Canadian MeccaNotes 200509 · Ontario 2005. The photographer’s name is Christina Gapic. converted...

CanadianCanadianCanadianCanadianCanadian

MeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotes

--- Issue #39 ------ Issue #39 ------ Issue #39 ------ Issue #39 ------ Issue #39 ---

Sept. 2005Sept. 2005Sept. 2005Sept. 2005Sept. 2005

Gananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowOn the right, Don Redmond’s rocket, sputnik andgear box. Below is Don’s blue-gold windmill andan assortment of “broad-beam” system wind-mills.

... continued on page 6

2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes September 2005September 2005September 2005September 2005September 2005


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(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)

o within North America: Canada - $40; U.S.A.- US$35. Make cheque or money order payableto CMAMAS, mail to Treasurer, address above.

o elsewhere: £30, US$49 or C$63; alsoavailable from MW Mail Order, address onpage 27.

© Copyright 2005 Copyright 2005 Copyright 2005 Copyright 2005 Copyright 2005C.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or Individual

Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Meccano and Erector are registered tradenames and are used throughout Canadian

MeccaNotes by kind permission of MeccanoLtd..

North American subscribers to CanadianMeccaNotes are automatically members of

the Canadian Modeling Association forMeccano and Allied Systems (CMAMAS).

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The “Canadian MeccaNotes” newsletter(ISSN 1207-2249) is published 4 times peryear (March, June, September and De-cember) by the Canadian Modeling Asso-ciation for Meccano & Allied Systems(CMAMAS).

“Written and produced by Meccano enthu-siasts for Meccano enthusiasts.”

Canadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccano & Allied Systems (CMAMAS)& Allied Systems (CMAMAS)& Allied Systems (CMAMAS)& Allied Systems (CMAMAS)& Allied Systems (CMAMAS)130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109Toronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioCANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5

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CMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutivePresidentPresidentPresidentPresidentPresident ... Colin Hoare, 18 Tweedle St.,Glen Williams, Ontario, Canada L7G 3S5,[email protected], (905)873-8261

Vice PresidentVice PresidentVice PresidentVice PresidentVice President ... Attila Szakonyi,10 Fendley Crt, Brampton, Ontario, Canada,L6Z 3H9, [email protected],(905)846-5287

TreasurerTreasurerTreasurerTreasurerTreasurer ... Marsha Brandston,130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109, Toronto,Ontario, Canada M6A 1X5,[email protected]

SecretarySecretarySecretarySecretarySecretary ... Frank Curry, 8 WindhamDrive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2K 1X8,[email protected], (416)221-3093

Newsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/Webmaster ... DavidWilliams, 3017 - 111A Street, Edmonton,Alberta, Canada T6J 3Y5, [email protected],(780)438-1197

Parts & Sets Manager (Interim) Parts & Sets Manager (Interim) Parts & Sets Manager (Interim) Parts & Sets Manager (Interim) Parts & Sets Manager (Interim) ...Dave Duncan, 55 Lurgan Drive, Toronto,Ontario, Canada M2R 1K7,[email protected], (416)353-0848

Editor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesThis issue contains a good variety of features.Many thanks to Hubert Hogle, Marsha Brandston,Sam Chow, Colin Hoare, Larry Yates, EmileAmirault and others for supplying items for thisissue.

One contributor to each Canadian MeccaNotesissue gets a prize in appreciationof their efforts. The June 2005winner was Lloyd Schneider.Perhaps you’ll win for the nextissue? Starting this year, theprize has changed to be one ofthe new CMAMAS flashlights.

As noted last year, part of theCMAMAS website is now pass-word protected. For example tosee the meetings of minutes younow need this id/password:cmember/Sprocket2.

As always, the newsletter is only as good as thecontributors. Your articles, photos, model plans,short news items, wants, sales and swap ads arewanted. Items in machine readable form (e-mail,CDROM) are preferred but everything is accept-able. If you scan photos, please scan them at aminimum resolution of 150 dpi. If desired, your

September 2005September 2005September 2005September 2005September 2005 Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3

material can also be posted on our website. Ifyou’d like any part of your submissions returned,please say so; otherwise I will keep everything.

Please note that we plan to publish the December2005 issue around December 15, 2005; the finaldeadline is November 30, 2005.

Back in March I reported the availability of the 1stvolume of Meccano magazine published on CD.These scans were prepared by a world-widegroup of Meccano enthusiasts who were dedi-cated to making these out-of-print magazinesavailable to everyone. The 2nd CD volume hasnow been released (order from MW Mail Order)and more volumes will soon follow as the grouphas now reached a major milestone. They are nowscan complete: every page of every issueevery page of every issueevery page of every issueevery page of every issueevery page of every issue inenglish of MM is now scanned. See page 9 for theCD disc images.

On the right are two photos of Linda and SamuelChow of the BC Meccano Club when they visitedmy place back in the summer.

David Williams

TTTTTable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contents

Gananoque Show 1Editor’s Notes 2Presidential Perusings 4The Hobby Show 2005 4Art Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry Kroto 5Gananoque Show 6New Construction Toy Exhibit Coming to Cali-

fornia Museum 8Jerry DuBois in New Zealand 8Jean Max Esteve - Photos 10New Meccano Aeroplane Sets - Concorde and

Spitfire 12Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology13Town and Country Festival at Stoneleigh 15Mutilators Corner 19Smiths Falls Show 21Rolling Bridge 22Cyclist 23BC Meccano Club Meeting and Changes to BC

Meccano Club 24Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd. 26The Peddler 27


Presidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsSubscribers to “Canadian MeccaNotes” who arealso on Spanner will know that a major era inMeccano history has come to a close. GeoffWright, the owner of M W Models, has decided toretire. To be fair, I should really say that Geoff andhis wife Elizabeth havejointly decided to retire, asshe was as much involvedwith the store in Henley-on-Thames as was Geoff. Thisdecision has been madewhen both Geoff and Eliza-beth are - how shall I put it?- a few years past the so-called mandatory retirementage of sixty-five.

