Donny's TOS Enterprise Interiors
- Thread starter Donny
- Start date
So, I've run into a snag.
For a while, I've liked the idea of the Season 1 engine room being the "Impulse Engineering Control", as opposed to the Season 2/3 engine room being "Warp Engineering Control". So I decided to apply symmetry to the S1 engine room so that it would fit more logically inside the superstructure of the Enterprise's primary hull, like so:
It was nice because after I applied symmetry, I realized that the "engine" trapezoidal structure lined up almost exactly to the impulse deck's external exhaust ports!
However, this configuration isn't quite wide enough to fit in the finned cylindrical structure that Evil Kirk's phaser damages in "The Enemy Within" (see below) between the two rows of the large power unit structures. I really want to include this clyindrical structure, so I will have to widen the deck a bit to make it fit. This means that the "engines" won't align with the impulse's exterior exhaust ports, but that's a secondary concern of mine, as you all know that I've never been too concerned with "making it all fit" exactly anyway. I just thought it was a nice coincidence
Finned cylindrical unit in "The Enemy Within" that would theoretically be between the two rows of power units:
BUT. Regardless of whether I symmetry the room or not, there still exists this one little problem: There's no way to have the power units in a line like this and still have ample room for a chair in front of the console that is an unmistakable part of this version of the engine room, unless I widen the room EVEN MORE and place the power units more to port to allow for space for a seat at the console, which would then be another breach in screen accuracy since the power units would then now be way to port of the mesh screen.
Here's the console that appears to have PLENTY of space around it
It's clear that the power units were moved off set whenever they showed anyone seated at this console.
And there was always PLENTY of room between the power units to allow a person to pass, so scrunching them closer together would present problems too. I can't lengthen the room either, since it would mean lengthening the engineering consoles themselves, which I am totally not willing to do.
I want to maintain the length of the room, keep the power units in their place, have room for a chair at the console with adequate space around it, AND include the cylindrical unit from "The Enemy Within". But it's clear I can't do all this without breaking screen accuracy in some way.
WHAT TO DO??
For a while, I've liked the idea of the Season 1 engine room being the "Impulse Engineering Control", as opposed to the Season 2/3 engine room being "Warp Engineering Control". So I decided to apply symmetry to the S1 engine room so that it would fit more logically inside the superstructure of the Enterprise's primary hull, like so:
It was nice because after I applied symmetry, I realized that the "engine" trapezoidal structure lined up almost exactly to the impulse deck's external exhaust ports!
However, this configuration isn't quite wide enough to fit in the finned cylindrical structure that Evil Kirk's phaser damages in "The Enemy Within" (see below) between the two rows of the large power unit structures. I really want to include this clyindrical structure, so I will have to widen the deck a bit to make it fit. This means that the "engines" won't align with the impulse's exterior exhaust ports, but that's a secondary concern of mine, as you all know that I've never been too concerned with "making it all fit" exactly anyway. I just thought it was a nice coincidence
Finned cylindrical unit in "The Enemy Within" that would theoretically be between the two rows of power units:
BUT. Regardless of whether I symmetry the room or not, there still exists this one little problem: There's no way to have the power units in a line like this and still have ample room for a chair in front of the console that is an unmistakable part of this version of the engine room, unless I widen the room EVEN MORE and place the power units more to port to allow for space for a seat at the console, which would then be another breach in screen accuracy since the power units would then now be way to port of the mesh screen.
Here's the console that appears to have PLENTY of space around it
It's clear that the power units were moved off set whenever they showed anyone seated at this console.
And there was always PLENTY of room between the power units to allow a person to pass, so scrunching them closer together would present problems too. I can't lengthen the room either, since it would mean lengthening the engineering consoles themselves, which I am totally not willing to do.
I want to maintain the length of the room, keep the power units in their place, have room for a chair at the console with adequate space around it, AND include the cylindrical unit from "The Enemy Within". But it's clear I can't do all this without breaking screen accuracy in some way.
WHAT TO DO??
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Why can't allowing them to move be the solution?
We have a mix of different episodes, so, a slightly different arrangement of set pieces. Ideas:
1. The power units are further out into the room and seen to overlap the pipe's screen a little more.
2. The console and chair are a little further away from the door, putting the console between the two rows of power units especially if the power units are pulled out into the room.
3. The console is portable, so, sometimes it gets moved based on the scheduled activities in the engine room. Sometimes it's needed, sometimes not.
4. The power units are portable, so, sometimes they get moved/removed, too, based on the scheduled activities in the engine room.
5. When the console is needed, they move the power units out of the way, and visa-versa. Note that in the Enemy Within "phaser shot" picture, the console and chair are missing but the status board is still on the wall, now between the power unit rows. Maybe the console gets moved to the port side when the power units are on the starboard side.
