Meccano
The invention that started the cogs turning…
Frank Hornby’s original patent to self assemble a Railway Crane out of infinitely interchangeable parts.
Here’s a link to a short YouTube video presented by James May which includes a visit to Jim Gamble’s amazing loft room. Jim is a Trustee of Maghull’s Frank Hornby Heritage Centre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDhPaCKn8ew
A Meccano-built traveling crane as seen in 2022 at Rainhill Model Railway Show on Merseyside
A stunning large-scale Princess Elizabeth locomotive built from Meccano. It was on display at an exhibition held at Christ Church, Waterloo, Liverpool in 2022.
Here’s a link to the North West Meccano Guild - North West Meccano Guild
A basic Plastic Meccano set
At its inception, the invention was not referred to as Meccano, but was named “Mechanics Made Easy”, the intention was to educate children by the means of a toy which very closely modelled the world in which they lived.
In Frank Hornby’s own words:
“One Christmas Eve I was travelling from London to Birmingham to spend the holiday with a relative who had some children. I had been wandering on the way there what I could do to amuse them. The train stopped and I looked out of the window quite idly. We were opposite a goods yard and there was a small crane there. It occurred to me that I could make a crane like that for the children using strips of steel. I sat in the carriage dreaming about it. New possibilities kept coming; I saw what this new game could mean. I was drunk with delight when I got out of the train. Meccano started in my workshop.”
A Meccano truck on display at the FHHC. It was built by Meccano expert Jim Gamble
A more modern Meccano Motorised Set No.6 on display at the FHHC in Maghull.
2 great examples of model steam locos built from Meccano on display at Christ Church, Waterloo, Liverpool in 2022
Plastic Meccano for younger children was produced from 1965.
This simple crane model is on display at the Frank Hornby Heritage Centre in Maghull having been generously donated to us via the North West Meccano Guild.