I am sure that the majorityof subscribers will havepurchased either parts orliterature from Geoff over the years. Indeed, for along time, Geoff was the sole agent for Meccanoin Britain, or so it seemed. Furthermore, for thosesubscribers who made their way to England, be iton business or pleasure, a trip to Henley-on-Thames to visit the shop was almost a tradition.

Geoff has been a good friend of “CanadianMeccaNotes” and its predecessor, “The CanadianMeccanoman’s Newsletter.” Not only did hehandle overseas subscriptions on our behalf, butalso he purchased additional copies of the maga-zine for resale in the store. On behalf of allsubscribers, the Executive wishes to thank Geoffand Elizabeth for all that they have done for us, andto wish them both a long and happy retirement.

The good news is that the departure of Geoff fromthe Meccano scene does not mean the end of M WModels. Well-known modeller (and for those ofour members who subscribe to Spanner willknow, brilliant punster), Howard Somerville, hasbought the entire stock, and will continue to supplyliterature, both old and new (but not sets). Inaddition, Howard will also be delighted to con-sider the publication of further new ModelPlansand associated literature. To this a caveat mustbe added - at least to North American subscribers- please consider sending such material to “Cana-dian MeccaNotes” first - we need ModelPlans asmuch as ever!

This change in management of M W Models willalso affect our overseas subscribers. Those whohave previously renewed through Geoff will haveto either send a Money Order to the Treasurer in

Canadian dollars, U. S. dollars, or U. K. pounds.In addition, we are also going to offer an alterna-tive method of payment, which is that PayPal canbe used as a means of renewal. Indeed, if thereis sufficient interest from subscribers in the U. S.or in Canada who would like to do the same thing,we will see what arrangements can be made.

Talking of subscriptions, the renewal slip for 2006is enclosed. As always, we hope that everyonewill renew because, if nothing else, it gives theExecutive the impression that we are doing most- if not all - things reasonably correctly!

The Hobby Show is just around the corner, and thedetails of what is happening at this year’s showare given elsewhere in this issue. Already, confir-mation from two of our U. S. subscribers, plus onefrom B.C., that they plan to attend, means that thepan-American flavour of our exhibit will be re-tained. Our exhibit will, of course, only be as goodas the models that people bring, and it is hoped thatwe will be even better than we were in 2004.

Colin Hoare

The Hobby Show 2005The Hobby Show 2005The Hobby Show 2005The Hobby Show 2005The Hobby Show 2005Come November, the annual gathering of thelargest North American collection of both Meccanomodels (plus models built using other systems,notably Erector) as well as modellers, will takeplace at the International Centre on Airport Roadin Mississauga. The dates for this year’s Show areFriday November 4th to Sunday November 6th.Set-up can begin at noon on Thursday November3rd. This will be the twenty-fourth consecutiveyear that we have participated, although it is thetwenty-fifth actual time that we have had a boothat the Show. Since next year will see both the tenthanniversary of the foundation of C. M. A. M. A. S.,and the Silver Jubilee of our participation at “TheHobby Show,” we plan to celebrate the two eventsjointly in 2006.

There will be one significant change to the 2005show: albeit reluctantly, we will be charging aparticipation fee of $20.00 per exhibitor. This hasbecome necessary as a result of the managementof “The Hobby Show” revising their terms &conditions to participating groups who hithertohave exhibited without charge. The changes thathave been imposed on us are that we now arerequired to pay for the tables and chairs that weneed, as well as the electrical hook-up. In addition,we have been limited to a maximum of forty-twothree-day passes, although some of these can be


Art Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry KrotoArt Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry KrotoArt Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry KrotoArt Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry KrotoArt Gallery of Ontario - Sir Harry KrotoSir Harry Kroto, a renouned scientist and Meccano fan, was in Toronto speaking at the Royal OntarioMuseum. Kroto credits Meccano,amongst other things, with developingskills useful in scientific research.

The 1st photo shows Sir Harry Krotoduring his lecture.

The 2nd photo from left to right: ColinHoare, Sir Harry Kroto and GillianMcIntyre, the Public Relations Officer forthe Art Gallery of Ontario.

Both photos are copyright Art Gallery ofOntario 2005. The photographer’s nameis Christina Gapic.

converted into three one-day passes.The conversion can only be done on theset-up day, unfortunately, and not be-fore.

Thanks to the generosity of our ActingSets and Parts Manager, Dave Duncan,we have already secured 100 ft. of tablespace at no cost to the group. Based onlast year’s requirements, however, westill need about another 80 ft. of tablespace for the periphery alone, which wewill have to rent. If anyone else cansupply a table or two, however, pleasecontact the President. Also, if anyonehas any old bolts of cloth that can beused to cover some of the tables, thiswill also be useful. We will still probablyneed some tables for the centre section,in order to display sets and parts that areavailable for purchase. In addition, Hubert Hoglewill be selling off the late Manfred Hammer’scollection of Meccano and FischerTechnik.

We estimate that the rental cost will still be in theregion of $500.00. In order to keep costs down,however, we will not be renting the skirting thathas been supplied in previous years, and further-more members are asked to bring their ownchairs. This does mean that personal possessionscannot be conveniently tucked away behind theskirting, so everyone is asked to be just that littlebit more careful in making sure that nothing he/shehas brought subsequently “disappears.”

