o.86 AUGUST 2011 IDEX

Scone 2011 ...... 1 Society Meeting 21 st May,2011...... 2 Menstrie,2011...... 5 Meccano Society of Scotland at Mauchline ...... 6 Meccano at theRiverside ...... 11 Meccano Electrics Part 4...... 13 Skegex 2011 ...... 19 East Anglian Report ...... 31 Meccano Steam Engines Part 3...... 33 Meccano on the Internet ...... 38

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Society Meeting, Stirling (AGM) ...... 21 st August Scone...... 10 th /11 th September Cathcart (Pollokshaws Burgh hall) ...... 29 th /30 th October Greenock ...... 5 th /6 th November Aberdeen (Angus Plumb to coordinate) ...... 5 th /6 th November Society Meeting, Stirling...... 20 th November

SCOE 2011

SATURDAY 10 TH AD SUDAY 11 TH SEPTEMBER

MECCAO SOCIETY OF SCOTLAD AUAL EXHIBITIO

Be part of it! If you have not replied to Alan Blair’s request for notification of table space requirements, do it now !

Society Meeting, 21 May 2011

The meeting was held at the Menstrie Scout Hall at approximately 14:30 hours. Members present were Douglas Carson (Secretary), Alan Macdonald (Treasurer), Alistair Nicoll (Newsletter Editor), Hamish Donaldson, Bert Hutchings, Robert Jones, Andy Knox, Gordon MacMillan, Bobby Middlemass, Angus Plumb, and Gordon Stewart. Apologies were received from Jim Berrie, Alan Blair, Tim Edwards, Ken McDonald & Desmond Smith.

1. Secretary: a) Email from John Herdman of NEMS, inviting MSoS members to participate in their exhibition in Carlisle on Saturday, 23 July. Interested members should contact John directly. Andy Knox informed the meeting that the event was yet to be confirmed; apparently there are concerns that the proposed location is too out of the way to attract much interest. b) Email from Greenock MRC confirming our invitation to exhibit at their exhibition on 5/6 November. The Secretary has confirmed our attendance. c) Email from a visiting Meccanoman from the USA. The email was received less than twenty four hours before the gentleman was in Edinburgh and there was therefore insufficient notice to arrange anything. d) The Secretary updated members on his expected move to Dublin. Although not yet finally confirmed by his employer, he expected this to take place in late September, after our annual exhibition. The Secretary stated that given the availability of cheap flights, he and his wife intended to make regular visits to Scotland. He was therefore of the opinion that it would be possible for him to continue as Secretary provided that members were prepared to help, particularly with the organisation of the Cathcart and Balado exhibitions. Members agreed that we should proceed on this basis. Should it prove not to work the question can be addressed again in 2012.

2. Treasurer: The Treasurer reported that of the five non renewals reported at the last meeting, one had now renewed his subscription.

The Treasurer asked if anyone had an address in New Zealand for Margaret Tattersfield. Alistair Nicoll had been in recent email contact with Margaret and reported that she was in the process of moving to South Island and that he had sent the Newsletter to her by email.

The Treasurer further reported that he had made a donation to the Menstrie Scouts of £100 for the use of the hall for the day. As we pay £40 for two hours at the Smith Institute he thought this was only fair.

3. ewsletter: The Newsletter Editor reported that Rob Mitchell was sending him feedback and helpful suggestions concerning the Newsletter. Rob, as well as being a MSoS member, is also the editor of the SMG newsletter so knows what it is like to sit in the Editor’s chair.

Bobby Middlemass again reported that he was in receipt of a copy of the Meccano Modellers Association (Melbourne) newsletter. Bobby asked if we send a copy of our Newsletter in return. The Newsletter Editor responded that he had done this once by email with a request that Melbourne confirm that they wished to continue this arrangement. Nothing had been heard from them and consequently he had sent no more.

4. MSoS Exhibitions: a) Kilmarnock. The Secretary reported that since the organisers were still unwilling to pay any expenses he had politely declined their invitation to exhibit. He had already informed members who had expressed an interest in attending by email. b) Mauchline, Saturday 28 May. All arrangements are in hand and details had been sent by the Secretary to the exhibitors; Douglas Carson, Angus Plumb, Andy Knox, Ken McDonald, Tim Edwards & Alistair Nicoll. c) Skegness, 30 June/3 July. Ken McDonald, Angus Plumb, Andy Knox, Alan Blair and Douglas Carson intend to exhibit. d) Scone, 10/11 September. Alan Blair not being present, the Secretary presented the following information on his behalf. Alan had approached the SVTEC committee with a request for a contribution to our expenses but they were unable to assist. Alan reported details of costs for a modern framed tent extension to the refreshments tent. Two additional bays and a partition between the refreshments area and our space would cost about £400. The space available would be 30’ x 20’. Given that our traditional marquee cost about £200, if we wanted the framed tent then we would need to find an additional £200.

Members asked how much space did we have in the existing marquee; the Treasurer consulted his records and stated that this was 40’ x 20’. The initial reaction was why would we pay more for less space? Members asked if Alan’s dimensions were correct; the Secretary consulted his minutes and confirmed that both these and the costs were in line with what Alan had stated at the January meeting. It was pointed out that to achieve more space we would require a third bay for a further £150. This would be a 12% increase in space at a total additional cost of £350. This was felt to be unsustainable. It was agreed that more space was desirable and that Alan Blair should investigate the possibility of a larger marquee from the Boys Brigade.

Further discussion followed about the general arrangements for the exhibition. Concern was expressed regarding our ability to source additional tables should we be successful in acquiring additional space and how we would transport such tables now that we could no longer make use of Margaret’s van. There was also a strong feeling, that to avoid the problems experienced in 2010, we must be more disciplined about the layout and allocation of tables. Members should be asked to state their intentions at the earliest opportunity so that by the time of the August meeting a draft floor plan could be made available. Angus Plumb volunteered to draw up such a plan. It was also suggested that a “Tentmaster” be appointed for each day to ensure compliance with the floor plan. The Secretary undertook to convey these concerns to Alan Blair. .

e) NEMS, 22 nd October at Darlington. Bert Hutchings is planning to attend.

f) Cathcart MRC, 29 th /30 th October at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall. Alistair Nicoll, Bert Hutchings and possibly Douglas Carson are the only members currently interested in exhibiting. The Secretary had not yet contacted the organisers and will do so as soon as possible to confirm our invitation and the number of tables we will be allocated. g) Aberdeen MRC, 29 th /30 th October at RGU, Garthdee. Arrangements are in hand and Angus Plumb reported that there might be a payment from the organisers depending on door receipts. Exhibitors are Angus, Keith Remnant, Ed Rebecca and Gordon Stuart. h) Greenock MRC, 5 th /6 th November. Andy Knox, Bert Hutchings and Alistair Nicoll expressed their intention to exhibit and it was assumed that Tim Edwards will also be present.

5. Dates of Future Meetings: These are Sundays 21 st August (AGM) and 20 th November. 2012 dates are Sundays 22 nd January, 18 th March, 19 th May (Saturday at Menstrie), 19 th August (AGM) and 18 th November.

6. Other Business: a) Andy Knox informed us that used Horolene (which he had previously reported as an effective antidote to moles) also has a beneficial effect on grass. This was put down to the nitrogen contained within the product. Andy had also shown a model at the recent NEMS exhibition at Beamish and had been very impressed by both the exhibits at Beamish and the facilities made available to NEMS. b) Bert Hutchings will be exhibiting at the NEMS exhibition at Shildon next weekend on 29 th /30 th May.

7. Vote of Thanks: The Secretary proposed a vote of thanks to Alan Macdonald for arranging the Menstrie Constructors’ Day meeting and providing the excellent lunch. Members agreed in the usual fashion.

Douglas Carson, Secretary

* * * * *

MESTRIE 2011

by Alistair icoll

Attendance at Constructor’s Day this year was poor with only about a dozen of our fifty or so members turning up. Only a few of these actually brought a model. Those seen included Andy Knox’s hammerhead crane and Douglas Carson’s twin cylinder steam engine, both of which were to make the journey to Skegness about six weeks after Menstrie. Gordon Stewart had an interesting collection, including one of the original Meccano steam engines and two entries for the walking race.

There were only five entries for the race itself and, as last year, it was organised as a series of one to one contests. This meant that each contestant had four races. Most of the models suffered from a lack of ability to walk in a straight line. This is not to say that they staggered about randomly (as Scots humans not able to walk in a straight line do). It was more that they tended to walk in gentle curves thus making the distance between the starting and finishing lines much greater than it needed to be, or in some cases, effectively infinite, as they hit the side of the hall before reaching the finishing line.

