Hitchcocks Forum

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(Off topic) MECCANO Supermodel - Block setting crane

Once in a while, I create the odd off topic post. Many of us are either engineers or aspiring engineers, and many of the older guys will remember Meccano, the all metal construction system. The sets ranged in size from a modest number 1, up to a huge wooden chest with 3-4 drawers which was the number 10 set. This last set was very expensive, and only affordable by the affluent members of society.



A friend rang me up and said he had a Meccano model for his shop's christmas display. I was a little interested. He confirmed it was in the older red/green colours and my interest rose. I asked how large and he replied that it was about 5 feet long. I had to go and look.



I looked it over, knocked up an emergency transformer (just for testing of course) and having checked that the ancient motor was ok, connected it up.



The vid is long, but having failed to find a vid of another full size crane on the net, I left all the footage in for the Meccano fans to study.



If you are a Meccano fan, or are just curious about a bloody large model, then do take a look, as it is facinating!

















Tabellarius de verbis ostensor gaudium

What childhood memories that stirred up!
Things I learned then have stood me in good stead throughout my life

I see your multi meter from a well known place is still working

The multimeter does look familiar, minus it's case.

no meccano/airfix kits today is probably why people are so inept at repairing cars and bikes. in those days people had to be mechanically minded as they couldnt afford repair prices!

All down to Frank Hornby who probably inspired and helped generate more young mechanical engineers with his invention than anything else in the last hundred years..

From about 1959-69 A wonderful uncle bought me a set every birthday, the basic ones to start and then the accessary sets with the gears and pulleys along with a clockwork motor..

I well remember spending a weekend with fathers help we adapted a MAMOD Stationary steam engine to operate running gear through a 3 speed gear box with lever operated clutch..

Speed and power trials where held on the kitchen linoleum, which with the addition of oil and water soon became as slippery as a glass bottle..

Mother was not best pleased and became rather vocal in her desire to see us and the stinking contraption removed to the back yard.

Fond memories indeed..

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OK, especially for you budding multimeter spotters, does anybody recognise the clock on the bracket?

Funny, I was in Falmouth in Sept and spent some time watching the dockyard cranes and thinking of the time I spent with Meccano. From age of about 6 (1956) I had Meccano and always had conversion sets each Christmas and birthday to take me up to the next set until I went on to other interests (mostly Scalextric) in about 1962/3. Found a very useful website (nzmeccano.com) where you can download the manuals from. I got to level6: I remember building the helicopter. But I used to freelance build cranes mostly. Big and little. And bridges. My Scalextric used a big Meccano girder bridge. It all disappeared in various moves in the 70's but I still have the big clockwork motor (No 1?) somewhere in the loft. And don't get me started on Dinky Toys and Hornby Dublo...

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Yes YES!

New catalogues from Binns Rd were always a huge treat and I spent many hours planning implausible savings schemes. There wasn't much spare cash in my family in the 50's. Great to see some of those treasured catalogues again though. And then the exotica from Revell and Trix in the Gamages model catalogue...