Meccano Show 2019
Report written by Tim Surtell for our Winter 2019 Newsletter
Saturday 26 October 2019
Eltham United Reformed Church
Eltham
With fewer members attending our 40th annual show this year, we decided to change the table layout by moving the Meccano Creative Challenge into the Sherard Hall. This allowed the Dobell Room to be given over to Brian Leach and Alan Wenbourne to run a ‘driving experience’.
Alan had marked out a road layout on the floor with tape, and about 20 children had a go at driving his Mars Rover and/or tractor:
“The idea of a road layout proved good in that it required an element of skill to follow lanes, and discouraged full throttle operation with its attendant dangers! So the ‘driving experience’ was satisfied. Most boys had good control; a few decided that flipping the throttle was the way to control speed, which caused me to cringe at the thought of its effect on the drivelines. However, the models survived and performed very well. Only one boy exhibited no control and allowed me to rescue the transmitter! I was also pleased at the battery durability, and I didn’t need to re-charge at all.” — Alan
Alan’s tractor
Brian brought his ride-on buggy again, after its success at last year’s show:
“My buggy performed flawlessly and almost all the children enjoyed it. One boy shook his head at it. It went slightly faster due to a gearing change from 180:1 to 120:1. The only damage was a few scored rods and one deformed angle girder. Alan’s models also went down well and travelled a lot faster than the buggy.” — Brian
Brian’s buggy
The large mirrors on the back wall of Sherard Hall made the show look twice as big as it actually was!
In the Sherard Hall an impressive display of the late Adrian Ashford’s models was set up by Cynthia Ashford, assisted by Frank Paine, while in the Penford Room was a display of maritime models taken from our Harbour Secretary’s Challenge.
Julia Ashford with Adrian’s models
The harbour display in the Penford Room
The Meccano Creative Challenge in full swing
The Meccano Creative Challenge was as popular as ever, with 26 entries. The winners, judged by Chris Warrell and Brian Leach, were:
- Age 4–7: Ethan Balcer — buggy
- Age 8–13: Sengul Mustafa — buggy
- Age 14+: Paul Allen — dragonfly (pictured)
Ethan Balcer
Sengul Mustafa
Paul Allen
You can see all the Meccano Creative Challenge photos in our Facebook album.
Models in Sherard Hall, with John Clifton’s impressive Ruston Bacyrus dragline in the foreground
Models in Sherard Hall, with Tim Surtell’s Lightning Leap game in the foreground
Many thanks to everyone who helped with setting up, running, and clearing away at the show, with special thanks to Cathy Warrell and Cathy Claydon providing refreshments, Peter Clay for overseeing the pay desk, John Clifton for transporting tables, and Brian Leach for transporting equipment.
Cathy Warrell and Cathy Claydon
Models on Display
Sherard Hall
Peter Clay — Baby Meccanograph; Vought V-173 Flying Pancake; Ferrari car.
Cindy Ashford — Display of cards by Colin Ashford and Meccano models by Adrian Ashford — Green Line coach; 2–4–2 tank locomotive; Steam wagon; Low loader; Windmill; Sopwith Camel biplane; Steam pumping engine; Steam tug boat; 0–6–2 tank locomotive.
Frank Paine — Large display of dealers and set models.
Tim Surtell — ‘The Lightning Leap’ game; The Spanish Knight; Maraca; Connect Four game.
Guy Loveridge — Eiffel Tower.
Eric Smith — Various small models.
Ronan Carroll — Kangaroo level-luffing harbour crane.
Dave and Marilyn Taylor — Vast collection of sets and spares for sale.
Robin Schoolar — Four Chinese chariots; Ping pong peripherator; Meccaspider; Dancing sailor; Flat belt demo; Hogle power assisted demo.
Richard Marsden — Bedford QLD army lorry; Ferrari (built by his granddaughter); Waco glider; Face (his), Milk float.
John Clifton — Twin-beam pumping engine; Road paving machine; Ruston Bacyrus 22RB crawler dragline; Ducati moto GP; Motorcycle.
Les Chatfield — Ruston and Proctor ‘steam navvy’ for Manchester Ship Canal.
Penford Room
John Gay — 4–6–2 LMS locomotive in maroon livery with coal elevator and wagons.
Chris Warrell — Narrow gauge Hunslet locomotive; O gauge tram; Submersible; Battle cruiser; Battleship; Daleks; BMX bike; Railway signal; Crossrail tunnel boring machine.
Harbour Display
- Peter Clay — Cabin cruiser.
- Richard Marsden — Harbour wall; Lighthouse; Oil tanker, Bulk freighter.
- Chris Warrell — Tug boat.
- Brian Leach — Godrevy lighthouse.
- Santiago Plicio — Large sailing ships.
Dobell Room
Brian Leach — Ferris wheel; Child’s buggy*, Marionette.
Alan Wenbourne — Heatherwick rolling bridge; M4 munitions tractor*; Mars rover*.
* Models available for public driving in the ‘driving experience’.