Meccano is a model construction kit comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It is a versatile constructional medium enabling the building of a variety of working models and mechanical devices. A scale model of the Tower of London. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily loses electrons to form positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds between metal atoms. ... Structural steel is steel construction material, a profile, formed with a specific shape or cross section and certain standards of chemical composition and strength. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... The force bearing on the axle has an eccentricity e with the point of contact to the rolling surface and exerts a moment about the contact point. ... Spur gears found on a piece of farm equipment A gear is a wheel with teeth around its circumference, the purpose of the teeth being to mesh with similar teeth on another mechanical device -- possibly another gear wheel -- so that force can be transmitted between the two devices in a... A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. ... Screws come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different purposes. ...

Meccano was invented in 1901 in England by Frank Hornby and manufactured by the British company, Meccano Ltd, between 1908 and 1980. Currently it is manufactured in France and China. 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 — 21 September 1936) invented Meccano around 1901, established Hornby Model Railways in 1920 and launched Dinky Toys in early 1934. ... Meccano is model construction material: metal strips of various shapes, sizes and colours, perforated with equidistant holes at a standard half-inch (12. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Meccano logo, created by Meccano Ltd.

Image File history File links Meccano_logo_(large). ... Image File history File links Meccano_logo_(large). ... Meccano is model construction material: metal strips of various shapes, sizes and colours, perforated with equidistant holes at a standard half-inch (12. ...

History

See Frank Hornby for early Meccano history.

Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 — 21 September 1936) invented Meccano around 1901, established Hornby Model Railways in 1920 and launched Dinky Toys in early 1934. ...

The first Meccano sets

In 1901 Frank Hornby, a clerk from Liverpool, England, invented and patented a new toy called "Mechanics Made Easy" that was based on the principles of mechanical engineering.^[1] It was a model construction kit consisting of perforated metal strips, plates and girders, with wheels, pulleys, gears and axles for mechanisms and motion, and nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. The perforations were at a standard ½ inch (12.7 mm) spacing, the axles were 8-gauge, and the nuts and bolts used ⁵/₃₂ inch BSW threads. The only tools required to assemble models were a screwdriver and spanners (wrenches). It was more than just a toy, it was educational, teaching basic mechanical principles like levers and gearing. 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 — 21 September 1936) invented Meccano around 1901, established Hornby Model Railways in 1920 and launched Dinky Toys in early 1934. ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area  - Borough & City 43. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a patentee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an invention. ... Mechanical engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre or meter is a measure of length. ... Wire gauge is a measurement of how large a wire is, either in diameter or cross-sectional area. ... British Standard Whitworth (BSW) is one of three imperial unit based screw thread standards which use the same bolt heads and nut hexagonal sizes, the other two being British Standard Fine (BSF) and Cycle Engineers Institute (CEI). ... A basic screwdriver (slotted tip shown) The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ... Combination wrench, or combination spanner (left: box-end/ring, right: open-end) A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide a mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn bolts, nuts or other hard-to-turn items. ... Levers can be used to exert a large force over a small distance at one end by exerting only a small force over a greater distance at the other. ... Spur gears found on a piece of farm equipment A gear is a wheel with teeth around its circumference, the purpose of the teeth being to mesh with similar teeth on another mechanical device -- possibly another gear wheel -- so that force can be transmitted between the two devices in a...