We have also received a very generous contribu-tion from the agents for Meccano in Canada(Borgfeldt Canada) through Merle Tubman, who

manages the sales and distribution of Meccano inthis country. To help us offset our costs, we havebeen given four sets as follows:

50 Model Set MSRP $180

Concorde MSRP $ 80

Super Construction Set MSRP $140

Interactive Robot MSRP $200

What the Executive has decided to do is offer thesefour sets as door prizes to those members whoparticipate in this year’s Show. Each exhibitor willreceive two tickets when they pay their $20.00participation fee. Anyone who so wishes can tryto increase their odds of winning by donatingadditional money in units of $10.00.



Gananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowGananoque ShowAugust 13-14, 2005August 13-14, 2005August 13-14, 2005August 13-14, 2005August 13-14, 2005

Don Redmond had a large assortment of windmills forthe audience to play with, as well as an assortmentof other medium sized models. Hubert had hismoebius strip and blocksetter (picking up and movingjelly beans) as well as a large assortment of mecha-nisms for the audience to play with. I had my Kepler’slaw model, ship’s coaler (from a 1951 #10 manual),pendulum clock (MP 79) and the Crazy Inventor’sclock (time machine?).

Leslie Roberts


Hubert workingHubert workingHubert workingHubert workingHubert workingon his craneon his craneon his craneon his craneon his crane


New Construction ToyNew Construction ToyNew Construction ToyNew Construction ToyNew Construction ToyExhibit Coming toExhibit Coming toExhibit Coming toExhibit Coming toExhibit Coming toCalifornia MuseumCalifornia MuseumCalifornia MuseumCalifornia MuseumCalifornia Museum

This is to announce CONSTRUCTION TOYS INMOTION, a new exhibit which will open at theMuseum of American Heritage in Palo Alto, Cali-fornia, U.S.A. on Oct. 7, 2005. This exhibit willpresent metal construction toys in new ways thatare educational and innovative. It will emphasizeunusual and interestingmodes of transport andtheir effects on society,using metal constructionsets as the media forillustrative models.Models will includetrains, boats, airshipsand other aircraft, auto-mobiles, trucks and fair-ground rides. Some ofthe models, including thefairground rides and alarge paddlewheel riverboat, will be operating.Several models are being custom built for thisexhibit, and some will be quite large.

While the exhibit will showcase metal construc-tion sets and models from A. C. Gilbert, Metalcraftand others from the U.S.A., sets and models fromMeccano, Marklin and others will be on display.The exhibit, curated by Charlie and Kim Pack, will

appeal to collectors and family members of allages. The exhibit will run from Oct. 7, 2005through Jan. 29, 2006. The Museum of AmericanHeritage is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundaysfrom 11 AM to 4 PM. Admission is free. TheMuseum of American Heritage is located at 351Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, California (on the SanFrancisco peninsula). There is easy access fromU.S. 101 or Interstate 280. More information canbe obtained from the Museum at (650) 321-1004,or at [email protected], or from Charlie Pack at

[email protected].

Please visit theMuseum’s profession-ally designed Web site atwww.moah.org. Clickon the EXHIBITS tab, thenclick on Archive (PastExhibits). Scroll downto Building Excitement:a Century of Construc-tion Toys. There you willsee the Museum’s firstconstruction toy exhibit

in 1998 (the upcoming exhibit in October 2005 willbe our second). We have “moah” fun here!

Charlie and Kim Pack are volunteers at theMuseum, which is an all-volunteer organizationexcept for a full-time paid Director and two part-time paid assistants. Admission is open to thepublic and is free.

Jerry DuBois inJerry DuBois inJerry DuBois inJerry DuBois inJerry DuBois inNew ZealandNew ZealandNew ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand

This is a previously unpublishedphotograph of the late JerryDuBois, when he visited the NewZealand Federation Of MeccanoModellers Convention held inWanganui in 1991.

He is seen inspecting the marvel-lous model of a Spitfire built byRobin Rye.


There are some conditions that will have to be metto be eligible to participate in the draw: (1) onlythose individuals who have participated in aminimum of one other show anywhere in Canadaprior to this Hobby Show can enter (2) althoughthere are four prizes, no-one can win more thanone (3) the holder of the first ticket drawn gets theright to chose his/her prize first, etc.

Any profits will go towards the cost of rentingtables and power at next year’s show.

As usual, the C. M. A. M. A. S. Annual GeneralMeeting will be held at “The Hobby Show.” Thepositions of President, Treasurer and Parts & SetsManager come up for re-election in odd-numberedyears, so if anyone has interest in running for officefor any of these positions, or wishes to nominateanyone to one or more of these positions, theyshould advise the Secretary, Frank Curry, either inwriting or by e-mail.

It has been suggested that we move the time of theAnnual Meeting to Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m.Since the business at the Annual Meeting hasusually lasted about 45 minutes, this will still giveeveryone ample time to get ready for the dinner.The number of visitors to the show usually dropsoff around 5 o’clock on Saturday, and will free upSunday afternoon, when there is usually a greatdeal more visitors.