The walkers ready for action

In the picture above on the left is Douglas Carson’s entry. It managed to win its first race against Alistair Nicoll’s entry (second from the right) but was then apparently badly infected with direction deficiency. While this loser of this contest was the fastest walker on display, it nearly always went astray and seemed to have a fatal attraction for Andy Knox’s hammerhead crane which stood at the edge of the course. The most elegant walkers around were Gordon Stewart’s two entries (second and third from the left) but they tended to be rather slow. The winner of all its races was Andy Knox’s entry (on the extreme right). This had a rather sinister arachnoid type motion and, while not very fast, was very reliable and walked an impeccable straight line. As it won all four of its races, its builder was presented with the trophy which fronts the entrants in the photograph. THE MECCAO OF SCOTLAD AT MAUCHLIE 10 th HOLY FAIR

by

Angus Plumb

We were last at Mauchline two years ago, celebrating 250 years since the birth of Rabbie Burns. The Mauchline Burns Club must have been satisfied with our display as they invited us to attend their annual Holy Fair on Saturday 28 th May. Mauchline has close associations with Burns, not only is it in the midst of the area where the bard spent most of his life, it is where he tenanted a farm for a couple of years. The National Burns Monument is on the outskirts of the small town.

We arrived at a rather damp, not to say muddy, site on a somewhat overcast and showery morning. Heavy showers had lashed the windows of my hotel in Ayr at breakfast time. The rain held off for long enough to get the models into the frame tent on slightly uneven ground off a narrow lane and adjacent to the local ‘Land Army’ and a bodger. My own feelings were a little negative as a few drops blew onto my display, the portable stage across the field tuned up with rather loud modern pop and a couple of lads arrived to set up a sound system at the door of our tent.

The rain eased, the sun shone, Burns and other traditional songs came from the stage and the public began to arrive. I remembered I had left my name badge in a bag I had left in my car and made my way back to the car park, to be met by a steady stream of visitors prepared for the day out.

What had we to offer?

Part of Douglas Carson’s exhibit. The lower part of the crane tower can just be seen on the left Douglas Carson had his Building Site Crane dominating his table and in full operation with his clever exploitation of multichannel remote control. His Falkirk Wheel and Forth Bridge also attracted attention. He also showed his steam powered Heavy Haulage Tractor and his Workshop. He explained that both would run on steam but it was too risky to fire them up in a crowded tent

Desmond Smith and his companion had made the journey from Edinburgh to visit the Fair. Desmond left a Single Cylinder Steam Engine as an example of his own model building.

Andy Knox’s main display was the Clyde Titan Hammerhead Crane. He has used a large proportion of Märklin parts in this model, but almost all could be replaced with standard Meccano (Märklin, as I have remarked before, is virtually German for Meccano, but for the First World War, and should therefore be acceptable at Meccano shows). Andy’s model is an exercise in gearing and model building that should be an example to us all, and is certainly what Meccano is all about.

Mechanisms galore! Part of Andy Knox’s intriguing display

Andy also displayed his ‘Spider’ Walking Machine that had performed at Menstrie and deserves to be written up in CQ. He had brought along his working demonstration of the fascinating three cylinder triangular layout used in the Deltic Diesel Locomotive (Deltic being derived from the Greek Delta signifying triangle). He had a Single cylinder Steam Engine and the Swash Plate that I still think looks as though it should not work, but does.

Alistair Nicoll had a Stiff Leg Derrick, typical of the sort of model that dates back to the earliest days of Meccano and is probably one of the machines that Frank Hornby would have seen on the Liverpool dockside and which inspired his invention of Meccano. He had his own version in modern colours of the models that will go on display in the new Riverside Museum in Glasgow, where they will be in blue/gold in keeping with the 30’s period of the display. Alistair had brought along his Menstrie entry, his dog, with which he was pleased to entertain the crowd. His display also included a Meccanograph, fascinating the visitors with its intricate patterns, and two IR controlled unicyclists Tim Edwards had brought along his Braiding Machine, unfortunately the technique of braiding seems to be little known to the modern visitor. Perhaps Tim should describe it as a rope making machine.

He also had his Bagatelle Maze which few visitors seemed to master.

His Ball Bearing Clock, driven by a synchronous motor, on the other hand drew an appreciative crowd.

Tim presented Tower Bridge and Big Ben from recent sets and a veritable airfield of planes, two each of Sopwith Camels, Spitfires, Hawks and Harriers that were much admired for their realism. Continuing his theme of models from recent sets Tim had assembled one of the Boy Racer jobs, a Helicopter and a Truck from the curious ‘Special Edition’ Set that seems to have the colours of strips and plates reversed.

Part of Tim Edwards’ large display – including one damaged spitfire He also showed a Crane in zinc/yellow based on book models but with 6 motors, mostly Meccano, carefully concealed in the body, to drive the functions. There was some discussion regarding the use of individual motors compared to one power unit with a gear box. Different load requirements would be a major factor in power plant design.

Biplane, Helicopter and Racing Cars from the Micro Sets that appeared at recent Christmases past filled the spaces on Tim’s table. Like me, he feels we should show models the ordinary visitor could accomplish alongside the complex ‘wowfactor’ jobs.

Ken McDonald brought out his Automatic Racing Car. This is one of the models that can be counted on to enthral the younger visitors, several had to be positively dragged away by their accompanying adults. It took a little setting up on the uneven ground, but once suitable chocks had been sourced it performed well.

The Automatic Racer. The car is off picture to the left having just run down the sloping angle girder ramp. Rather less than a second after this exposure the car would run along the almost horizontal lower track to present itself once more at the lift which is in the tower with the notice at the bottom Ken also had an impressive Big Wheel that turned reliably all day. His model has a novelty Windmill at its centre which rotates in reverse sense to the wheel.

Ken had brought his fascinating Intermittent Motion, but it had not had a good journey and had to be retired from the display. We must hope for a good recovery, a new rod and strip connector seems to be required, a common part, but none of us had a suitable spare.

Your reporter was displaying a selection of models showing the various colour schemes used by Meccano over the years.

My Charabanc, sometimes identified as a German Staff Car, is a 1920s book model in dark red/green, HMS Rodney is a 30s Outfit 8 model in blue/gold. The Saloon Car from Outfit 4 is in post WWII medium red/green, some visitors feel it resembles a Riley, the Foden Flat Bed With Chains is an example of 1950s light red/green while the Estate Car is a 1960s Outfit 5 model in silver and yellow. I also had some plastic Meccano and an Outfit 3 in the Nickel of the period around WWI.

.Part of the writer’s display showing (most of) HMS Rodney and the vehicles

The little town was busy with stalls filling every available corner. I must look up the origin of Holy Fair, I believe Burns mentions it, but I hope a Sassenach can be excused a somewhat meagre knowledge of the Scottish Bard.

The sound system at our tent turned out to be only for the Tugofwar on the adjacent grass that brought crowds to our tent.

I think I can say we had a good day out and were well received. I hope we can look forward to a return visit as we need to bring our hobby to all parts of the country. Maybe if we can get a bit more space we could encourage some of our friends from northwestern England to join us.

* * * * *

MECCAO AT THE RIVERSIDE

by

Alistair icoll

As well as Meccano, one of my other distractions is life in recent years has been to act as a Volunteer Guide at the Museum of Transport in Glasgow. About eighteen months ago this museum was closed down and the collection has been moved to a new building built on the site of the former Whiteinch dock just down river from the SECC. This new museum has a rather wider remit than transport only, although examples of vehicles of all sorts certainly form the majority of the exhibits.

Some of the exhibits are presented as three “streets”. These consist of roadways carrying suitable vehicles of the relevant era and are lined with shops. The streets are made to represent three time periods, 19001920, 19301950, and 1950 – 1970. In the 19301950 street, one of the shops represents the Clyde Model Dockyard, a well known Glasgow model shop of the era that was situated in the Argyle Arcade. The main contents of the museum version of this shop are model railways and Meccano. The actual Clyde Model dockyard also sold a wide variety of model yachts, balsa wood aircraft kits, Dinky toys, etc., etc. and some examples of these are also on display

As the museum management knew of my interest in Meccano, they asked me if I could supply suitable Meccano models for inclusion. This led me to think, what would a dealer’s display of the nineteen thirties have looked like? My own interest in Meccano did not mature until the nineteen fifties when shops specialising in Meccano would probably have some or all of:

• A working model • One or more (open) strung sets • A spare parts cabinet • (perhaps) an illustrated display card showing the numbers of spare parts. When I suggested something along these lines to the museum they held up their hands in horror and said that the display (whatever it was) would have to fit in to a cabinet 600mm in diameter by 250mm deep. Also they did not want me to procure a set, as they already had one. I then remembered that indeed they did – a No.2 Aero set, strung, and in its box.

Furthermore, the museum did not want a working model. This struck me as quite sensible as the model would have to work seven hours a day, seven days a week, and would necessarily require a lot of maintenance.

The Meccano Case at the Riverside Museum

Eventually I decided that the only sensible thing to do, given the limitations of space was to produce three models from nineteen thirties manuals and constructed in blue/gold. They would also have to be of such a size that they would go in to the small cabinet being provided.