The parts for Hornby's new construction kit were initially supplied by outside manufacturers, but as demand began to exceed supply, Hornby setup his own factory in Duke Street, Liverpool. As the construction kits gained in popularity they soon became known as Meccano and went on sale across the world. In September 1907, Hornby registered the Meccano trade mark, and in May 1908, he formed Meccano Ltd. To keep pace with demand, a new Meccano factory was built in Binns Road, Liverpool in 1914, which became Meccano Ltd's headquarters for the next 60 years. Hornby also established Meccano factories in France, Spain and Argentina. The word "Meccano" was thought to have been derived from the phrase "Make and Know".^[2] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other senses of this word, see Trademark (disambiguation). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Meccano is model construction material: metal strips of various shapes, sizes and colours, perforated with equidistant holes at a standard half-inch (12. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The first construction sets had parts that were rather crudely made: the metal strips and plates had a tinplate finish, were not rounded at the ends and were not very sturdy. But manufacturing methods were improving all the time and by 1907 the quality and appearance had improved considerably: the metal strips were now made of thicker steel with rounded ends and were nickel-plated, while the wheels and gears were machined from brass. Tinplate is sheet steel covered with a thin layer of tin. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The steel cable of a colliery winding tower. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... For other uses, see Brass (disambiguation). ...

The first sets under the new Meccano name were numbered 1 to 6. In 1922 the No. 7 Meccano Outfit was introduced, which was the largest set of its day, and the most sought after because of its model building capabilities and prestige. Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...

In 1926, to mark the 25th anniversary of his patent, Hornby introduced "Meccano in Colours" with the familiar red and green coloured Meccano pieces. Initially plates were a light red and items like the braced girders were a pea-green. However, the following year strips and girders were painted dark green, the plates Burgundy red, while the wheels and gears remained brass. In 1934 the Meccano pieces changed colour again: the strips and girders became gold while the plates were changed to blue with gold criss-cross lines on them. This new colour scheme was only available in Great Britain until the end of the Second World War in 1945. The old red and green sets were still produced for the export market and were re-introduced in Great Britain after the war. Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ... Mossy, green fountain in Wattens, Austria. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gold is a shade of the color yellow closest to that of gold metal. ... YOU SUCK!!!!! ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Meccano's heyday

Instruction book for the 1956 Meccano No. 7 and 8 Outfits, showing a model of a walking drag line excavator built with the familiar red and green Meccano pieces of the time.

In 1934 the nine basic Meccano outfits (numbered 00 to 7) were replaced by eleven outfits, labelled 0, A to H, K and L, the old No. 7 Outfit becoming the L Outfit. This L Outfit is often regarded as the best of the largest Meccano outfits. In 1937 the alphabetical outfit series was replaced by a numeric series, 0 to 10, the L Outfit being replaced by the smaller No. 10 Outfit. Although reduced in size from the L Outfit, the No. 10 Outfit became Meccano's flagship set and remained relatively unchanged until it was discontinued a half-century later in 1992. Accessory sets were retained, numbered 1A to 9A, that converted a set to the next in the series (for example, accessory set 6A would convert a No. 6 set to a No. 7 set). As had been the case from early days, Meccano Ltd would also supply individual Meccano parts to complement existing sets. Image File history File links Meccano_No7_Instructions_(front). ... Image File history File links Meccano_No7_Instructions_(front). ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Huge Manitowok 4600 Heavy lift Dragline at the SNS Project, 2005. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

World War II interrupted the production of Meccano in England when the Binns Road factory converted to manufacturing for the war effort. The Korean War in 1950 also disrupted production due to a metal shortage and it was not until the mid-1950s that Meccano production returned to normal with new parts being added to all the sets. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In military affairs, the war effort refers to the harnessing of economic and human resources towards support of a military force. ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

Takeovers

In the early 1960s Meccano Ltd began experiencing financial problems and was purchased by Lines Bros Ltd (Tri-ang) in 1964. In an attempt to redefine Meccano's image, the colour scheme was changed again, this time to yellow and black plates, with silver strips and girders. The silver was soon replaced by zinc in 1967 when it was found that the silver pieces marked easily. The colours of yellow and black were chosen because they were the colours typically used by most large construction vehicles of the day. In 1970 electronic parts were introduced for the first time and the current black coloured plates were changed to blue. The range of sets was reduced by one with the deletion of the old No. 9 set and the renumbering of the old No. 1 to 8 sets to No. 2 to 9. The No. 10 set remained unchanged. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Lines Bros Ltd was a British toy manufacturer of the 20th Century - operating under the Tri-ang brand name. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A yellow Tulip. ... Black cat, thought by some to cause bad luck (see superstition) Black is the shade of objects that do not reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum. ... Silver is the metallic shade of the color gray closest to that of polished silver. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... An excavator Engineering vehicles are heavy-duty vehicles, specially designed for executing engineering tasks. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as, semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures, and vacuum tubes. ... YOU SUCK!!!!! ...