Everyone is invited to join the group at “TheMandarin,” 200 Queen’s Plate Drive, Etobicoke onSaturday night for the Annual Dinner. This is thesame location as in 2004. The cost is again goingto be $30.00 per person, and the price this year willinclude tea and/or coffee (but not alcoholic or othernon-alcoholic beverages). Marsha, our Trea-surer, has asked everyone to notify her of allbookings at least a week before “The HobbyShow” from anyone planning to attend, along withthe number in each party. This is a requirementof the restaurant, that they be given at least sevendays notice. We cannot accept reservations at“The Hobby Show” itself this year (unless some-one fills a last-minute cancellation). Payment caneither be made in advance, by mailing a cheque toher at her home address, or by paying at “TheHobby Show.”

As usual, the hours for The Hobby Show are: noonto 9:00 p.m. on Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. onSaturday, and 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.With regard to the last day of the show, thestandard plea must be made to everyone who liveswithin a range of 180 miles of Toronto - please stayuntil the show closes. A significant number of ourexhibitors who are travelling from such places asCalifornia, Western Canada, and Quebec will, inmost cases, need to leave early, because of flighttimes, or distances to be driven, but for those of uswho are able to stay, please do so.

Colin Hoare

The Hobby Show Cont.


Jean Max Esteve -Jean Max Esteve -Jean Max Esteve -Jean Max Esteve -Jean Max Esteve -PhotosPhotosPhotosPhotosPhotos

These photos were taken at Jean Max Esteve’splace of business in Paris, France.

The pictures were taken by my brother DennisBobyn, who visited the shop while in Paris to pickup a few Meccano items for me. M. Esteve wasa gracious host and stopped his picture framingwork (his regular shop business) to spend an hourwith Dennis.

Jim Bobyn <[email protected]>


New MeccanoNew MeccanoNew MeccanoNew MeccanoNew MeccanoAeroplane Sets -Aeroplane Sets -Aeroplane Sets -Aeroplane Sets -Aeroplane Sets -

Concorde and SpitfireConcorde and SpitfireConcorde and SpitfireConcorde and SpitfireConcorde and SpitfireNikko Meccano recently has produced two realis-tic aeroplane models - a 25" long Concorde #0517and a 13" long Spitfire #0524. Initially each wassold exclusively by Marks and Spencer in Britainfor 35 pounds, but now the Concorde is availablefrom various dealers, including CMAMAS, and theSpitfire should follow soon. I purchased both ofthese single-model sets on a recent trip to England,constructed the models, and noted many usefulparts that will enhance my collection when Idismantle them.

The Concorde set includes 38 steel white strips,girders and flexible plates and 6 white cylinders#216A that form the fuselage. Two pairs of newmetal conical pieces #B663 and B678 provide thenose and tail. The engines are well represented by3 1/2" white angle girders with small black parts

and 4 orange plastic washers #38A atthe exhaust end. Decals are includedfor the tail and the cockpit window.The size of the window and the pres-ence of the landing gear imply that themodel is on the ground, but the straightlines of the nose are more like its raisedaerodynamic flight position that ob-scures much of the pilot’s visibility.

Like all Meccano models, improve-ments on the manual are possible. Thevertical tail fin is a little offset from thecentre line because the supportingangle brackets are bolted to holes inthe rearmost cylinder. Angus Plumbon the Spanner email network sug-gested the simple alternative of rotat-ing the end cylinder 180 degrees sothat the fin could be attached internallythrough the slot. (Since about 1998

Meccano has manufactured the cylinder with alongitudinal slot instead of a folded join.)

The Spitfire comes in camouflage colours of grayand military olive green. The complicated curvesin the fuselage are well reproduced by flexiblestrips and plates, including a new arc-shaped one4" x 1 1/2". In other models this part could be usedto make a smooth conical transition from a largecylinder to a smaller one, as in the rocket in the newMeccano Space Center #0521. The other new partintroduced in the Spitfire set is the propellerspinner, a metal cone 3/4" diam x 3/4" long that fitssnugly on a 3/8" rubber pulley #23C3P. Unfortu-nately there are no decals to represent the familiarRAF circle insignia on the wings and body.

However, both sets represent a welcome trendback to metal parts by Nikko in the primaryMeccano-Erector line, with only a minimal use ofplastic components.

Don Morton


Hamilton Museum ofHamilton Museum ofHamilton Museum ofHamilton Museum ofHamilton Museum ofSteam and TechnologySteam and TechnologySteam and TechnologySteam and TechnologySteam and Technology

July 23rd-24th, 2005July 23rd-24th, 2005July 23rd-24th, 2005July 23rd-24th, 2005July 23rd-24th, 2005These photos are from Marsha Brandston.

The officer is Steve Ellis . . . He was conductingradar ands a f e t ychecks allday justadjacentto our lo-cation . . .


Town and CountryTown and CountryTown and CountryTown and CountryTown and CountryFestival at StoneleighFestival at StoneleighFestival at StoneleighFestival at StoneleighFestival at Stoneleigh

For many years, I have adhered to the opinion that,if one is visiting England and wants to attend areally good Meccano show, then SkegEx is top ofthe list. Following my visit to England this year,however, I have come to a new conclusionthat, assuming you have the time, there is analternative - one that, in many ways, isequally attractive. For anyone visiting GreatBritain in late August and early September,there is the opportunity to see two shows onconsecutive weekends - the MidlandsMeccano Guild display at the StoneleighNational Agricultural Centre in Warwickshire,followed by the Henley gathering a weeklater. Because of time constraints on thisparticular trip, the second part could not befulfilled, although I have been able to attendan earlier show in Henley, but getting to bepresent at the two shows would make for aterrific combination.

The Town and Country Festival at Stoneleighis held over the three-day August holidayweekend in Britain, which is the last weekendin August, whereas it is the first in Canada.This is an immense display by countlessdifferent rural and urban interests. There areagility contests for dogs - notably BorderCollies -plus lots of show jumping (needlessto say, I lost my other half to these events). On topof that, there is possibly the largest assembly ofTraction Engines and farming equipment to beseen in one place! Ideas for models galore in thissection!