The next move was to consult the manuals which are all available on the New Zealand Meccano site ( www.nzmeccano.com ). There I found three ideal models, a small sports car, a tank engine and a tram. I built these in modern French Meccano and took them to the museum for approval which was readily given. They were then built in blue/gold by Angus Plumb, though he changed the tram to a rather better one than I had built. Angus was able to get most of the parts from his own collection and replace them when the museum reimbursed him for the cost.

The actual cabinet turned out to be (a bit) bigger than the one shown on the drawing I had been given and they have added some bits of red/green as well as the Aero Set but overall the end result is quite pleasing and Meccano is the first thing that you see when you enter the Riverside version of the Clyde Model Dockyard.

* * * * *

MECCAO ELECTRICS

PART 4

MOTORS AD RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES by Andrew Knox This section of the series of articles deals with the use of motors and rechargeable batteries. It is assumed the reader is familiar with the standard torch battery (zinc carbon) types and these won’t be discussed. Similarly, the discussion will be limited to DC motors, i.e. those that can be used with batteries or a transformer with a DC output.

A battery produces a DC voltage and its primary attributes are its output voltage and capacity. The voltage is determined by the number of cells forming the battery and the capacity is a function of the physical size. A battery is usually made from a number of equal cells, and it is the cell which limits what the overall battery is capable of. Taking the familiar example of a car battery, this has a nominal output voltage of 12V and is in fact 6 x 2V cells connected in series. The capacity depends on the size, and for most modern cars will be around 75 Ah (Ampere hours, discussed shortly). The car battery is a rechargeable leadacid type and it is the battery’s chemistry which determines the cell voltage. In fact there are 4 common rechargeable battery types: leadacid (already mentioned), NickelCadmium (NiCd), NickelMetalHydride (NiMH) and Lithiumion (Liion). There are also a lot more exotic battery technologies being developed, but these are not likely to be found in Meccano models in the near future! Table 1 below summarises a number of different battery types and their parameters. Parameter ickelcadmium Leadacid ickelmetalhydride Lithiumion Energy density* 60 40 90 170 (Wh/kg) Cycle life to 80% 1500 Up to 1000 500 500 capacity Selfdischarge / 20% 5% 30% <10% month Nominal cell 1.2 2.0 1.2 3.6 voltage Load current^ 20C >5C 5C >30C Peak 1C >0.2C 0.5C <10C Best * To put things in perspective, petrol has an energy density of approx 14,000Whkg. ^ See ‘C’ ratings, discussed shortly. Table 1 – Comparison of different rechargeable battery technologies .

The remainder of this section focuses on the leadacid battery since this is the cheapest and most readily available part. It is also the technology the original Meccano Accumulator used. A cautionary word is in order at this point: rechargeable batteries are capable of producing an extremely high current if shortcircuited; sufficient to set even moderately heavy gauge wire on fire. A fuse somewhere physically close to the battery is a good idea.

The “traditional” leadacid battery used to have a number of chambers that held the liquid electrolyte (sulphuric acid) and care had to be exercised to ensure this didn’t leak. (Minis were notorious for the battery acid corroding the support brackets and dropping the battery out of the bottom of the car when going over bumps.) These were called “vented” batteries, identified by a row of little threaded plugs on the top of the battery for toppingup, and have largely been superseded by “valve regulated” designs. The valveregulated leadacid (VRLA) battery immobilises the electrolyte in a gel by adding a gelling agent or by absorbing the electrolyte in a fine glass mat used as a separator between plates in the cell. The absorbed glass mat VRLA designs are often referred to as AGM batteries. VRLA batteries can be used in any orientation (even upside down), unlike their vented counterparts. The valve operating pressure is typically in the range 1 > 3 p.s.i., so unless your models will be underwater or at very high altitude this is not likely to be an issue. Leadacid batteries tend to be rather heavy for a given capacity: this is what makes the newer technologies such as NiMH and Liion attractive for portable hand tools. However, sometimes the weight can be an advantage – e.g. as the counterweight to balance the boom of a large crane for instance.

Battery ratings Rechargeable batteries are normally rated in amperehours (Ah) or watthours (Wh) and come in a variety of sizes, shown in Figure 1 below. This rating depends on some very specific conditions that will be discussed shortly. To convert from Ah or Wh to joules is straightforward: 1 Wh = 1 Watt for 3600 seconds = 3600 Joules of energy. For the amperehour, we also need to know the nominal voltage of the battery. E.g., a car battery rated at 12V / 70Ah has an energy storage capacity of:

70AH @ 12V = 12V x 70A x 3600seconds Figure 1 Various batteries = 3,024,000J

As an aside, it takes about 400,000 joules of energy to boil a kettle of water, and a car battery cannot boil its own weight of water.

There are several factors that determine how much of the battery’s total capacity may be usefully used but the most important is the discharge rate. The quantity of energy a battery is able to deliver depends on how quickly the energy is transferred from it. For most VRLAs this is typically over a 20 hour period (enough for 2 full days’ use at a show). So if a battery is rated at 100Ah, it is implicit that the battery is able to sustain a 5A output current for 20 hours. If the same battery is fully discharged in 1 hour, the discharge current will be 57A, not 100A. In other words, only 57% of the previous energy is available at the output terminals. Conversely, if the discharge period is longer then a greater Ah “rating” applies – the 100Ah battery discharged in 50 hours yields a discharge current of 2.2A, i.e., a 10% increase over the nominal rating.

A question that naturally arises is, “When is the battery discharged?” This is determined by the voltage measured at the battery’s terminals during the discharge period. If the discharge period is 1 hour or longer, this is 1.80V per cell. If less than an hour, a value of 1.75V per cell is used. The reason for the difference lies in overexpansion of the cell’s plates, leading to permanent damage if the cell is too heavily discharged. The expansion is reduced if the battery is discharged quickly, hence why the lower voltage is allowed. (Completely discharging a car’s leadacid battery a few times will effectively make it useless as a battery. Don’t confuse “discharged” with “flat” or “dead”.) In order to overcome the confusion that can surround the performance of the battery under various conditions a convention to use the “C rate” has emerged. This is a term that clearly describes a cell’s (or battery’s) capacity. It is also used to express the charging and discharge rates of the battery (See battery summary, Table 1) In the case of the battery’s capacity, it will be also be followed by a number. So for example a 12V 100Ah battery designed for a 20 hour discharge rate will say 12V, 100Ah C20 on it somewhere. Figure 1 shows some smaller VRLA batteries suitable for models with a 2½" gear wheel to give an idea of size. Note the batteries shown are 12Ah / 12V, 7Ah / 12V and 4Ah / 6V. The red rectangle denotes the positive terminal.

Love your batteries. Cheap battery chargers can do more harm than good. It is worth spending a few extra £££ to get what’s called a “smart” or “intelligent” charger (see Figure 2) that adapts the way in which the battery is charged according to how much charge the battery has in it and the ambient temperature. These chargers contain a microprocessor which carefully monitors the state of the charge of the battery, ambient temperature, etc. and adjusts the charging current and voltage according.

Generally a battery can be left charging on one of these chargers indefinitely. “Proper” (as opposed to “fast”) charging a leadacid battery will take between 12 and 36 hours. Different manufacturers make different claims about why their particular charger is “best”, but they all basically do the same thing. If you do invest in a smart charger it is worth getting one which will handle different battery voltages as well. Figure 2 – An “intelligent” battery charger

Small DC Motors Most of the modern motors Meccano provides, either as a separate part (e.g. the M0 and Crane motors) or built into the remote control Tuning kits are DC motors which incorporate a permanent magnet in their design. The Powerdrive also used a permanent magnet DC motor. As a current is passed through a wire a magnetic field is induced around the wire, and the interaction of this magnetic field with the field from the permanent magnet causes the moving part of the motor (the “rotor”) to turn. The motor casing usually houses the magnet and this bit is referred to as the “stator”. (As an aside, if the rotor of a permanent magnet motor is turned by some means, the motor will actually become a generator, albeit a rather inefficient one). Deciding if the motor to hand is a permanent magnet machine is quite easy – see if bits of Meccano stick to it! One final introductory point – the direction of rotation of a DC motor is determined by the polarity of the input voltage. If the motor rotates the “wrong” way for the model, just reverse the +ve and –ve wires to it. The same thing can be accomplished by using a DPDT switch as described in an earlier article if the model requires bi directional control of the motor. Usually the motor has a tiny red dot beside the terminal which is nominally positive with respect to the other. Figure 3 shows a range of different permanent magnet DC motors suitable for use with Meccano models, from the small to the very large.

Figure 3 Various motors (A,B,C,D,E along the top and F,G on the bottom). See Table 2 below

DC motors have two basic specifications which are important to the model builder – the operating voltage and the noload speed of rotation at that voltage. The M0 motor is rated at 3
6V and has a noload speed at 6V of about 10,000 RPM; rather fast for most model applications. As the load on the motor is increased so the rotor speed decreases and for small motors the maximum torque they are able to produce is quite low. With suitable gearing this can usually be overcome but this can leave the problem of a rather noisy model, however. The background noise at Skegex this year due to dozens (if not hundreds) of little motors labouring in the bowels of various models was quite noticeable.

