Where have you gone Meccano?

[Brian Fretwell]

I did see some electric live steam locos at a display once. They had a flash boiler that was heated by an electric element so that speed could be controlled by the current from the rails. The best of both worlds? Hopefully not the worst.

[Steve Klare]

People have done some work civilizing the Mamod locomotive. If you look in my picture, you see a lever sticking up in front of the "smoke box". This is a throttle/reversing lever (straight up is "stop"). Some people have managed to fit this with radio control. I think there may even be kits to do this.

I'd say the next step after that is a butane heater for the boiler. I don't think you can get vast increases in power from this thing before the safety valve opens and you start to spray hot water everywhere, but a more consistent, longer lasting fire would help.

There's a county park near me where a couple of acres have been deeded off to a live steam club. They are running engines that may top 1,000 lbs. on 7.5" gauge track. If I had all the time and money in the world, I would join this club and get a locomotive.

I don't, so I won't!

[Leonard Goss]

I'm a big Meccano enthusiast and here's an example of what can be constructed, this clock is over seven feet tall and shows the phases of the moon amongst other features. It has been ticking away steadily for the last 7 years and is built from a #10 set.

[Steve Klare]

That is spectacular!

[Lincoln Thorn]

I believe my dad is still in grief over my grandparents giving away all of his Train sets after he got married!

[Leonard Goss]

That is spectacular!

Thank you Steve!

[Ken Finch]

Oh Happy days!! I learned a lot about mechanics with meccano. Still have a lot of it up in the loft including a no 10 set in original box with clockwork motor. An excellent educational toy. Back in the "old days" I taught Metalwork and a stationary single cylinder steam traction engine was one of the projects in my repertoire!. Ken Finch.

[Maurice Leakey]

I once got to set number 6. I just hoped one day I'd get up to the largest, the set number 10.
But, regretfully, I never made it.

Maurice

[Brian Fretwell]

That clock looks as if several #10 kits have gone into it.

[Leonard Goss]

That clock looks as if several #10 kits have gone into it.

No, it's only one #10 set with a couple of extra wheel flanges and internal gearing for the smaller dials, they show the day of the week, the signs of the zodiac and the seasons of the year. The "moon" at the top is a table tennis ball painted half black which revolves once every 28 days to indicate the phases. The clock also does a single chime every half hour. It was originally designed by the late Bert Love to use every part of an Outfit 10 and I've built it to his design with the extra dials added.

[Ali Hipperson]

What a fantastic creation you've made there Leonard! 😲🙂

[Leonard Goss]

What a fantastic creation you've made there Leonard! 😲🙂

Thank you Ali for your kind words!