they were publicly displayed until 2026.
Below: two composite panels as seen in 2012. Both have been shortened and altered since the photographs above, and are in a poor state of repair. The red panel is from the Weapons Section set.
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These sections are examples of the black and grey sections, which were not clearly seen on screen. The grey sections are mostly plain, but the black sections are finely detailed. The top black panel ("ITL") has labels for "Power", "Play Sequence" and "Compute". |
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This grey panel includes one distinctive section with a green stripe. It is labelled "TEST" and "Internal Lighting M34".
Labels include "Read Out", "Circuit Test", "Mod", "Dia", "Seq", "3V New Codes". |
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These are mostly coloured sections that appeared in the middle of the Command Center computers The top yellow panel ("HD") has labels for "Backup", "Ratio", "Guidance", "Gyro", "Hold", "Stop", "End", "Yaw", "Pitch", "Roll", and, in large letters, "Trim". |
Below: details of an "X5 Computer" panel.
Below: restored panels in 2026 at the convention
Images copyright Martin Willey
Page copyright Martin Willey