DC motors are remarkably flexible in operation. Continuing with the example of the M0, by using a different voltage a different speed and output torque can be obtained – running at 3V means the speed is approximately half that at 6V, with a corresponding reduction (2X) in the output power. Running motors at a lower voltage than their maximum is usually fairly troublefree; however, don’t run a motor above its maximum voltage because, apart from the risk of overheating, the high RPM can cause internal damage to the motor.

Recently a number of really good, inexpensive permanent magnet DC motors have become available which are ideally suited to Meccano models of all sizes. These motors are state of the art in terms of the design: bearings, gearbox (if fitted), magnet strength, etc. and easily outperform the previous generation in terms of both output torque and power drain. I use a range of different types, each suited to a different application and generally my preference is for a slightly larger motor run at a lower voltage, simply to keep the noise down as much as possible. It also eases the problem of a large reduction ratio, especially where space is limited. Many small motors have an 1/8 th inch diameter shaft and with the aid of a short length of 4mm brass tube and some threadlock these can be easily adapted to the standard Meccano size. Various motors are marked as A
G in Figure 3 and their important parameters are summarized in Table 2. The significance of this table is to provide a guide as to how long a particular battery is able to drive a model for, assuming a light to moderate load on the motor (the more power the motor has to deliver, the faster the battery will be discharged). Taking the example of ‘D’ – using a 12V / 7Ah battery on light load this motor will run a model continuously for 140 hours (almost six days continuous running) without a recharge whereas the Crane motor would have exhausted the battery in a little over a day. Add to that the RS motor is almost silent at 12V and produces masses more torque, and it really is a nocontest. New motors are worth it! The gear motor ‘C’ is available on eBay for about £6. A range of speeds from 3RPM to 1000RPM at either 6 or 12V is available (the model tested was 12V / 200RPM) and features an output shaft of 4mm diameter with a flat machined on it to accept the set / grub screw. Again, performance is excellent but with a slightly higher noise level due to the gearbox. Letter Type Volts Light Heavy Stall Hrs/Ah Performance Load Load Current Running A Crane 3
250mA 1A >2A 4 Poor 6 B Powerdrive 1
100mA 200mA 500mA 10 Good 6 C Gear motor 1.5 50mA 100mA 300mA 20 Excellent
12 D RS 3
50mA 300mA 1.5A 20 Excellent Components 24 E M0 1.5 100mA 500mA 1A 10 Fair
6 F Meccanoman 2
300mA 1A >3A 3 Average 12 G Como Drills 3
1500mA 3A >15A 40 mins Dubious 15 Table 2 – Comparison of motor performance for motors shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows a typical application for a couple of motors – in this case the winding house of a large crane. Type ‘C’ has a 14T helical gear fitted to the output shaft and drives an auxiliary hook winding drum. The type ‘D’ motor has a Worm fitted on the output shaft and drives a 19 tooth pinion which in turn drives the main hoist. By the removal of complex gear trains extremely compact models can be built using these motors.

Figure 4 Crane engine house showing compact nature of modern motors

One final point to close this article – recently nonrechargeable Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries have become available in standard ‘C’ and ‘D’ cells sizes. Figure 5 shows a set of 4 batteries in a plastic holder (available from Maplin etc.). These cells have a remarkable capacity and shelf life – those shown in Figure 5 have a capacity of 19Ah (at C100), an output voltage of 12V and a shelf life of at least 25 years. A single cell and a type ‘C’ motor would run a model 8 hours per day, every day, for nearly 7 weeks. These are a costeffective alternative to the Figure 5 Lithium Thionyl Chloride cells standard Zinccarbon batteries and represent a true fitandforget battery for a regularly displayed model.

* * * * *

SKEGEX 2011

by

Angus Plumb

The 30 th annual exhibition of Meccano was held by the North Midlands Meccano Guild in the Embassy Theatre in Skegness from Friday 1 st July to Sunday 3rd July 2011. This was the first exhibition that had not been organized by Mike Cotterell. Much appreciation must be expressed to his wife, Marion, and to Geoff Brown in particular for continuing the tradition, and long may it last, whoever holds the reigns.

There has been some discussion in recent years regarding pressure on space in the main auditorium and the method of best making use of available additional space, in the wings and behind the stage and in the foyer. Some of the issues strike a familiar chord, it is very difficult to get people to commit to attending and hard to turn away exhibitors who turn up at short notice. There was an occasion recently when the King’s Lynn Custom House was perilously close to a large crane. This year the nettle was grasped. The result may not have been perfect but placing some large exhibits in the Foyer and concentrating trading on the stage, including the wings, certainly has advantages in keeping the table space in the auditorium clear for the display of models.

Skegness itself continues to put on a brave face. There is little sign of recession in the town centre. Redevelopment is in progress on the few empty sites. The usual crowd mill around Lumley Road and the High Street and a good time seems to be had among the amusements and the beach. There was a lack of life on the Parade on Saturday evening and away from the centre there are a goodly number of estate agents’ boards. Inside the Embassy there was no obvious cause for concern. This year’s was a big show.

The Society was well represented, Douglas Carson, Ken McDonald, Alan Blair, Andy Knox and myself had secured most of one line of tables which we had comfortably filled with a good selection of models large and small. Pride of place must go to Andy Knox who demonstrated his Clydeside Titan which he had at our display at Mauchline. I suspect he failed to get into the prizes on account of his use of Märklin parts, there has been controversy over this in the past, although I heard no views voiced. Andy probably could have used Meccano. Both he and Ian Mordue of NEMS, another master crane builder, had important commitments that took them away before the end of the show and which could hardly have helped their position in the voting. Andy also had some of his ingenious gear mechanisms including his demonstration of the ‘Deltic’ engine. Andy Knox and his crane Douglas presided over his 2cylinder Steam Power Plant and the Falkirk Wheel. Andy and Douglas had brought their walking machines from the Menstrie Competition. They demonstrated them to the appreciation and amusement of the visitors.

Alan Blair presented a Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engine. Some nonMeccano was involved which led to a certain amount of by no means unfavourable comment from the visitors. Perhaps not surprising at a coastal venue, Alan was able to benefit from some advice on his arrangement of the reversing gear that had been troubling him. Alan brings custom to local machine tool operator Stuart Borrill. He is planning a model Steam Locomotive to run on a garden railway. More orders for brassware are no doubt on the way.

Ken McDonald showed ‘Moored in the Harbour’, which attracted comment from Welshman and TIMS member John Evans who has shown a model along similar lines. The principle was echoed on the tables behind us by an interesting historic experiment which I will come to later. The degree of pitching and rolling of Ken’s trawler came in for comment, Lincolnshire visitors can be excused unfamiliarity with what is normal on the northeast Scottish coast. Ken also displayed his fine representation of the Walschaerts Locomotive Valve Gear another model that was not on its first outing but gets a great deal of attention. It is based on a model in an early edition of the Standard Mechanisms booklet.

Your reporter makes no pretensions to the elevated heights of modelling of my colleagues but HMS Rodney was making its maiden voyage to the Lincolnshire coast and was well received. I also filled some spaces on the tables with the Outfit 8 Foden Flat Bed With Chains (based on the Dinky Toy!), a Tramcar in Nickel, inspired by a 1918 Instructions Manual and a selection of small models on the principle that the visitors must go away with the idea that Meccano is not just for the old hands with their ‘wow factor’ models, but is also for the beginner who may develop into the experts of the future. Forgive the hopeless optimism. I can console myself with the thought that I probably won’t be around to be proved wrong. My rendering of John Herdman’s ‘Useful Roller’ was a model in parts from current sets that was much appreciated.

After Andy’s departure on Saturday we were joined by Scots exile Albert Howe with a Pillar Steam Engine to a design by the prolific Devonian Meccanoman Brian Rowe. This model was reminiscent of Bobbie Middlemass typical show models and was built in Bobbie’s characteristic dark blue/yellow of the final years of Binns Road.

The Prizewinners:

Pride of Place and the Issigonis Shield went deservedly to John OzyerKey and his Kato KA9000 Mobile Crane. Amid a veritable forest of cranes this was definitely something special. The prototype has a hydraulic telescopic jib. Total realism is virtually impossible using conventional Meccano. John employed cords and pulleys concealed inside the tubes, not an entirely original idea, I saw a similar model some years ago at a local exhibition here in the northeast, but John’s model was on a different scale and he had taken advantage of the width of the plastic obtuse corner bracket from recent sets. By setting these across the corners of the ends of the tubes they provided not only highly satisfactory bearing surfaces but also gave just the clearance for the nuts attached to long grub screws that held the tubes together. This use of grub screws is not new, but to use about 1500 of them deserves some sort of recognition. The whole model was a fine replica of the real thing, so much so that a professional driver of similar machines was absorbed in a discussion highly complimentary of John’s efforts.