Lines Brothers went into voluntary liquidation in 1971 and Airfix Industries purchased Meccano Ltd in 1972. In 1978 the range of Meccano sets was further reduced and changed with the replacement of the No. 2 to 8 sets by six completely new sets, labelled A and 1 to 5. The old No. 9 and 10 sets were left largely unchanged. By 1980 Airfix themselves were in financial trouble and, in an attempt to cut their losses, they shut down the Binns Road factory, bringing to an end the manufacture of Meccano in England. Meccano was, however, still being manufactured in France, although under the ownership of General Mills, a United States toy manufacturer since 1972. Liquidation, or winding up, refers to a business whose assets are converted to money in order to pay off debt. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The new Meccano

In 1981 General Mills bought what was left of Meccano Ltd UK, giving it now complete control of the Meccano franchise. All the existing Meccano sets were scrapped and a totally new range of sets were designed for production in France called "Meccano Junior". These new sets included many plastic parts and could only build small models. Thus Meccano's concept of "Engineering in Miniature" was now completely lost and it was reduced to nothing more than a toy. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

Meccano model motorcycle built with the Meccano Motion System 50 set.

In 1985 General Mills sold out to a French accountant, Marc Rebibo, and, once again, all existing Meccano sets were scrapped. The "Meccano Junior" sets were replaced with three "Premier Meccano" sets and two "Motor" sets (including a six-speed motor) were introduced. Due to demand, the old Meccano No. 5 to 10 sets from 1981 were re-introduced. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 751 KB) Summary Meccano motorcycle, built using instructions which came with the set (Meccano motion system 50), 2005 Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Meccano... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 751 KB) Summary Meccano motorcycle, built using instructions which came with the set (Meccano motion system 50), 2005 Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Meccano... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 1989 Marc Rebibo sold what remained of Meccano to Francois Duvauchelle. Allen head zinc plated steel bolts replaced the original slot-headed brass-plated bolts and the "Plastic Meccano Junior" sets were brought back. With younger model builders in mind, many theme sets were also introduced, including a "Construction and Agricultural" series, "Space" models and "Dynamic" sets. The old-style No. 5 to 10 sets remained in production until 1992. Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 1994 additional theme sets were introduced and a pull-back friction motor was added to the Plastic Meccano System. In 1996 "Action Control" sets with infrared controls were added and 1999 saw the introduction of a "Motion System" range of sets that changed the look of Meccano completely. There were six one-model sets, two five-model sets, and five new sets numbered 10 to 50, the 20 to 50 sets being motorized. A complete change from the norm was that every set had its own colour scheme. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Image of two girls in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false-color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2000 Meccano was bought out by Nikko, a Japanese toy manufacturer, and once again new sets were launched, including "Crazy Inventors" and the "Future Master" range. Nikko currently manufactures Meccano in France and China. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Meccano today is very different from its heyday in the 1930s to 1950s and purists look down on the modern French- and Chinese-made Meccano, for several reasons: the plates are thinner, or plastic; the bolts are hex-headed galvanised steel; and new specialized pieces have been introduced (plastic gears, electric motors, battery boxes) which many consider as not "true" Meccano. Large or specialist parts for the Meccano Super Models, such as very long (up to 2 foot) angle girders, loom shuttles, printing rollers, etc are becoming ever more difficult to obtain - some very rare original parts are particularly valuable to collectors. Most of the currently available electric Meccano motors are also small DC models designed to run on domestic batteries, and can only deliver a fraction of the torque of earlier electric motors such as the particularly well known E15R and E20R universal motors, which could be run from a mains transformer or, in the case of the E15R, a 12V car battery. But what has remained the same after all these years is the Imperial ½ inch perforation spacing and the ⁵/₃₂ inch nut and bolt whitworth threads. Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of English units, first defined in the Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined (until 1959) and reduced. ... British Standard Whitworth (BSW) is one of three imperial unit based screw thread standards which use the same bolt heads and nut hexagonal sizes, the other two being British Standard Fine (BSF) and Cycle Engineers Institute (CEI). ...

