September 2014 Newsletter
September 2014 Newsletter
Issue 152
This was one of our informal quarterly meetings where our members showed off their latest Meccano creations.
At around 2:00pm we had a short committee meeting, followed by the Model Tour in which members were invited to give a short talk about their models — in particular their entries for the Secretary’s Challenge!
Report written by Peter Clay
What is becoming an annual fixture went off successfully on Sunday 22nd June. The exhibition went well and we ‘flew the flag’ both for the club and the hobby. I have no attendance figures but there were a fair number of visitors who appreciated our work. They were probably not aware of the amount of hard work that so many — I must single out Frank, Tim and Felicity, Ralph and Sue, and Chris — did in making the whole day possible.
[Editor’s note: Rob Parker, from the Crossness Engines Trust, wrote to me, thanking us for attending. The total number of visitors was 617; not quite as many as they’d hoped, but still a good turnout. I quote from his letter: “Once again you presented an impressive display which attracted a great deal of interest.”]
Our stand
The overall details are as last year, so I shall proceed with an account of the models shown. I confess I am writing this three weeks after the event, and not all exhibitors gave me details. You must forgive me for any omissions or errors. In no particular order:
Alan Wenbourne
He showed a model of the Pegasus rolling lift bridge in Normandy, along with an M4-HST High-Speed Tractor — a model of an US 18-ton military heavy gun tractor and personnel carrier. The working, steerable caterpillar tracks with suspension and radio control impressed visitors, as did the bridge. Both models represented the ‘serious engineering’ side of the hobby. They have both been fully written up by Alan elsewhere.
Douglas Windibank
He had a selection of models mainly in yellow and zinc. Unfortunately I received no list, but many of the models were on display at the Vintage Hornby Train Show in May.
Douglas Windibank and Alan Wenbourne
Frank Paine
Frank put on one of his excellent and comprehensive displays, comprising: A twin cylinder motorcycle engine inspired by the 1950s № 10 Set Supermodel leaflet; a 1990s dealers’ display model of a windmill; a 1970s dealer’s display model of Tower Bridge; a 1929 № 2A Meccano outfit in dark red and green; a 1960s № 5A Meccano outfit in light red and green; a nearly complete 1904 Mechanics Made Easy outfit, with all the parts laid out in a display case together with several items of Meccano literature.
Guy Loveridge
Steam engines in yellow and zinc, in the form of twin beam engines.
John Gay
A First World War Big Gun, in red and green from 1940s № 8 outfit manual, to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. It had an opening breech, a ‘shell’ that could be winched up to it and screw mechanism to raise and lower the barrel. It ran on large made up wheels with flexible plate rims. Also shown was a petrol lawn mower.
John Gay’s Big Gun
Cathy Claydon
A GMC DUKW 353 Amphibious vehicle universally known as the Duck — a beautifully detailed model in khaki livery. She also had a wheelbarrow and spade.
Tim Surtell
The Lightning Leap buzz-wire challenge, earning donations for Foal Farm Animal Rescue Centre. Konkoly Spanish Knight with trotting horse on a rotating bass and a Maraca (working!)
Ralph and Sue Laughton
Live steam lorry powered by Meccano 1929 steam engine and fired on meths. I have always been partial to the smell of this since childhood (due, I hasten to add, having had a Mamod steam engine and Merit chemistry set with spirit burner!) It was fired up several times and ran slowly across the floor. This had the advantage of masking the smell of sewage, from the nearby plant, wafting in on the wind!
Ralph Laughton steaming up his lorry
Brian Elvidge
Science Museum Beam Engine — a model from a book by the late Bert Love, I think by a Midlands Meccano Guild member. It basically reproduces the motion of a beam engine: one that is designed to lift ore, or personnel from a mine. It has a flywheel and working link motion so that the piston rod follows a straight line. It also has a dummy piston with a ‘door’ so that one can see the eccentric driven valve motion, and a governor, all operated by an internal electric motor and reduction gearing.
Peter Clay
I managed to prod the recalcitrant gearing on my Super Universal Design Maker Meccanograph into action and ran off designs. I also showed a Safari Car, ‘Hornby’ gauge 0 crane truck and Huff-a bolt game.
Peter Clay adjusting his Meccanograph
Les Chatfield
Traction engine in red and a small beam engine, based on an Airfix Museum Models kit.
Chris Warrell
He came with a selection of models, including car and caravan, O gauge locomotive, mobile crane, etc.
Chris Warrell’s models
You can see more photos from the open day in our Facebook album.
Report written by Tim Surtell
On 20th July Chris Fry and I supported the Friends of Animals League by setting up a SELMEC stand at their annual Country Fair in Biggin Hill. We were blessed with sunshine all day, with torrential rain only arriving as we were leaving!
Our stand at the festival
Chris brought along his Meccano model railway (which looked very impressive on 10 feet of track), a Meccanograph, an orrery and various other models.
I had my Konkoly Spanish Knight, a few small models, and the Lightning Leap buzz-wire game, set up to accept 10p coins instead of 2p coins in order to raise as much money as possible — we collected over £46 by the end of the day.
Most visitors appeared to be new to Foal Farm and hadn’t seen my display at last year’s festival, so went away with a new experience of Meccano and a flyer for our Meccano Show.
A girl investigates Chris’s Kepler 16 Orrery
Another willing volunteer attempts to make the Lightning Leap
Chris shows off his Meccanograph…
…and demonstrates his model railway
Report written by Tim Surtell
The annual Great Get Together has become a regular outing for our club. When it started five years ago Greenwich Council hosted four such events all around the borough. Now it has become one huge event held at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich to coincide with Armed Forces Day which, this year, was on Saturday 28th June.
Members attending were myself, Chris Fry, Chris Warrell, Peter Clay, Douglas Windibank, Brian Elvidge, John Gay and Cathy Claydon.
Our display, before the rush (and the rain) started
On arrival this year the weather was looking good — despite the forecast for sunshine and showers — and our tables were ready and waiting in the Craft Marquee, though there was some confusion about whereabouts in the marquee we were supposed to be.
A generator to power our models was soon provided, but unfortunately stopped working just as the event opened, leaving us with mostly static models (some batteries kindly lent to me by Chris Fry kept my Spanish Knight running!)
The weather forecast proved to be spot on, with frequent torrential downpours throughout the day sending visitors scurrying into the marquee. The weather also forced the cancellation of some of the events in the arena.
The Make It With Meccano area
For the first time this year we created a ‘Make It With Meccano’ area in a corner of the marquee which proved very popular. Ralph Laughton had asked Meccano if they could provide sets for our use, and they obliged by sending us twelve of the current Multimodels 3 Models Sets. Ralph had also happened to design three simple models that could be built from this set, featuring them on his blog, and I created instruction sheets for them. The simple aeroplane model proved to be the most popular model, followed by the baby robot and the Angel of the North models. A few participants attempted the aeroplane or helicopter models from the set instructions, but soon abandoned them when they realised how long they would take to build!
Make It With Meccano instruction sheets
Download these instruction sheets in PDF format
Around 40 participants got their first experience with Meccano and went home with their ‘I made it with Meccano’ certificate and free club membership. We look forward to welcoming them at our next meeting.
Most of the children were very enthusiastic
You can see more photos from the Great Get Together in our Facebook album.
[Editor’s note: I’d just like to thank Tim for all his hard work in making the ‘Make It With Meccano’ work. Without all his preparation in getting the instructions printed and laminated, printing the certificates and ordering the large banner that ran along one side of the build area, and spending most of the day supervising the children, the whole thing would not have happened. Thanks also to the other members who helped.]
It got quite busy in the marquee when it rained!