Issigonis Shield wining crane

Ian Mordue, one of our friends in the North East (of England) Meccano Society had yet another crane, a 250 Ton Hammerhead crane with a 20 Ton service crane carried on its boom. This was possibly not quite as exciting as some of Ian’s recent models, he says he wants to do something different, but is waiting for inspiration, a diorama is in mind, with a Meccano model set against an appropriate backdrop, I suggested a creation based on the cover of the 1960s manuals.

Roger Thorpe of the Runnymede Society displayed the Giant Blocksetting Crane that features on the famous ‘Pinyon’ manual cover, his model was in the appropriate medium red/green.

Peter Goddard presided over his Cowans Sheldon 75 Ton BR Breakdown Crane and Hercules Block Setter as used at Zeebrugge in 1898, both of which we have seen before. Peter’s version of the Railway Crane differs from the Outfit 10 model in that his is designed so that the lowered jib does not foul the loading gauge and it could actually pass through overbridges! Peter is keen on both railway and military subjects and his Ransomes & Rapier 6ton hand operated Breakdown Crane was typical of the type of machine used during WWI, when temporary light railways were much in use to move men and equipment from camp to camp

Stefan Tokarski had built a modest model of a 60 Ton Cowans Sheldon Dockside Crane, a machine used at Cape Town around 1938. His model was in Zinc parts looking rather rugged and austere as a result.

Howard Somerville’s Building Site Crane was familiar to anyone who has looked around most modern multi storey developments. His slender Zinc and Yellow tower structure replicates the type that can be erected within a very tight site, sometimes actually within the building, often using its own jib to lift sections of the tower into place using jacks for temporary support, although those erected within the building will need John Ozyer Key’s machine to take them down. Howard’s model is based on a Model Plan, perhaps he was advertising the wares he retails, having taken on the mantle from MW Models, and is essentially similar to that which Douglas Carson has shown at several recent Society events, although Howard has not employed Douglas’ control system.

Local boy Alan Scargill, when he wasn’t turning a fast buck in the wings with his extended collection of very reasonably priced parts and sets, presided over a Shipyard Crane as used at Harland and Woolf’s Belfast yard. He had not mounted it on rails as he said he experienced great difficulty keeping it on the rails.

John Hornsby goes in for big cranes. I think we may have seen the Demag CC4000 before. It has a maximum lift of 800Tons and is crawler mounted. It is capable of being rigged in different configurations for different loads and different sites. John needs to stand on the table to adjust the top of the boom.

Second Prize went to Ken Senar for his model of the type of Wessex Helicopter some of us may be familiar with from its use in Mountain Rescue work. Ken’s machine was in red, rather than the yellow used in such applications, but it would be churlish to hold that against such a well built and finely detailed model that competently displayed all the functions of the prototype. Rotors had been built, but were not attached as Ken had no wish to scythe through the audience.

The Ken Senar Wessex

Far from dwarfed by Ken’s excellent model, Paul Joachim’s wife and daughter were displaying their late and much lamented father’s Chinook, a highly detailed model which is a fitting memorial to one whose models were always excellent and who was an inspiration to many and a support to everyone who met him. I only spoke to Paul on one occasion, but I can vouch for his depth of knowledge and willingness to show a supportive interest in our hobby. His Model Plans live on. Rowan is no mean modeller herself, indeed it was her enthusiasm that got her father back into Meccano. She was having a little difficulty with the Chinook on Friday but by Sunday it was all in full working order.

Third Prize was awarded to Bob Seaton for his LMS Beyer Garratt 2662 Steam Locomotive of a class designed in 1927 and of which 33 were built to haul 100 wagon coal trains weighing

Bob Seaton’s Beyer Garratt locomotive up to 1500 tons between Toton, near Nottingham, and Brent Power Station in NW London. These trains were loose coupled and so the only braking power, on a difficult road, was on the engine. Bob had taken the opposite position to Ken Senar and had produced his model all in black to match the livery of the engine in service. This business of repainting can arouse controversy but it is virtually impossible to replicate liveries accurately in standard colours. Bob knows his steam locomotives from his association with the last remaining ‘Round House’ at Barrow Hill near Chesterfield. His version of this distinctive type and was very well modelled. Members who have seen Tim Edwards’ similar loco will appreciate the complexity of the model.

In the Foyer the Irish ‘Corlust’ group had a small Steam Loco and a Diesel Shunter.

Ron Gee’s LER loco In the main hall Eddie Oatley presented a pair of 060 Industrial Saddle Tanks in Zinc/Yellow, neat models mounted on rails. If I am not mistaken, we have seen attractive models before.

Kelvin Freeman has modelled the famous 042 loco, ‘Lion’, which is the longest serving steam loco on British Railways.

Ron Gee displayed a fine version in Yellow of the LNER W1 Class 464 in its original streamlined form. This is an old Meccano subject, dating from representations of the similar high pressure P2 Class that features in Nickel in early model building, with the boiler shape formed from Perforated Strips,. Ron had the luxury of flexible plates.

Your reporter’s humble contribution to this class was a small 242 Tank in green that derives from the 040 Shunter in early model books and is to blossom as a two coach branch train, eventually, and is somewhat loosely based on a GER ‘F’ class..

Brian Chaffer brought his version of SM15, the Baltic Tank that was seen last autumn at Darlington. The prototype is Col. Billinton’s design for the Brighton Line but Brian’s model in Zinc/Red is not entirely unlike the style the LMS might have used on the Tilbury & Southend line out of London’s Fenchurch Street.

Tom McCallum’s contribution was the ‘Flying Banana’, the 1930s Streamlined Railcar used by the GWR on crosscountry services. The name comes from the GWR’s ‘chocolate and cream’ livery, Tom’s Red/Green model ran back and forth on a length of track controlled by a simple but clever reversing mechanism based on the principle of the track brake employed in Hornby clockwork trains. It was a pleasure to see a primary school age girl, with a little prompting from her mother, work out how the control system functioned.

Fourth Prize went to Chris Shute for ‘Mystic Mec’, a representation of a fortune teller. I am afraid I must distance myself from the majority view. This is another application of the mechanical sequencer that we saw in the Wem Treacle Mine last year. While the latter was a whimsical construction with attractive detailing, admittedly one that was a little temperamental, this new creation is gaudy to the point of being unattractive and is less than impressive in operation. On a similar theme of Fairground Amusements, welcome back was Brian Ashton, absent last year due to a restriction on dogs in the hall, Brian cannot leave the dog behind. Geoff Brown had managed to come to an agreement with the Council’s management of the theatre and Brian’s Mystic Mec and Mrs Shute Arcade Games were once again on display, much to the amusement of the audience.

The Mighty Mouse has been work in progress for some time but is now complete with its trailer mounting and tractor unit. This is a very complex construction taking as its prototype the ghost train, with various, and mostly nonMeccano, spectres confronting the punter on the way through the passages.

Miami is another lorry mounted ride, again with its tractor and power unit, this time a Scania 6x4 unit in White. The ride takes the form of a bench that rotates in a vertical plane to the amusement of the young men and screams from the young ladies who appear to find this sort of thing exciting. Both these models replicate the prototype by folding back onto their trailers for transport from fair to fair.

Fifth Prize was awarded to Dennis Remnant whose representation of a Dornier DoX Flying Boat was a challenge well executed. Aeroplanes are not easy subjects, wing shapes in particular do not lend themselves to Meccano, but Dennis had risen to the challenge and produced a fine representation of this particular machine. I certainly have no problem with two flying machines being among the prizes. Dennis is the brother of our member Keith who attends shows in the northeast.

For anyone not familiar with this particular plane it has twelve engines mounted in six pairs back to back on top of the wings. The aerodynamics of the design came in for some discussion, especially the effect of closely spaced propellers on the airflow and efficiency of the engines.

The red Tornado in the Foyer was just too big. John Thorpe’s model of a few years ago deservedly took the shield. It was big enough to have all features accurately modelled and was cleverly mounted, with sound and video backing tracks, to look like the real thing in action. Peter Wood’s model just sat there doing nothing and the plates were not in the best condition. His representation of the engines were, however, good models in themselves, perhaps he should have confined himself to the details.

Roger Marriott had the Aircraft Constructors Shop Window Display Roundabout that has been seen before. Noone is going to take anything away from Roger for his regular displays of 1920s and 30s Meccano in excellent condition. He may be remembered from his attendance at Scone a few years ago. On the subject of fine displays of old colour schemes Malcolm Hanson displayed a fine Aircraft Carrier in blue/gold together with a complete boxed set from the same period.

Tony Parmee’s Set 10 Airliner in Zinc/Yellow was not on its first outing but it is a fine example of what can be achieved with the standard set and rather gives the lie to the view that it is stuffed with flexible plates.

Ross Carr of Sheffield Meccano Guild displayed his model of the Bentley BR2 Radial Aero Engine, not for the first time though. Again, he can be excused a repeat performance of a detailed tourdeforce.

The best of the rest

Skegex is nothing if not international.