6. In the fight with Khan, we see two power units behind Khan, but the console is also in the scene. Maybe we are seeing the second row of two power units on the port side and the starboard side power units are not there. This also gives Kirk and Khan plenty of fighting space.
7. There are never more than two power units and one control console in the double size room.
1. The power units are further out into the room and seen to overlap the pipe's screen a little more.
2. The console and chair are a little further away from the door, putting the console between the two rows of power units especially if the power units are pulled out into the room.
3. The console is portable, so, sometimes it gets moved based on the scheduled activities in the engine room. Sometimes it's needed, sometimes not.
4. The power units are portable, so, sometimes they get moved/removed, too, based on the scheduled activities in the engine room.
5. When the console is needed, they move the power units out of the way, and visa-versa. Note that in the Enemy Within "phaser shot" picture, the console and chair are missing but the status board is still on the wall, now between the power unit rows. Maybe the console gets moved to the port side when the power units are on the starboard side.
6. In the fight with Khan, we see two power units behind Khan, but the console is also in the scene. Maybe we are seeing the second row of two power units on the port side and the starboard side power units are not there. This also gives Kirk and Khan plenty of fighting space.
7. There are never more than two power units and one control console in the double size room.
Just to be clear, you're suggesting they dynamically move?Mucked your sketch up. Also took a little space from the middle if needed to match up to vents.
The one thing I don't like about this is that it wouldn't allow for the cylindrical unit that Evil Kirk damages in "The Enemy WIthin"
I really appreciate your input! I'm going to keep thinking all this over for the next day and see which solutions I like best. Right now, I think the solution I like best is having just the console / status board in question be moved to the middle of that wall, perfectly in between the two rows of power units.
I love your work and to build season one sets is great.
The two power units and the console are on casters (low tech) and are moved around manually by the crew is the thought. Others have suggested they are slid around using anti-gravity devices, rise and lower through the deck or are beamed in and out. The cylindrical conduit might be directly behind the power unit furthest from the door, so, to move both units, they first move back the power unit closest the door, then they move the second unit toward the door and then it gets shoved back in turn. If the cylindrical conduit is in the middle of the two power units, then the power units would need to be first rotated sideways, then shoved back.
Wow, thanks for the link. I’ve found the book on Amazon and it is in my wish list.
I have a birthday coming up!
When @blssdwlf accurately recreated the on-screen sets, the vertical power core thingy was found to be located further towards the big mesh screen. This leaves plenty of room for the other big power unit (the one getting in the way of the desk) to be slide around in the other half of the room:
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-enterprise-wip.119751/page-2#post-4032419
From a purely retcon perspective, that thing looks a lot like a vertical Warp Core in that render.
Inasmuch as it could be made to fit within its designated space, I’d treat it as intended, with forced perspective indicating a larger, longer space. (Said the guy who has modelled nothing in his life, and whose opinion on the subject is therefore only that: an opinion.)
My brain can be sketchy in this regards, but after they put that console there, do we ever see the double-row sets of power units again?
Enemy Within is early on 1st season, Space Seed is later on, could that have been an unseen refit?
Enemy Within is early on 1st season, Space Seed is later on, could that have been an unseen refit?
Ah, yeah. I tried that back when I modeled the S2/3 version of engineering and didn't like the results at all. It broke too much from screen-accuracy. I prefer the tapered version, although I know it wasn't what was originally intended in-universe.
In both Space Seed and Court Martial, we see the console there with plenty of room around it in some shots, and the double power units in others, albeit in Space Seed we only see the power units in one quick shot. We never see the power units and the console in the same shot, however.
Well I know it'd break your visual canon view a bit, but two options I might go with, shrink the power units length a bit, maybe not enough to visually clue it in, so that the console fits, or slide the front wall where the console is up a bit or put it at an angle so it all fits.
Neither is ideal though. Classic example of them filming a show and going for what they want in the shot though vs what they've kind of established.
The vertical power conduit is only seen in the Enemy Within which is the engine room's first appearance in the series and the conduit's only appearance in the series on the Enterprise. No console in that episode. Maybe after it got blasted, Scotty redesigned the conduit's location so something like that doesn't happen again. The next episode to show the engine room was The Naked Time where we find the console under the status panel plus two power units. Of course, when any fight breaks out in the engine room (i.e. Court Martial, Space Seed and Day of the Dove), the power units conveniently disappear to make more room for fighting. 
Yeah, it's painful but I'm going to have to break from how the idealized version of the room is in my mind, and what I've believed it to be my whole life.
Also, just noticed that in "The Naked Time", we see the power units and the console. However, the power units look as if they were shifted at an angle. This could theoretically provide room for the seat at the console, however I believe they were just angled on set for perspective and framing reasons, not to allow space for the console.
To add insult to injury, the two units are not the same size. In the last photo, Scotty is working on the smaller unit. Also, it looks like that unit is closer to the big screen and the two units are closer together perhaps giving more room for the console.