Capabilities

Meccano model of a steam shovel excavator powered by a restored 1929 Meccano steam engine, built by Chris in 2004. See details at Chris's Meccano Restoration Page

With a Meccano set there was a wide range of models that could be built. Here are the models for which instructions were given in the largest set of the late 1950s, the "Outfit 10": Image File history File links Meccano_model_Steam_shovel_excavator. ... Image File history File links Meccano_model_Steam_shovel_excavator. ... A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // The term steam engine may also refer to an entire railroad steam locomotive. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

"Railway Service Crane", "Sports Motor Car", "Coal Tipper", "Cargo Ship", "Double Decker Bus", "Lifting Shovel", "Blocksetting Crane", "Beam Bridge", "Dumper Truck", "Automatic Gantry Crane", "Automatic Snow Loader", "4-4-0 Passenger Locomotive"

On top of these there were instruction leaflets available for:

"Combine Harvester", "The Eiffel Tower", "Showman’s Traction Engine", "Twin-Cylinder Motor Cycle Engine", "Trench Digger", "Bottom Dump Truck", "Road Surfacing Machine", "Mechanical Loading Shovel"

Since this time, enthusiasts such as G. Maurice Morris and MW Models have taken to publishing their own model plans, ranging from small models up to large and complex machines well beyond the scope of any individual Meccano set ever produced.

In 1935 Meccano was the primary construction material used by J. B. Bratt in building several analog computers. The computers were used for several decades to calculate differential equations, and one such machine, the "Meccano Differential Analyser No. 2" survives to this day. That specific machine was used by the Allies in Operation Chastise where the computer played a critical role in planning the bombing runs for bombs that would bounce across water before colliding with and destroying German dams.^{[3] [4]} 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... A page from the Bombardiers Information File (BIF) that describes the components and controls of the Norden bombsight. ... A simulation of airflow into a duct using the Navier-Stokes equations A differential equation is a mathematical equation for an unknown function of one or several variables which relates the values of the function itself and of its derivatives of various orders. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams on May 17, 1943 in World War II using a specially developed bouncing bomb. The attack was carried out by Royal Air Force No. ...

Meccano is a very versatile constructional medium. Just about any mechanical device can be built with it, from working cranes to automatic gearboxes. It can even be used to prototype new ideas and inventions. The capability of Meccano to produce models is limited only by the imagination and ingenuity of the modeller. A modern crawler type derrick crane with outriggers. ... An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually. ...

In 2002 and 2005 (respectively), Tim Robinson constructed working Meccano models of Charles Babbage's Difference Engines #1 and #2. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Babbage FRS (26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English mathematician, philosopher, mechanical engineer and (proto-) computer scientist who originated the idea of a programmable computer. ... Part of Babbages Difference engine, assembled after his death by Babbages son, using parts found in his laboratory. ...