Dutchman Jan Schurink had made a Drafting Machine, sounds complicated but is in fact a means of placing and holding a set square on a drawing board as an aid to producing engineering drawings. This is the sort of application of Meccano that just jumps out of the box, until you appreciate that there must be no nuts and bolts against the drafting surface.

Aat Visser, another Netherlander, presided over a Kite Surfer, apparently a sport only suitable on flat Dutch beaches, and The Polder a demonstration of highly mechanised intensive farming.

Frenchman Michel Breal’s Loader was a good bit smaller than his last production. He also brought a portion of the Quebec Bridge which somewhat resembles the Forth Bridge, being a double cantilever with suspended link spans. The prototype is well covered in the Meccano Magazine and suffered two major mishaps during its construction. His fellow countryman Bernard Garrigues displayed an Automatic Lift.

Luxemburger Guy Kind is a stalwart. The Channel Tunnel is a boon to him as he professes to be no sailor. His contribution this year was a very well modelled John Deere 9630 Tractor, although his use of yellow parts was not quite authentic. Guy always keeps pristine parts for his display models and produces a new model each year.

Roelf Valkema had assembled a chair designed by Rietveld, a Dutch designer contemporary with the Bauhaus and who had a catalogue of domestic items in an early DIY style. The chair was full size, with its back composed from Flanged Plates. He invited visitors to try it out, even coaxing Geoff Brown to give it a successful test. Geoff is not the slimmest man in the hall.

Australian Road Train by ick Rodgers From even further afield, Australian Graham Jost and his wife were present, they had managed to time a European tour to include Skeggie. Their Braiding Machine is very similar to Tim Edwards’ example that we saw at Mauchline. It performed well throughout the show and visitors were offered samples of the output. Graham explained how he kept the overall dimensions of the machine as small as practicable so that the spools could spin and their mountings rotate freely without clashing and jamming the mechanism. When the machine is in full production reloading the spools becomes a full time job.

Our friends from NEMS were well represented, apart from Brian Chaffer and Ian Mordue, Joe Etheridge was there with his Hurlett Automatic Ore Unloader. This might once have been an appropriate subject for the Industrial Northeast, but most of the steel works have closed down. Harry Harker goes in for veteran transport. This year it was the 1903 Wright Flyer. He had tried to use Meccano plates for the wings, but every attempt looked too heavy. The Joe Etheridge Ore unloader

Tim Roylance had an amusing Skating Penguins but just how much of the magnetic operating system is Meccano was not disclosed. The circular rink and the birds were certainly not from the standard parts range.

Inevitably, Ball Rollers figured prominently in the display.

New neighbours of ours, Corlust, a small group from Ireland, presided over a pair of fairly straightforward helterskelter types in the foyer. They had the usual habit of misbehaving and kept the attendants busy picking balls off the floor. They are also into manufacturing replica parts and were doing a brisk trade in angle and flat girders in Zinc, Medium Green and Dark Blue. They have their own solution to the problem of making tracks which has been much exercised on ‘Spanner’.

Max and Hilary Morris are newcomers to Skegex. If the Helix Triple Bypass is typical of what they can achieve it is to be hoped that we have not seen the last of them. There is a fascination in watching the three colours of pingpong balls rising up the three lifts and spiralling down again. I was reminded of the Spiral Lift Jackie Inglis has displayed. In recent ‘Spanner’ exchanges Max has said that the model that was Jackie’s inspiration was indeed his starting point.

Pat Briggs is a great one for clocks and this year his highly ornate French style mantel clock had an animated Jolly Fisherman enjoying the bracing air of the Lincolnshire coast in its top quadrant.

Fred Light, (who must excuse me if neither my notes nor my memory have his name quite right), presented a fine representation of John Harrison’s No.1 Clock, the first successful attempt at a pendulum driven timekeeper that could function sufficiently reliably to give mariners an accurate means of determining Longitude. Harrison’s quest for a solution to the determination of Longitude is well covered in a book of the same name.

On a not entirely unrelated theme of the motion of the heavenly bodies (this is not a reference to the Jolly Fisherman!) Michael Whiting displayed his Tiltarium, a variant of the Orrery showing the relative angles of the axes of the planets of our solar system. The model gives food for thought over the relative speed of rotation of the different planets.

Moira Cree caught Geoff Brown’s imagination with her ‘Learner Driver Doing a Hill Start’. Wherever the luckless punter put the gear lever the model with the ‘L’ plates ran back down the hill into the vehicle behind. Last year Moira had her take on the ‘Exploding Battleship’. This year’s offering was equally popular with the visitors.

David Dalton displayed his version of the Automatic Racer that our own Ken McDonald has shown, most recently at Mauchline. Rob Mitchell once again presented Servetti’s Trolley Factory.

Nick Rodgers had built the Treasure Chest that figures in some Meccano publicity and has been discussed recently on the ‘Spanner’ website. I never did find out why he had bashed fishplates into hinges rather that use the ready made part. The way metal prices are going 1” Loose Pulleys (pieces of 22a?) Nick used to represent the treasure will soon be worth their weight in gold. Nick was also stealing a bit of Peter Pyefinch thunder with his fine replica of an Australian Road Train, not the sort of thing you would choose to argue with at up to 177’ long if a third trailer is attached. Nick’s model has a Mack 1960 day cab, such rigs would normally have sleeper cabs for The ick Rodgers Road Train transcontinental work.

Chris Bourne has put the jigsaw making to one side and this year presided over a Differential Meccanograph. I confess I don’t really understand differentials, except the ones that go on the driven axles of vehicles and the mathematical concept related to the gradient of a line. Anyone who really wants to know more about Chris’s model other than its production of complex patterns will just have to hope Andy Knox took it in. Andy does understand differentials. Chris uses the differentials to permit subtle variations in patterns, but he has not yet devised a method of recording the settings and replicating the patterns.

It almost goes without saying that Mrs Nightingale was presiding over her latest development of the Konkoly Meccanograph. She has almost worked out how to make it draw a Butterfly. Les (senior) displayed a new model, a Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor from 196466 and based on photos taken at Lincoln Show.

David Hobson, fortuitously placed almost directly behind Ken McDonald, has constructed a demonstration of Henry Bessemer’s cure for sea sickness. Bessemer’s success at steel making involved him in much sea travel, but he was no sailor. He applied his inventive mind, and some of his fortune, to a method of mounting the passenger cabin within the ship’s hull so that it could be steadied by means of steam pumps to remain level as the boat pitched and rolled. In the days before computer control it proved difficult for a man to keep the pumps adjusted by watching a spirit level to counter the motion of the sea. The design also restricted the space available for the payload and thus reduced the viability of vessels. The mechanism was built in to a prototype but never went into full production. David had a model of a proposed vessel, mounted on a sheet of sea coloured cloth and set by a mechanism similar to that of Ken McDonald to pitch and roll as if crossing the Firth of Clyde.

From calmer waters David had built a model of a design for a balanced lock, an attempt to reduce water loss, which was produced in 1798 for the unsuccessful Dorset and Somerset Canal. Also from canal technology, Tony Homden repeated his effort of last year with another combination of Meccano and Minibrix. His Hay Inclined Plane is a representation of a boat lift that took barges loaded with coal from a canal that served the mines into the navigable River Severn near Coalport in the heart of Ironbridge country and the very Tony Homden’s hybrid boat lift cradle of the Industrial Revolution. The bridges that carried a road over and a railway under the incline were faithfully replicated in the rubber bricks for which I shared Tony’s fondness and with memories of which we were able to while away some time, being at adjacent tables.

Alan Esplen had produced a splendid piece of nostalgia comprising a Bedford Jekta Pallet Van in yellow and a Fork Lift Truck transferring pallets of Meccano from a rack for delivery to dealers, His setup resembled the jigsaw puzzle that has been marketed recently. Alan also displayed a Boulton and Watt Beam Engine from around 1840 with axle rods grouped into ¾” Flanged Wheels to imitate the decorative supporting columns used in the prototype. Members will hardly need to be reminded that Boulton was the Birmingham based entrepreneur who successfully brought Watt’s improvements on the early Cornish steam plants of Newcomen to the expanding market for industrial power plant.

Matt Goodman had put together a simple diorama with construction machines arranged with a few props such as cones and signs as if they were at a roadworks job. This was a neat display that certainly appealed to me as I am involved in this sort of work.

In the Foyer on the side tables, making room for the local Guides’ tombola, was a display of architectural models prompted by a thread on ‘Spanner’ that was running earlier in the year. Tony Parmee’s ‘1901 House’, an Outfit 10 model of the property at Quarry Bank that Frank Hornby had built from the fortune he made from Meccano was alongside Rob Mitchell’s representation of his own house and also of the front of Chatsworth. A little off topic, but also following from the same ‘Spanner’ thread, Malcolm Hanson displayed a house built from Wenebrik, a steel construction system made by the same firm that produced Kliptiko which some of us may have encountered. Geoff Brown had specifically requested this as he was unfamiliar with the system. I have a small quantity of this system if any member wants to see it. In the hall Malcolm had an Art Deco House alongside his other original 1930’s display.

