Computing and telecoms at Maybush

NOTE: This page is very much a first draft and will be greatly expanded shortly!

Ordnance Survey was at the forefront of technical innovation in using computing technology, which revolutionised everything, from admin to air survey. During the 1950s, OS was using punch-card calculators at OSO Chessington, as well as the more powerful ACE/DEUCE computers at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

The original plans for the new Maybush HQ do not include any dedicated computer accommodation; however that was changed during the second half of the 1960s and the later plans show provision of a computer suite on the 4th floor of West Block (W404) – space that was originally used for storage. The fact that part of West Block has a glazed roof but suspended ceiling throughout shows that this was not originally intended for this.

An ICL 1902 mainframe was installed in August 1968 along with various smaller rooms for data preparation and tape storage and a huge ventilation plant was installed adjacent to this – see West Block 4th floor. The ICL mainframe did the work of all the punch-card equipment at Chessington as well as the work sent to the NPL and the photogrammetric computation. Additional functionality was added shortly after – more survey computation, payroll, computer-based planning, digital mapping and order processing.

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A year or two later, the computer was unable to cope with its workload, despite two shifts operating it. In 1971, the ICL 1902 was replaced with a second-hand ICL 1904 from another government department but that became overloaded as well, it was estimated that a computer up to 60 times more powerful may be needed. The main workload was processing planning data, management information and being able to make accurate forecasts of output and manpower.

An additional computer room was constructed next to W404 – this was W407 and remained in use as a data centre until OS moved to Adanac Park. A new ventilation plant was constructed on the roof by F core, with the supply air ducts going through holes in the northlight roofing.

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Telecoms

The Maybush HQ had an automatic PABX (internal telephone exchange but also manual operators as well.

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• Needs adding:
• C016, C018, C019
• Links to digitising

Last updated on Sunday 7 February 2021 by GaryReggae