There are two separate areas where Meccano isfeatured: one is in the Imagineering Pavilion,which, as its name implies, is a place where

attendees (in this case, the youngsters) get theopportunity to see and to get hands-on experienceof many attractions. Here, there is a Meccanobooth, which is run by three people, MichaelDenny (the highly-amusing writer whose manyarticles have appeared in “Constructor Quarterly”)and the husband and wife team of Rob and WendyMiller. This trio work tirelessly to encourage

youngsters to have a go at building Meccanomodels, and are supplied with seemingly limitlessparts (albeit only the inexpensive ones). At the endof the day, all the models that the children havebuilt are displayed on a table, and a panel of threejudges adjudicates them all, and the winnersdeclared. Two of the judges this year wereMichael Denny and Sir Trevor Baylis, the inventor

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of the clockwork radio. A third judge is usually a‘guest,’ and I was invited to undertake the task onthis day, but sadly had to decline as my wife andI were scheduled to join friends before the actualjudging took place.

The main Meccano display was in a secondlocation, in a large marquee adjacent to theImagineering Pavilion, where several hobbies wereopen to view. As always, the Meccano areaoccupied a significant area. It was dominated bythe models that the father and son team of Mikeand John Moulden, whose modelbuilding skillsare well known for the sheer size and complexityof their models. As a measure of their dedicationto the promotion of the hobby, they mentioned thattheir models require three hours both to set up andto take down. John’s mainmodel was the Euro-StarFerris Wheel. The giant wheelis fully transportable on threetrailers that bolt together, sideby side, to form the base. Theouter trailers are the ‘A’frames, which fold down,and the centre trailer holdsthe wheel section. The wheelis friction driven, on the rearouter rim. There are 24 seat-ing modules, each of whichcan hold four passengers.The wheel is seven feet indiameter, with the entirestructure being eight feet six

inches high.

Michael Moulden’s model is also based ona European fairground ride called Top Buzz,which is manufactured by the Dutch firmMondial. The one main arm has six gon-dolas on the end, and this is balanced by acounterweight. The model folds down intotwo trailers. An interesting feature is thefloor of the model, where Triangular Flex-ible Plates of different colours reproduce thedesign of the prototype. In addition, Michaelhad a Scammell Tractor Unit, in which anelectric motor drives a sixteen-speed gear-box. There is a double drive bogie, anddifferential locks on the axles. The cap tipsforward, as in the prototype, and the gear-ing can easily be seen.

Ken Wright has been a fan of the Welshnarrow gauge railway system Tal-y-Llynfor more years that he cares to remember.So much so, that he has now recreated the

entire collection of locomotives that the railwayline uses in Meccano - and all in pristine red andgreen. He also has a collection of large-gaugemodel railway track, which enables him to have acontinuously running display. To complete mat-ters, Ken has also built a Double-Fairley locomo-tive, plus several items of rolling stock. All in all,a marvelous sight.

Nick Rodgers, the inspiration behind theRunnymede Meccano Guild, brought along twomodels. One was the Konkoly Model No. 9, themotorcycle and sidecar, and the other “which Ibuilt the night before I came up,” he told me, wasthat of a Dump Truck, along the lines of the one thatPhilip Webb had designed.

One modeler, whose presence could only be seen

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by his models, was Terry Pettitt. Terry has visitedCanada, as his daughter lives in Guelph, and I havehad the pleasure of meeting him on this side of theAtlantic. Regrettably, he could not meet me on theday that I was at Stoneleigh, as he had familycommitments, but there were three of his modelson display, these being the Meccanograph that hehad originally described in the Midlands MeccanoGuild Gazette over 20 years ago, as well as atractor and a sports car.

Besides Terry’s display was one by Sid Beckett.Sid will be remembered for his ability to createunusual models with Meccano, notably a saxo-phone. His skill in bending Flexible Plates weremanifest this time with a submarine made out ofMeccano (all in yellow Flexible Parts). In addition,he had modeled “The Countryman” Traction En-gine, which he has brought to Stoneleigh for thepast 22 years. He has strengthened it so that it cannow pull young children seated on a small trailerattached to the towing bar. Sid, being a Welsh-man, proudly mentions that the coal in the bunkeris Welsh coal. In addition, the model is painted inthe colours of the prototype - Sid knows the owner,and has been supplied with the paint by him! Overthe years, the wear and tear on the model hasresulted in the need to replace the tyres once andthe motor twice - but the Meccano is still theoriginal!

I have George Illingworth, the President of theMidlands Meccano Guild, to thank for arrangingpasses for me to the show. This was the first timeGeorge and I had met, and he was as welcomingas so many other U. K. Meccanomen have beenover the years. George is renowned in the Meccano

world for his successful con-struction of all forty-nine fireengines that have been de-scribed in the Meccano lit-erature. George only broughtfourteen this time (but hesaid he was planning on tak-ing all of them to the HenleyGathering the followingweek). In addition, he hadbuilt the one model that hada Canadian connection, thisbeing a very realistic modelof HMS Camponula, a K18Flower Class Corvette. Thelink to this country is that theone surviving Corvette in theworld is to be found in theMaritimes, this being HMCSSackville. It is an ambition of

George to come and see the prototype one day.George also had a Mercedes Benz 600 Pullmanmodel in its early stages, plus Chris Shute’s ForthBridge model.