The largest Meccano model ever built was a giant Ferris Wheel, made by Meccano S.A. in France in 1990. It was modelled after the original 1893 wheel built by George Ferris at the World Colombian Exposition at Chicago and was shipped to the United States to promote "Erector Meccano" after Meccano S.A. had bought out the "Erector" trade name and began selling Meccano sets in the U.S.A. It went on display in New York City after which it was purchased by Ripley's Believe It or Not! and put on display in their St. Augustine, Florida museum. The model is 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) high, weighs 544 kilograms (1,200 pounds), was made from 19,507 pieces, 50,560 nuts and bolts, and took 1,239 hours to construct.^[5] A Ferris wheel on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA. A Ferris wheel (or, more commonly in the UK, big wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of an upright wheel with passenger gondolas suspended from the rim. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Erector Set is the trade name of a construction toy that was wildly popular in the United States during much of the 20th century. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For the TV series, see Ripleys Believe It or Not (TV series). ... Five flags have flown over the city since 1565. ...

Popularity

Meccano Centennial poster and stamp issued in 2001 to celebrate one hundred years of Meccano. It shows the famous Meccano blocksetting crane with a portrait of Frank Hornby, Meccano's inventor.

By the late 1920s Meccano had become an international household name. Meccano clubs started forming around the world and in 1930 Frank Hornby launched the Meccano Guild to amalgamate these clubs. In 1989, The International Society of Meccanomen was founded in England and boasts some 600 members in over 30 countries. Image File history File links Meccano_Centennial_Poster. ... Image File history File links Meccano_Centennial_Poster. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 — 21 September 1936) invented Meccano around 1901, established Hornby Model Railways in 1920 and launched Dinky Toys in early 1934. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

Publications devoted fully or in part to Meccano included Meccano Magazine from 1916 to 1981, Constructor Quarterly and numerous Special Model Leaflets, aimed at serious enthusiasts, on how to construct very large, complex models and machines, some using many more parts than an entire Set 10. These large models were sometimes referred to as the Meccano Super Models, often popular at Meccano and other model engineering exhibitions and sometimes as showpieces for retailers. Cover of Meccano Magazine, February 1963. ... Stuart Turner No. ...

Even today, over a hundred years since its inception, there are still thousands of Meccano enthusiasts world-wide, with hundreds of websites covering every conceivable aspect of Meccano history, model building instructions and nostalgia. Individuals and companies world-wide still manufacture replicas of various parts, some long out of production. There is an annual World Meccano Exhibition at Skegness in England every year around July. This is one of the few products in existence to have such a long-running success. A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on a Web server, usually accessible via the Internet or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML, that is almost always accessible... Skegness is a seaside resort town in Lincolnshire, England, with a permanent population of about 30,000. ...

Many people today look back at their childhood with fond memories of Meccano model building, and the careers many people chose were influenced by their experience and knowledge gained from "playing" with Meccano. ^[6]

See also

• Frank Hornby
• Meccano Ltd
• Meccano Magazine
• Erector Set
• Merkur
• Steel Tec

Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 — 21 September 1936) invented Meccano around 1901, established Hornby Model Railways in 1920 and launched Dinky Toys in early 1934. ... Meccano is model construction material: metal strips of various shapes, sizes and colours, perforated with equidistant holes at a standard half-inch (12. ... Cover of Meccano Magazine, February 1963. ... Erector Set is the trade name of a construction toy that was wildly popular in the United States during much of the 20th century. ... Merkur refers to a metal construction set built in the Czech Republic. ... Steel Tec is a metal construction set similar to Meccano. ...

Footnotes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• International Society of Meccanomen
• Canadian Modeling Association for Meccano & Allied Systems
• Photos of toy steam engines including the 1929 Meccano steam engine
• Nikko's Meccano site
• Meccano Webring — a comprehensive collection of Meccano related websites
• What is Meccano?
• Meccano Restoration Archive
• Meccano Parts
• Exacto System
• Alan's Meccano Pages
• History of Meccano
• A Chronological History of Meccano
• VirtualMEC A computer program which simulates Meccano
• The South East London Meccano Club
• Erector Sets category at ODP
• Meccano Exhibition Skegness 2006 and 2007 Video of Working Models
• Ashok's Meccano website from India
• Electronics in Meccano
• Meccano (information about Meccano from the V&A Museum of Childhood)