Last updated: 20-Dec-2025, 05:29 PM AEST by Don McKenzie
Search Home ATL-TAB Don shares his JourneyWith the exception of the page header image from Brian Conlon of Brisbane, all photos on this page are from Graeme Twycross's collection.
Brian Conlon's Tote page covers a similar and very comprehensive story about Brisbane's Mobile Tote System
Quoting from Brian's Page:
Utilizing Minicomputer systems in a mobile application was an unheard of concept, which had technologists looking at you in disbelief when telling them of the mobile totalisators based on PDP11s. There were "ruggedised" versions of these computers which I believe were mainly for military applications; however, we were not using them.
This was so unheard of at the time that this may have been another Australian first! In practice, the use of these minicomputers in a mobile application was not without significant problems. Minicomputers were very hardware intensive in comparison to the Microcomputer class machines. As previously mentioned, this history pre-dates home computing, and it was the Microcomputer class of machine that would become the basis of the personal computer industry.
Graeme joined ATL in 1974, about two years before me. He was about five years younger than I was and a bright young fully qualified electrician.
Like me, he started as a tote mechanic and then moved up the ranks to Senior System Engineer. I left in 1999, but Graeme continued on and was deeply involved with Peter Collier in setting up a new central computer system in preparation for the move from Queens Road to Bowen Crescent.
In their wisdom, the TAB retrenched both Graeme and Peter before their time. Peter was just three weeks short of completing 40 years of service, and Graeme had to be re-employed as a special consultant because he was the only one left who knew anything about the new system at Bowen Crescent.
Peter Collier undoubtedly guided the engineering direction of ATL-TAB over these years. He was a brilliant engineer, known for his innovative designs, and eventually became the head of all on-course engineering. I met Peter at P.M.G. Training School in 1959, and we became close friends. Out of a 500-student intake after the first year, both of us were selected to join the elite "Radio" section group of 12 for the second year.
Peter has been more helpful than anyone to date with the piecing together of this history, by supplying text, photos, and corrections, and it has been very much appreciated.
I asked Graeme (GT) to review this page and add or correct any inaccuracies he found. Based on his feedback, I've made some changes, which I've noted with a "GT" for reference.
GT:
As far as I go, when retrenched I was the Operations Manager responsible for Computer operations, network, and Race-day. I came back as a consultant doing a Solutions Architect role, then became permanent once more before taking on an Infrastructure Architect role.
You will find him at the start and end of this video ▶ on the Macedon Ranges and District Motor Club YouTube Channel ▶
GT:
The 11/40 and 11/34 Vans were both fully Duplex, which was achieved by using shared memory. The 11/40 vans used scanners as the interface to the J8, J10, and J18 betting terminals, which were simplex.
The 11/34 vans used 'Demuxes' as the interface to the J25 and PWT terminals, which were fully duplex, known as Dual differential. RS485 was the protocol.
The Duplex design was maintained through separate communications links to central site.
The 11/34 vans used Pertec Tape drives for the audit tapes and tote backups (TOTBAK).
Inside 11/34 Computer Van, RMO2 80MB 5 Platter disk Drive, video distribution system.
RXO2 "Floppy Disk drive" looking towards the Systems Engineers Consoles.
Inside 11/40 Computer Van, showing BCU (for indicators), RKO5 Disk Drive, and scanners at the end for the terminals.
GT:
The VDUs we used were all varieties of the DEC VT terminals, VT100, VT220, VT320, and finally the VT420s; after that, we used PCs with a terminal emulator program.
In the 11/40 Vans, I seem to recall a VT52 terminal was used. The main console terminal was the Decwriter, which gave us the printouts of critical events such as start and stop sells, which were kept with the audit tapes.
Inside 11/34 Computer Van Race day Control area.
Flemington Racecourse, Tote Mobile and the 11/40 Computer Van
11/34 Van Cranbourne November 1982.
11/34 Van Mornington Racecourse December 1982.
Plugs to connect the terminals to the 11/40 Computer Van.
Flemington Racecourse March 1978.
PDP11/34 systems. Inside one of the computer vans. Brisbane. Circa 1980. Image Source Brian Conlon.
Van Engineers:
The years are only a guess. The titles all changed as the years rolled by.
1974-1980: 11-40 Harry Lane, Peter Collier, Michael Higgins, Stan Jones.
1980-1990: 11-34 Michael Higgins, Graeme Twycross, Fred Estcourt, Don McKenzie.
1990-20xx: Vax Van Michael Higgins, Viv Fernandez, Ron Spitteri (short stay), Don McKenzie.
Van Drivers:
These vans had to be shifted from race track to race track by existing staff that had semi-trailer drivers licenses.
Early years: Harry Lane, Peter Collier, Jim Kennedy, Ray Johnston, Graeme Twycross, and in the later years Mark Dyball, and Kevin Johnston.
Then you needed a chase car driver to follow the van, ensuring the van driver could be returned to their vehicle. This role could be filled by anyone, and in many cases, I was the chase car driver. You could start at 06:00 at one track, pick someone up to drive the van, and then return them to their car at 02:00. I remember one such morning with GT, when we had a gun pointed in our faces by a security guard when moving a van into Moonee Valley Race course. We had the keys to all the tracks.
Peter Collier steered the engineering direction of ATL Melbourne (and later TAB-TABcorp) during most of his 40 years of employment, more so than any other individual. I doubt very much that you will find anyone who knows the facts who will argue with that statement.
Hi Don,
I do not want to sound critical. I have read through it all, and there are quite a few inaccuracies.
There is some confusion between what is a protocol, what is an interface, and what is a transmission method.
We never used VT52 terminals; we used Teleray VDU terminals, and the interface between the Dec computers was DMXs (Data multiplexors).
The logging terminals were Teletype 33s. The printers were DEC LP11s.
I cannot recall what the VDUs were in the 11/40 van as they were a later addition after interstate betting was added. If I can find a picture, it may come back to me; it's hard to remember as I get older, and we are stretching back 50 years.
I have commented on what I thought were important.
Cheers, Peter
Inside the Mobile Vax-van
Vax-Van rear panel for all connections to the outside world
Another Vax-Van rear panel for all connections to the outside world
Vax-Van Olympic Park
Vax-Van
Front End PC was basically a PC-AT interface used as a standalone tote, without the Vax-van. Had modem and VDU configured one side, and the selling terminals the other.
GT:
The FEPC IDF. Blue is the 'A' side and green the 'B' side. You would need 2 FEPCs to maintain duplex to the terminal.
In later years, most city race courses and some country tracks had backup power. In the early years, we had a sub-contractor move this power backup unit from track to track. A little story about the Mornington Race track backup power from the 1980s.
Don McKenzie
Yesterday, on Melbourne Cup day, I got a report from the technical staff in the TAB computer room at Flemington racecourse that a software program I wrote 25 years ago to monitor the correct operation of communication channels between on-course selling terminals and the Computer systems was still being used successfully. This was a communications protocol of dual-differential RS-485 long line (3000-metre) drivers and used 75107 and 75110 I.C.s. I converted all ASCII betting strings to readable transactions. Each terminal was polled in an orderly sequence, much the same as totes that George Julius devised in 1913.
This year will be the last time, as next year they will be using new terminals with a completely new system.
Thanks for the feedback, Viv and Mick. Nice to know something I designed 25 years ago was still being used 19 years after I retired.
See the picture of Donmon in action at the Melbourne Cup 2018. Running under DOS before Windows was ever thought of, and written in 8088 Machine Code. Unbelievable.
