Vintage British Meccano sets and completed models

For those boys who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, a Meccano set was the equivalent to today's Xbox or Nintendo.

Meccano Ltd was invented by Frank Hornby, a young clerk who worked for a meat importing company in Liverpool, after his idea in 1901 of a new toy - 'Mechanics Made Easy'. This very quickly became known as Meccano, and was soon on sale across the world.

'The Meccano Magazine' - a monthly newsletter - was introduced in 1916 and contained articles of interest to budding engineers. It included new plans for models which could be assembled with Meccano, often requiring the purchase of additional parts or a larger outfit.

At its peak The Meccano Magazine enjoyed a circulation of 50,000 and was published until 1980. Apart from development of new and modified components, Meccano underwent colour changes on many occasions - some of which reflected the mood of the more... time.

For example in 1936 it was produced in royal blue with gold cross-hatching to mark the coronation of King George VI following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII; in 1939 with he impending World War, Meccano was produced in matt green similar to the colour of military vehicles then in common use.

By the end of the 1930's Meccano was being produced under license in France, Germany, Spain, and the USA.

The advent of television and then later, computers, made a serious dent in the popularity of Meccano (and many other practical hobbies) and Meccano ceased production at its Liverpool factory in 1979. The French producer of Meccano bought the worldwide rights, stepped up production and relaunched the company as Meccano SA.

Meccano is currently enjoying a worldwide resurgence of interest due, paradoxically, in large part to the computer and the internet. An internet search on the keyword 'Meccano' reveals a large number of web sites dedicated to the hobby and Meccano clubs are still found in many countries. less...