As usual the stage was occupied by the dealers, Mike Rhoades is not wanting for assistance, John Thorpe was ably assisted by his fiancée, now Mrs Thorpe and Dave and Marilyn Taylor were soldiering on. In the wings Alan Scargill and Rob Mitchell’s better half were making full use of the extra trading space.

Stuart Borrill was on the floor with his brassware. His absence in the early part of the day was explained by his wife as he was in the shed making up the orders from the previous day. He didn’t get to the Falkirk Wheel during his last trip to Scone. He must come up and try again. He was selling a compatible CV joint designed by Andy Knox.

I cannot go without mentioning Jim Gamble and his display cabinet of Mechanics Made Easy and very early and equally rare items. Complete tins of MME change hands at £1500 now. This probably just about allows for inflation on the original price of 7/6 (that is 37½p in the steel washers that nowadays pass for money!).

There was more. John MacDonald had another selection of Military equipment. There were many excellent models having another outing and a few on their first trip to the Mecca of Meccano. Meccano (UK) Ltd. had their trade stand. Wendy Miller entertained the budding Meccano boys and girls in the Childrens’ Corner. Robin Johnson and Michael Denny held court with CQ back numbers and I could go on, but all good things must come to an end. My apologies if I haven’t mentioned something I should have done. In spite of taking some time to take in, as I had supposed, everything a neat Reliant Robin and a fine 2cylinder steam engine have crept into my camera but not onto my notebook.

MSS member Ron Frith introduced himself as a visitor. He is not a regular at our Stirling meetings or our shows, his residence in Ipswich, Suffolk, probably has something to do with it. Perhaps he will join us with a model or two in future years. He is not lacking in enthusiasm and it was a pleasure to meet what I must regard as a fellow countryman as my parents resided for a while just across the county boundary in Essex.

As usual, I apologize if any member of the Society attended but was not noticed, no slight is intended.

EAST AGLIA REPORT AKA ROALDS RAMBLIGS by Ron Frith By the time you read this my visit to the 2011 Skegness Meccano Exhibition will be well & truly behind me and we will be on the run down to Autumn. This was my first visit to Skegness for 16 years and it was a pleasure to meet four of the five MSOS Team members along with their displays. Sorry I didn’t get to meet you Alan but I just ran out of time. 6 hrs seemed more than enough time to meet you all, see all the exhibits and fulfil my wants list, but before I knew it, it was time to start the 3½ hr journey home. What took a lot of the time was meeting up with old friends & acquaintances I hadn’t seen since my late wife and I last exhibited there in 1995. I can’t say that there was any one model that jumped out at me as the winning model although I was impressed with Andy’s hammerhead crane. There were a number of well built Lorries that caught my eye and the two large models of the RAF Tornado & Westland Wessex looked impressive although John Thorpe’s prize winning Tornado of 2006 was much neater. There was a nice Chinook Helicopter with exposed workings & the 6 engine Dornier was also a well built model as was the 464 LNER Loco No 10000. I’m not into really large models, a) I don’t have that number of parts, b) I have nowhere to keep them and c) It can be just as much of a challenge to build representative smaller models with a limited number of parts. I did manage to obtain most of the items on my wants list and under spent my budget by a few pounds (single figures). I was slightly disappointed to find there were virtually no Binns Road boxed sets for sale, most of the Sets where modern products from Calais/Nikko. I had been hoping to pick up a Mid Red/Green bargain box in order to complete the restringing a1950 No 7a set that I have. Another set I thought I might find was the Harrier Jump Jet produced for M&S a couple of years ago to complement my growing Aircraft collection. I was hoping Meccano would bring it out later in the year as they did with the Red Arrows set but so far nothing, however I remain hopeful that one day I might get my sticky little paws on a set. Which brings me to the latest addition to my aircraft collection, an AVRO Vulcan built from the contents of two Concorde Sets? I had picked up a second hand Concorde set at a swap meet some time ago and was looking for inspiration on a suitable model to build with it. Then one day on the internet I found the ‘Vulcan to the Sky’ website and one of the links on the site led to the ‘Vulcan Prototype’. There was my next aircraft, the prototype Vulcan in AntiFlash white. The body was easy, 4 of the cylinders + the cone cylinder for the tail of the fuselage. As there is no suitable domed or cone shaped part in the Meccano system I assembled the nose using a Large Flanged Wheel, a Small Flanged Wheel, Chimney Adapter & the Boss from a broken Plastic Pinion threaded on a 3½ʺ Axle. The Large Flanged Wheel being a snug fit in the Split Cylinder.

I’m not happy with the cockpit canopy which is from Set 4505 and is out of proportion to the rest of the aircraft & too garish. I have tried a number of alternatives but so far have not achieved the desired result. The tail fin comprises a 2½ʺx 2½ʺ Triangular Plate & two inverted 2½ʺx 1½ʺ Triangular Plates, strengthened with Perforated Strips. On the prototype the fin continues along the top of the fuselage to the back of the canopy and I have reproduced this using Narrow Strips along the bottom of the tailfin and reducing Narrow Strips along the top of the fuselage.

The wings were the hardest part to get right & it took all the Triangular & Flexible plates in the Concorde set to build one wing, which meant I had to buy another Concorde Set in order

The Avro Vulcan to build the other wing. Even then I had to use a 5½x 2½” Plastic Plate to fill in the centre portion and complete the wing. As the main landing gear would be mounted directly onto this plate I strengthened it by sandwiching a yellow metal 5½”x 2½” Flexible Plate between two plastic plates. The wings are also strengthened by 7½” and 9½” Perforated Strips along their outer edges. The elevons & ailerons are represented by Flat Girders and the engines formed from Angle Girders fixed in Pyramid fashion with the circular black plastic Concorde exhaust units attached to compressed rubber collars. I tried using Sleeve Pieces for the engines as per prototype but they were grossly out of scale. The air intakes for the engines are formed using a 4½”x 2” Triangular Plastic Plate separated at the wing root using a Boss from a distorted 3” Pulley to give a deeper Collar. The air intakes on the real aircraft are actually the same depth/height as the fuselage but it wasn’t possible to recreate this in the model. Finally the wings are attached to 7½” Angle Girders which are bolted to the fuselage Cylinders and angled down from front to rear to match the prototype. As a side note, the actual production Vulcan wings deviated from the true Delta Wing by the leading edge being stepped after wind tunnel & flight testing showed this to be the most effective aerodynamic shape for lift and reduced drag. The main landing wheels are as per Concorde but mounted on 1” Axles fitted into Standard Coupling attached to 4 hole Narrow Strips and Trunnions. Each Trunnion is bolted through the Plastic/Metal Flexible Plates and a Flat Trunnion on top of the wing to strengthen the fixing. The nose wheel is the modified Concorde version by Underneath view showing the wing construction Bernard Perier.

Meccano Steam Engines (Part 3)

by

Douglas J Carson

4. The 1965 Engine It was to be thirty years before Meccano decided once again to market a steam engine, and by then Meccano Ltd was struggling under the burden of large debts. 1 The need to cut costs forced Meccano to buy in items that previously they might have manufactured themselves. 2

In the mid 1960s steam toys were undergoing something of a renaissance and early in 1965, Meccano turned to Malins (Engineers) Ltd which by then was the only company in the UK still making toy steam engines on a significant scale.

Figure 1 The 1965 engine.

Malins examined a 1929 Meccano engine but concluded that the quality of the hand finishing of the steam block and reversing ports would be uneconomic to reproduce. 3 Instead, a much simpler mechanism was used and this was the first Malins engine to be reversible. This mechanism was subsequently used by Malins on later Mamod models such as the SR1A steam roller and the TE1A traction engine. 4 Unlike the 1929 engine, there is no exhaust pipe and water vapour is ejected directly and messily from the piston block onto the engine frame.

1 For a full description of Meccano Ltd’s dire financial position at this time see Brown, Factory of Dreams , p. 139 onwards. 2 For example the “Richard I” electric motor manufactured by Monoperm of Germany which, slightly modified, became the sixspeed Powerdrive motor. See HCS Vol. 6 , p. 251. 3 HCS Vol. 6 , p. 253. 4 Malins, The Story of Malins Models , p. 39.

The reversing lever with integral insulated handle has, like the 1929 engine, a hole drilled to accept a rod or bolt for remote control. The same reversing lever, complete with hole, is still used in the current Mamod SA1 Steam Roadster. The Meccano engine was known to Malins as the MEC1 and was supplied directly to Meccano and not to Malins’s own dealers. 5

Meccano laid down the basic specification, including the engine frame which is similar to that of the 1929 engine. The standard diameter crankshaft carries a part No. 26c, 15 tooth pinion and a part No. 96a, ¾” sprocket wheel. 6 Provision of reduction gearing is left to the user to devise. These features can be clearly seen in Fig. 9. 7

The level plug is usually at the piston end of the boiler but some examples have it at the burner end. The engine frame is in the yellow colour of the silver/yellow/black scheme that was current at the time. The firebox is black with a Meccano decal and the boiler is covered by a polished chrome cover.