Another enthusiast that I had not met before wasRoy Whitehouse. There is no equal to Roy whenit comes to restoring Meccano to its original blueand gold colours - all his models shone! Not onlydoes he stay with the 1930’s with his Meccano,but also the models themselves come from thesame era - there were no less than four Supermodelson display, these being the Steam Shovel (drivenby a 1930’s original Meccano Steam Engine), aGiant Dragline, a Traction Engine and a SteamExcavator. To use the current terminology - thiswas (Meccano) eye candy.

The Servetti Automatic Factory is a challengingmodel to construct, and there was a version of it,partially built, by Paul Hubbard, who is someonereturning to the hobby.

Finally, the Sleafords, John & Joyce had theirusual display of smaller models. This featured noless than three of the new Spitfires built from thekit that had recently been released in the U. K. Twoof them were mounted on a revolving platform toshow them to maximum advantage.

Based on what I saw at Stoneleigh, I can heartilyrecommend it as an alternate to SkegEx, depend-ing on the time that you visit Britain. The addedadvantage is that one can, time permitting, also goto the Henley Gathering the following weekend!

Colin Hoare

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Photos: Shown are pictures of the prizewinnersmodels from the Imagineering Pavilion, plus theworkers dismantling the models before the arrivalof the kids for the next day of the exhibition.Photograph credit is to Rob Thompson.

Winners were as follows:

1. A 4x4 Terrain Vehicle by Samuel & Aaron (aged13 & 11 respectively)

2. Hovercraft & Water Skier by Jack Merchant(aged 14)

3. Bicycle by Emma Johnson (aged 9)

4. Crocodile by Will-iam (aged 11)

5. Scorpion by TimThomas (aged 12)

6. Whale by JamesWood (aged 9)

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7. At the end of each evening, Sat, Sun & Mon, agroup of volunteers, were forced, sorry encour-aged to dismantle the Non-prize winning models.L to R facing, Joyce Sleaford, Rob Miller & KenWright - L to R backs to camera: George (FireEngine) Illingworth, Wendy Miller & RoyWhitehouse.

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Mutilators CornerMutilators CornerMutilators CornerMutilators CornerMutilators CornerFollowing up on an article by Don Redmond in TheCanadian Meccanoman’s Newsletter of March1993, here is an interesting mutilation proposalfrom an Ottawa member of Canadian Meccanotes.

Many of the ideas for alteration of parts concernchanges brought about to existing pieces or theconversion of scrap bosses into collars. Thecutting and shaping of the resulting new partsoften produce some very useful additions to thesystem.

The idea to be described came from M. CharlesShrubsole and was first seen in his model of a levelluffing crane with automatic counterweight com-pensation that was shown at the Nepean Sportplexin the spring of 2003. Close examination of thecrane in question revealed the use of some nonstandard flanged brack-ets from a small series ofnew parts developed byM. Shrubsole. Charlieconfirmed that these spe-cial parts were all cutfrom a regular #52 flangedplate.

Charlie planned to get fournew parts from a #52flanged plate (the one with4 flanges). Each flangedplate will yield seven partstotal: 2 large flangedbrackets, 2 small flangedbrackets, 2 angle brack-ets and one flanged plate5 holes each way, (seeGraph. 1 and photos).According to Charlie, the original purpose of thisproject was to get the large flanged brackets, theother parts being by-products, but they haveturned out to be the most useful.

The two large flanged brackets measure 1 1/2" x1 1/2", the two angle brackets have a full width of1/2" whereas the two small flanged brackets areslightly reduced in size to allow for the sawcut.Charlie has planned elongated holes in the brack-ets to increase versatility. The 5 x 5 hole flangedplate is more of an offcut but can be quite useful.

In further discussion with Charlie on the sizes forhis proposed parts, he suggests: Large flangedbracket: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" maximum but can be slightlynarrower both ways. Small flanged bracket: 31/32" x 31/32" Angle bracket: should be 1/2" widewith hole/slot centered in the 1/2" width 5 x 5 hole

flanged plate: 2 1/2" maximum width, 2 3/8"minimum width, depending on what the cutting ofthe parts will yield. Graph. 1 indicates the sizes,the placement of slots and the cutting layout. Notethat Graph. 1 is serving double duty with Graph.6 being superimposed on the center part.

Concerning the angle brackets, the ones shown inthe photo and in Graph. 1 represent the original“maximum length” version with the slot spanningthe two inner holes. Charlie suggests two shorterversions which might be stronger and more con-venient in model assembly, see Graph. 2.

The idea of adding a slot to the angle bracket isto increase versatility but more specifically toenable the mounting of a perforated strip or otheredge-on part over the centre of a line of holes in aplate (Graph. 2). The slot is made just long enough

to reach the next row of holes to permit bolting ofthe angle bracket.

The round hole in the longer version is not usefulfor this application, however, the spacing betweenthis outer hole and the inner end of the slot doesrespect the 1/2" standard and can thus be helpfulelsewhere.

Graph. 3 shows a way of using the smaller flangedbracket to erect a 4 x 4 hole tower. Braced girdersare assumed in Graph. 3 for the tower elevation butassembly could also be done with 2" perforatedstrips; there are many possibilities.

The large flanged bracket was originally intendedfor mounting the corners of a square tower on four#52 flanged plates at a 45° angle. Graph. 6 showshow this can be done but M. Shrubsole decided to


go a different route for his level luffing crane.

However the large bracket is dandy for neatconstruction of 7 x 7 hole or 13 x 13 hole towersas it permits girder assembly without overlap andenables very effective bracing using common 11hole strips, see Graph. 4 and Graph. 5. The smallflanged bracket can be used in much the sameway.

