My Christmas List - 1970 - Mamod Steam Engine & Meccano

[broxie]

Just found my Christmas wish list in my diary for 1970. "Mamod Steam Engine and a Meccano set".

My wish was granted. Hard to believe that was 50 years ago!

[Anygreg]

Those steam engines were incredible. I’d totally forgotten about them. Nice story

[wotsthecrack]

Great memory, bet it takes you straight back! I've still got a Mamod steam engine, it gets an airing quite regularly. Great fun just sitting watching it work

[GraniteQuarry]

Blowing the whistle to release the pressure, then back in the box until next time. Magic!

[walkerwek1958]

Never got into Mamod steam engines but I had a large Meccano set, number 6 if I remember rightly. An excellent educational toy that helps develop dexterity. I learned at an early age that a screwdriver slipping and going up your nail hurts.

Meccano also taught you to think. First task was to gather all the parts using the parts list for the model being built. The exploded diagrams showed the detailed assembly but as I remember the order of assembly had to be worked out and that was the hard bit.

Does anyone remember the Baco building kits? Metal rods and bakelite bricks allowed the lucky kid to build houses, I think mine was handed down from an older cousin so it probably dated from the late 50s/ early 60s.

Happy days!

[monogroover]

I believe mine arrived in 1974, and I've still got it. It last had a run out in the '90s.

[ptcoll]

I still have my Mamod traction engine from about the same era.

Pete

[Plug]

I too have a Mamod Traction Engine, it probably hasn't been fired since the 1970s so that's the way it's staying. In the days before health and safety, when it was considered perfectly reasonable to give an 8 year old burning methylated spirits to play with :)

I also had Meccano, which I'm blaming on the fact that I grew up to be an engineer!

Cheers,

Plug

[David_D]

£144 but still available for those who had a deprived childhood!!

https://www.mamod.co.uk/shop-categor...ion-engine-kit

Children, methylated spirits and a naked flame. What could possibly go wrong?!

[greasemonkey]

still got mine from the same era.i soon found out that meths removes french polish from furniture just fine..bought another from a boot sale while back and gave it to one of my sons boys but converted it to the solid fuel first.

[higham5]

I too have a Mamod Traction Engine, it probably hasn't been fired since the 1970s so that's the way it's staying. In the days before health and safety, when it was considered perfectly reasonable to give an 8 year old burning methylated spirits to play with :)

I also had Meccano, which I'm blaming on the fact that I grew up to be an engineer!

Cheers,

Plug

Burning Methalated Spirits
A pressure vessel probably running about 1 1/2 to 2 bar
Superheated water

What could possibly go wrong , I had one and survived , but the potential litigation today must be fierce.

[swisstony]

Does anyone remember the Baco building kits? Metal rods and bakelite bricks allowed the lucky kid to build houses, I think mine was handed down from an older cousin so it probably dated from the late 50s/ early 60s.

Oh yes. Brought back a completely forgotten memory!
Too late to order for xmas 2020 - https://www.baykoshop.com/id5.html

Swisstony

[redmonaco]

still got mine from the same era.i soon found out that meths removes french polish from furniture just fine..bought another from a boot sale while back and gave it to one of my sons boys but converted it to the solid fuel first.

I discovered that Meths doesn't taste very nice...

[spud767]

Yeah but it smells lovely, I used to put sand in the back of mine. I remember the steel belts cost a fortune and they stretched when you made it carry sand. :-)

[JohnnyE]

I have a static engine and the workshop. Both in a box in the shed and hasn't run in decades!

Must get it out and see what state it's in.

[Scepticalist]

Wow, if I knew they'd go up by that much in price I might have kept my old one and tried to refurb it!