The engine shares several components with other contemporary and current Mamod engines. These include the safety valve, piston and cylinder assembly, reversing lever, level plug and the flywheel. These parts can still be obtained a great help to anyone trying to restore one of these engines.

MM of September 1965 carried the first advertisement for the 1965 engine as part of the Powerdrive range of motors (Fig. 10). It is curious that the advertisement shows the reversing lever from the 1929 engine and this was never corrected in subsequent illustrated MM advertisements, the last of which appeared in June 1967. Thereafter it was but a single line item in price lists.

As with the 1929 engine, Meccano made little effort to promote the 1965 engine in the pages of MM and it was eighteen months before the first model featured by “Spanner” appeared in January 1968. Further models appeared only intermittently until January 1975 which featured Michael Martin’s entirely steam powered Figure 2 MM advertisement of 1965. blocksetter.

The original packaging was a clear fronted box, the interior of which showed a black and white photograph of a factory scene. In line with other Meccano packaging this changed to a plain dark blue box in 1970.

5 Ibid, p. 37. 6 Harley , MM, April 1978, p.51, says the crankshaft is of the same diameter as on the 1929 engine, i.e. approx 1/8 inch. On the examples I have examined the crankshaft is of standard diameter. 7 Photograph by kind permission of Michael Stacey. In total, 83,519 MEC1 units were produced before manufacturing was discontinued by Malins in 1976. 8 However the engine continued to appear in Meccano catalogues until late 1978, which suggests that the company were using up old stock after production ceased.

4.1 The Mamod Meccano SP3 Engine In 1979, the 1965 engine was resurrected by Malins and added to the Mamod range as the Mamod Meccano SP3 engine. Clearly, in order to use the Meccano name, an arrangement must have been made with Meccano Ltd but I have yet to find any reference to this. It was sold directly by Malins and not by Meccano Ltd. The SP3 is almost identical to the 1965 Meccano engine other than the addition of a sprung whistle, sight glass and grey paint finish. 9 It was supplied with a funnel and a solid fuel tray which also carried the firebox door. The firebox itself bore a Meccano transfer on one side and a Mamod transfer on the other.

The SP3 was initially equipped with the same pinion and sprocket as the 1965 engine and then with a p/n 26, plastic 19 tooth pinion and a dark yellow ¾” sprocket. Sometime after the final failure of Meccano Ltd in late 1979, when no further supplies of Meccano pinions and sprockets were available, two Mamod brass pulleys were supplied.

9,067 Mamod SP3 units were produced before it was discontinued by Malins in 1984 bringing to an end seventy years (if we include the SP3) of “Meccano” steam engines. 10

Conclusion Meccano steam engines were available, albeit not continuously, from 1914 to 1978. This period coincidentally encompasses almost entirely the rise and fall of Meccano Ltd. Table 1 gives a summary of the main engine types produced.

Origina Mode Today’s Type Years l Remarks l Price 11 Price 1914 Vertical 191415 21/ £391 Imported from Germany. 1920 Vertical 192022 27/6 £186 “A commercial failure.” 12 1929 Vertical 192939 21/ £200 A high quality engine. 1965 Horizontal 196578 68/6 £103 Manufactured by Malins. 1979 Horizontal 197984 £12.75 £76 The Mamod Meccano SP3

Table 1 Summary of Meccano Steam Engines.

8 Malins, The Story of Malins Models, p. 95. 9 By 1978, in order to comply with European legislation, Malins had adopted solid fuel and sight glasses (instead of liquid fuel and simple level plugs) as standard on all their engines. Ibid p. 69. 10 Ibid, p. 92. 11 Today’s prices are calculated by reference to changes in UK average earnings. For details see http://www.measuringworth.com/index.html 12 Love, CQ 31, p. 36 In 1914 Meccano was an already successful and rapidly growing company, its net profits having more than doubled in 1914 to £54,034 compared to £21,053 in 1913. 13 Led by its founder, Frank Hornby, it felt no compunction about importing and re selling products from abroad, the 1914 engine and clockwork motors from Märklin being prominent examples. The outbreak of WW1 put an end to imports from Germany and no immediate effort was made to replace the 1914 steam engine.

In 1920, with post war antiGerman sentiment still strong and the company only just returning to full production, Meccano reproduced the 1914 engine. This was not a commercial success due both to its high price compared to domestic and foreign competition, and the fact that it was not explicitly designed to be part of the Meccano system.

Meccano had a much superior product with the 1929 engine. Although still very expensive, (Table 1), it was clearly a Meccano engine designed to be fitted to Meccano models, rather than a copy of a somewhat dated German model. Meccano was at this time at an apogee of its commercial strength and the brand name alone would have gone some way to justify the price. Its high quality compared to contemporary model steam engines should also have helped support the price. It was unfortunate that the engine was launched in the year of the Wall Street Crash and on the eve of the Great Depression. These factors must have adversely affected sales of what would in the 1930s surely have been seen as a luxury item. 14

The 1965 engine was launched at a time when Meccano was a shadow of the power it had once been. Taken over by Lines Bros. with large debts in the previous year, and wishing to participate in the 1960’s steam toy renaissance, it was forced to look for an outside supplier which, in this case, was the successful firm of Malins. Although much denigrated by some and clearly not of the same quality as the 1929 engine, the 1965 engine was in numerical terms by far the most successful of the Meccano steam engines. It was also by far (in terms of average earnings) the least expensive steam engine marketed by Meccano and this must have been a major factor in its large sales.

The 1929 engine will always be best loved by enthusiasts but all manufacturing companies have to find a balance between price and quality that the intended market will support, and I contend that in the 1965 engine, Meccano finally achieved that balance. It is to be regretted that it was only achieved when Meccano Ltd was entering the period of its terminal decline.

Bibliography

Periodicals Harley, Basil, “Steam Cavalcade”, Meccano Magazine , April 1978.

Hindmarsh, Alf, “The Meccano Steam Era”, Meccano Magazine , December 1969

Love, Bert, “Collectors’ Corner”, Meccano Magazine , July 1973.

13 Brown, Factory of Dreams , p. 37. 14 Meccano net profits fell from £58,000 in 1928 to £31,000 in 1930 before reaching a nadir of £25,000 in 1933. See Brown, Factory of Dreams , p. 78. Love, Bert, “Super Model No. 6a”, Meccano Magazine , October 1973

Love, Bert, “The Original Steam Engine”, Meccano Magazine , October 1976.

Love, Bert, “The 1929 Meccano Steam Engine”, Constructor Quarterly 6, December 1989.

Love, Bert, “1920 Steam Engine and Meccano Flywheel”, Constructor Quarterly 31, March 1996.

Palmer, Ernest, “1920 Märklin/Meccano Steam Engine”, Constructor Quarterly 6, December 1989.

Books Kenneth D. Brown, Factory of Dreams , Crucible Books, 2007.

Basil Harley, Toyshop Steam , Argus Books, 1978.

Chris & Julie Graebe, The Hornby Gauge O System , The Hornby Companion Series Vol. 5, New Cavendish Books, Revised Edition, 1994.

Bert Love & Jim Gamble, The Meccano System and the Special Purpose Meccano Sets , The Hornby Companion Series Vol. 6, New Cavendish Books, 1985.

P.S. Malins, Mamod, The Story of Malins Models , Mamod Sales & Service, 1996.

Peter Randall, The Products of Binns Road , The Hornby Companion Series Vol. 1, New Cavendish Books, 1977.

Internet Comprehensive Meccano Magazines Index, Timothy Edwards et al, 2010, http://www.meccanoindex.co.uk/

NZMeccano website, C. Steadman 20072010, http://nzmeccano.com

Michael Stacey’s website, http://www.mikessteamengines.co.uk

© Douglas J Carson, November 2010 * * * * *

MECCAO O THE ITERET

For some time now every Meccano Magazine that was ever published has been available as a download from internet. The relevant URL is http://pdfmm.free.fr/ . The downloads are in .pdf format and are therefore quite easy to print off if you want to. The best way of making use of this excellent resource is to consult the index so painstakingly put together by Tim Edwards which can be accessed on www.meccanoindex.co.uk . This allows you to put in any words of interest and produces ALL the articles with those words in the title from the seventy odd years of the MM. Instead of printing off the whole magazine you can then print only the pages that are of interest. A word of warning, however. What you are getting is a facsimile of the original publication. If you therefore download instructions for building a model the reproduction of the photographs is poor but generally not that much more difficult to follow that the manuals of the Meccano heyday.

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ELECTROIC COTACT ADDRESSESS

The Society’s web site address is:

http://www.meccanoscotland.org.uk

Officials of the Meccano Society of Scotland can be contacted by email at the following addresses:

Secretary: [email protected]

Newsletter editor: [email protected]

Web master: [email protected]