It is best to have a fewmore brackets and gird-ers than required in orderto select the ones that fitbest. Because of varia-tions in the size of brack-ets and in the right anglefold of girders, the fit cansometimes be tight. Toease assembly, Charliesuggests elongating theholes in the flanges of thecorner brackets. Thislengthening should be atright angles to and to-wards the flat surface ofthe bracket, similar to theholes in the flanges of astandard part #51. A 5/32" chainsaw file could dothis nicely.

Getting back to the subjectof the size of parts, smalldeviations from the halfinch standard do notpresent compatibilityproblems, in fact standardMeccano parts do not all rigorously comply to thehalf inch measure. Printed parts lists and Meccanoliterature all indicate nominal size but actual partsvary somewhat in length, width or both.

These variations are not due to shoddy manufac-turing (although sometimes ...) , rather more likelyto compensate for metal thickness and to increaseflexibility in assemblies. Here are some examples:

All perforated strips, girders and flat girders areapproximately 1/32" short. Trunnions #126 and#126a are 1/32" less in width, the large cornerbracket #133 is 1/32" short in both dimensions, thechannel bearing #160 and girder bracket #161 areboth 1/32" short in length. Flanged plates presentthe greatest differences:

#51 - 2 7/16" x 1 7/16" with a flange

narrowing to 1 11/32" in length

#52 - 5 9/16" x 2 9/16"

#53 - from 3 17/32" to 3 9/16" x 2 15/32"

If Meccano engineers thought it useful to deviatewhen necessary from the half inch standard, whynot M. Shrubsole! In actual model building it isoften easier to insert the smaller or narrower partsin an assembly.

Hand cutting the parts with a hacksaw can be abit tedious especially ifmultiple quantities are re-quired, therefore BernardChampoux with his fullyequipped machine shop setup his milling machine andcut up ten #52 flanged platesquite quickly in a trial run.This trial run was more ofa test for cutting the partsthan for achieving correctsizes.

Technically he used a finetoothed slitting cutter 10mil thick. This taper ground,no set cutter was supportedup to 1/8" from the teeth byflat disks mounted on eachside to prevent blade dis-tortion.

Each #52 flanged plate wasfixed to a block of woodand held in place by 16screws to prevent partsfrom shifting about whilebeing cut. This assemblywas then secured to thebed of the milling machine

for cutting operations.

A 10 mil slitting cutter would likely produce slightlyoversize parts, however by selecting an appropri-ate cutter, parts could be produced quickly withvery little cleanup. For the slotted holes, Bernardmade a reamer to the Meccano hole diameter andmounted the tool in a vertical milling machine.

Very nice work, congratulations to CharlieShrubsole for coming up with this idea andBernard Champoux for devising an efficient methodof production. Please note that a slightly abridgedversion of this article was presented in the July2005 issue of Meccano Québec.

Larry Yates

See page 28 for full sized illustrations.


Smiths Falls ShowSmiths Falls ShowSmiths Falls ShowSmiths Falls ShowSmiths Falls ShowLarry Yates, Normand St. Aubin, BobMelbourne, Charles Shrubsole, GlynnBates, Don Redmond and Hubert Hogleattended the RailFest show at the SmithsFalls Railway Museum on August 27-28 and filled five tables with models.Smiths Falls is a railway town betweenOttawa and Kingston on the historicRideau Canal. The museum is in therestored Canadian Northern railwaystation built in 1914 and is surroundedby a steam locomotive, a working die-sel switcher and several pieces of roll-ing stock. Parts of the show werelocated in the cabooses on site. Theshow had live entertainment. TheMeccanomen were located on the plat-form.

Glynn Bates came all the way fromHamilton with a couple of ship models,a WW1 machine gun and some modelsfrom the current catalogue. DonRedmond brought a newly rebuilt EiffelTower in nickel. Larry Yates had aMeccano model of a whimsical Marklinlocomotive. Hubert Hogle’s blocksettermoved jelly beans around, spilling a

few now and then on the station platform. BobMelbourne brought an interesting collection of1920s Meccano in original boxes.

Hubert Hogle


Rolling BridgeRolling BridgeRolling BridgeRolling BridgeRolling BridgeI finished this model about threeyears ago. It is a rolling bridge, thebasis for which is from the 1950’sinstruction booklet 5A, but I modifiedthe design. The booklet is red withthe blocksetting crane on the front.On my model I made two opposingspans and changed the counter-weight system to a swing arm in-stead of the vertical up and down forthe weights. I used the metal back-ing from automotive disc brake padsas I have plenty available since I runmy own automotive mobile repairbusiness. As seen in the picture Ialso lengthened the span and de-signed a track for a train to run on.To lift the span I used a 110 voltmotor with a geared forward andreversing mechanism. The span waslifted by using a cord and pulleysystem attached to the bridge andcounterweights. Each span couldbe run individually or simultaneouslyfrom the control box on the one sideof the bridge.

On top of each counterweight wasa flashing red light and as each spanwould raise a red light at the endwould start flashing. To accom-plish this I attached to each counter-weight an old style mercury switchfrom a furnace control unit. Whenthe counterweight moved enough the mercurywould move and make the connection causing thelights to flash.

When I built this model the longest piece I had wasangle girder #8-12.5 inches, and strip #1-12.5inches. Needles to say I used a lot of fishplates and

short strips to join everything together. As can beseen in the picture, it took up quite a large area; itwas set up in a neighbours drive way for a fewhours.

