Home Object search

Object search

Over coming years, we aim to bring together all object records from all UK museums. Just type something in the search box to start exploring the millions of records shared so far.

Filters

Collections

The Armitt (492)

Science Museum Group (2)

Victoria and Albert Museum (2)

Ashmolean Museum (1)

Culture Perth & Kinross (1)

Keswick Museum and Art Gallery (1)

Museum of Freemasonry (1)

National Museum of the Royal Navy (1)

Fields containing keyword

Other (491)

Description (8)

Title (2)

Text (1)

Images potentially available

None (500)

Online (1)

Data use licences

CC BY-NC (498)

CC BY (3)

501 records match your search. Use the filters to refine your results. Using data FAQs

Open filters

Title:: Mick Haynes interviewed by Jonathan Aylen
Object name(s):: oral history interview; oral history interview
Brief description:: Oral history interview with Michael (Mick) Haynes conducted and recorded by Jonathan Aylen on 16 April 2018 at the National Railway Museum. Duration: 27 minutes 29 seconds. The interview focuses on Mick Haynes’s role in the development of TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) at British Rail. Worked on TOPS from 1969 including modernisation in early 1980’s including intro; railway career start, railway management trainee, Birmingham Division; joining BR computer training (IT training) course; [00:02:30] programming language learnt, COBOL, PLAN, IBM assembler, CC++, ICL and IBM machines, data networking, knowledge of technology and business; role in TOPS, Manager of Blandford House, responsible for Blandford move to Crewe; working on IT side, relationship with Bob Armitt, 222, based in Marylebone; [00:05:20] relationship between IBM and Southern Pacific, IBM most suitable for real time transactions, ACP airline control programme vs Southern Pacific card based programme; Ventek cards used for TOPS, TOPSTRANS IBM assembler macro language, upgrade to CICS (high level COBOL language based interface); evolution of TOPS, TOPS CICS, addition of passenger trains information on system, final version TOPS 2000; [00:09:15] Blandford House, relationship with IBM and Southern Pacific, BR teams trained by Southern Pacific, modification to system, introduction of STANOX without track and spot, yard visual diagram in TOPS 2000; [00:11:00] ACP operating system, customised access method for TOPS files for fast transaction, writing in assembler, documentation built in the code, introduction of CICS; strategy in place to make TOPS operational seconds after failing, TRUST process, special traps in TOPS to prevent looping errors; [00:15:00] no knowledge of links between TOPS and SAGE American air defence system; TOPSTRANS language; telecommunication, asynchronous message transmission, telex lines with cards, synchronisation only came with TOPS CICS, use of LATA (Line Address Terminal Address), cardless TOPS via emulation, [00:19:00] front end to TOPS, use of multiplexes, dedicated phone cables for TOPS, introduction of TDU’s in late 1970s-1980s, designing TOPS own network system, online with interactive send/response real time transactions; [00:20:20] in-house designing and programming of Xlox Z80 cards for communications; comparison and collaboration with airline system team for first passenger reservation system, IBM 3270 protocols; decision making process, any changes or development by IBM assessed to decide if used or emulated in TOPS; [00:23:00] internet, IP protocols from mid 1990s, no hacking attempts; [00:23:45] CTT (Consigned Through TOPS) in 1981 allowed customer to have own terminal and release wagon, contract bound, early e-commerce; aggregation contracts [00:27:29] [end of interview]
Collection:: Science Museum Group

Object name:: oral history interview; oral history interview
Object production date:
Date - earliest / single:: 2018
Date - latest:: 2018
Object production person:: Aylen, Jonathan
Object production place:: National Railway Museum, York, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Other number:: 2023-1074
Other number type:: accession number
Other number:: TEMP1071159
Other number type:: Previous number
Other number:: 2023-1075
Other number type:: Previous number
Responsible department/section:: NRM - Corporate Archive

Persistent shareable link for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/f42e8513-8508-3605-a05d-19e10cae3fc6

Use licence for this record: CC BY

Attribution for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/f42e8513-8508-3605-a05d-19e10cae3fc6, Science Museum Group, CC BY

Is there a problem with this record? Give feedback.

View

View

Download as CSV Get an API token

Report a problem with record data

ObjectWhat issue would you like to report?Your nameYour emailPlease leave this field empty.I consent to the Museum Data Service forwarding this feedback, including my contact details, to the institution that created and shared the relevant record

Download search results as CSV

Your CSV is being generated. Please note that the CSV download output is restricted to 1,000 records, and includes only core fields that all records have in common. You can look up the full details available for each record via the URLs in the ‘link to MDS record’ column. If you want to download more than 1,000 records, or want all the fields, get an API token and paste it into the MDS Data Fetcher, a handy utility from Ex Nihilo.

A download button will appear below when the file is ready. Please ensure that your intended use of these records is permitted by the data use licences applied by the contributing museums, and refine your search using the data use licences filter if needed.

Processing request...

Request an API token

Here you can get an API token for you to access and re-use all the public fields from all the records in your search results (subject to the relevant licensing terms of the data). For more information see our using data FAQs.

You might also want to take a look at the MDS Data Fetcher created by Ex Nihilo. This handy utility lets you paste an MDS API token and download the results as either a csv or json file.

Your name Institution (if applicable)Briefly, what will you use the data for?I accept the API terms of use and will respect the licensing terms applied to the records I plan to useEmail address (if you want to send the API token to your inbox; we won't use it for anything else unless you tick the consent box below)Please leave this field empty.I am happy for MDS to contact me to ask about my experience of using the API and MDS data

Please see our privacy notice.

Object search

Filters

Report a problem with record data

Download search results as CSV

Request an API token

Sign up to our newsletter

Connect with us