Glen Baker


CyclistCyclistCyclistCyclistCyclistWhen I started to build this model I thought, “Howcould it be made to be more interesting to watchand also be a little more challenging to build”.When looking at what I had available, I didn’t havepart #167 but, I did have two circular strips. I alsowanted to somehow make use of my new gear#27B.

As can be seen, the base and motor setup aresimilar, but gear #27B is stationary. Behind are2, 27D gears bolted together which are free torotate on the same axle which holds gear 27B. Thefront 27D gear ;meshes with gear 27C. Gear 27Cis then held by 2-3 inch strips on either side of gear27B. An axle in the 2nd hole from the end carriesgear 27C and in-between the strips in mesh withgear 27B a 19 tooth gear. In the end hole of thestrips is a bolt a nuts to keep the strips parallel, asthey rotate around gear 27B. Having a collar onthe centre axle is also helpful with alignment.

The rear 27D gear meshes with a 19 tooth gear,axled to a 19 tooth gear, which meshes withanother 19 tooth gear axled to the multi-purposegear. The multi-purpose gears and axles are offsetone hole thus allowing gear 27B to be centred.

The counterbalance system holding the secondring has to be small enough to allow for clearancewhen the rotating arm is at the top of its travel. Thesize of the cyclist also had to be downsized to fitin the ring.

Glen Baker


BC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubMeeting and ChangesMeeting and ChangesMeeting and ChangesMeeting and ChangesMeeting and Changesto BC Meccano Clubto BC Meccano Clubto BC Meccano Clubto BC Meccano Clubto BC Meccano Club

On June 5, 2005 a BCMC club meeting was heldat Reg Partidge’s place. Many changes to the clubwere brought up and finalized amongst the mem-bers present. Many members not present wereadvised of the changes and they all agree. The nextmeeting will be held at Fred Bird’s place in midSept 2005. Finalized date will follow soon.

Linda and I visited with David Williams, in earlyMay. We drove from Vancouver up throughhighway 5 and through Jasper over to Edmonton.We stayed a few days. We visited with David,bought Meccano at the West Edmonton Mall,went to Drumheller, Calgary, Banff, Lake Louiseand took the Highway 3 southern route to home(Burnaby BC), a great trip. Meccano is very scarceand expensive in the Vancouver area. Meccanowas quite plentiful in Alberta and also in Washing-ton State, where I found some more sets.

The BC Meccano Club should have a much morebrighter and active future now that the memberswill be much more motivated to either host or findmore venues for our club activites such as shows,etc..

Samuel Chow <[email protected]>


Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd.Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd.Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd.Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd.Borgfeldt (Canada) Ltd.


Model Plans and CanadianModel Plans and CanadianModel Plans and CanadianModel Plans and CanadianModel Plans and CanadianMeccaNotes Back IssuesMeccaNotes Back IssuesMeccaNotes Back IssuesMeccaNotes Back IssuesMeccaNotes Back Issues

Can be obtained from:

o Colin Hoare (address on page 2), via MoneyOrder or Cheque.

o outside North America: MW Mailorder(address below) sells Canadian Model Plans.

MW Mail OrderMail Order: PO Box 38696, LONDON W138WD, UK, phone +44 20 8810 8719,http://www.meccanomailorder.co.uk,[email protected] cards are accepted!

MECCANO & ERECTORMECCANO & ERECTORMECCANO & ERECTORMECCANO & ERECTORMECCANO & ERECTORParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & Literature

Old, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, Restored

Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)

New Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/Prices

*** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ***

Remote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control Units

with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00

ALSOALSOALSOALSOALSO

Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00

(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)

Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;

Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.

LOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLI

19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.

Cornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-Hudson

N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.

(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

http://www.memeshadow.net/cmamas/http://www.memeshadow.net/cmamas/http://www.memeshadow.net/cmamas/http://www.memeshadow.net/cmamas/http://www.memeshadow.net/cmamas/meccano/Lou_Boselli/meccano/Lou_Boselli/meccano/Lou_Boselli/meccano/Lou_Boselli/meccano/Lou_Boselli/

The PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerWANTED: 2 Richards Cardan UniversalSlide Joint. Bob Klick, 2602 BlackburnRd. S., Prince George, BC, V2N 6C1,250-963-8570.

FOR SALE: Meccano collection for sale:featuring complete Outfit No. 10 in blue/zinc/UK yellow (no cabinet.) Also in-cludes a good selection of motors andother complete boxed French and En-glish sets, thousands of loose parts (many un-used), and a number of obsolete prewar pieces.Detailed inventory of this collection is availableupon request. Items not available for separate sale

- only as a complete lot. Thecollection is located in Regina.Serious inquiries only, please.Phone: Kevin Karasin @ 306-586-6419; email:[email protected]

FOR SALE: 1991 FrenchMeccano #10 set. U.S. Ex-port version -has “Erector”logo on top drawer. 5-drawercabinet, 3100 parts, all manu-

als. Condition: unused in original carton. Price:$3500 U.S. firm. Will not ship - must be pickedup. Lou Boselli, 19 Payson Rd., Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY 12520 USA, 845-534-2863 or [email protected]

FOR SALE: Meccano parts: yellow/blue, Red/green, gears, motors and windups, manuals andcomplete sets l973 vintage, sets 3 to 6. Send forprice lists or your wants. Earl Pitts, 26 Dyer Court,Cambridge, ON N3C 4B8. (519) 658-2086 or e-mail [email protected]

Canadian MeccaNotes 200509 · Ontario 2005. The photographer’s name is Christina Gapic. converted...

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Transcript of Canadian MeccaNotes 200509 · Ontario 2005. The photographer’s name is Christina Gapic. converted...