Oswestry 18th. & 19th. June.

4 Members and one ex-member went to this event organised by the Clwyd Veteran & Vintage Machinery Society. As usual we were in the former gymnasium of a Royal Artillery Training together with displays of model buses and the Much Marcle Railways . As was appropriate, 3 guns made from Meccano Mechanised Army Outfits from about 1939 formed part of our display.

Although the event was not as well attended as before the pandemic, the Plastic Meccano Workshop was quite busy .

Photographs of our models appear below.

Two Models made by Visitors

The Hornby Gauge O Princess Elizabeth Locomotive 85th.  Anniversary Exhibition.

This was held in Old Christ Church, Waterloo, Crosby. A large number of these locomotives appeared as well as some similar ones from other manufacturers. They  are well remembered by some of the members because an advertisement for them was on the back of the first Meccano Manuals that they came across. They cost  £5/5/0   when a Meccano no. 10 was £12/15/0 , a No. 9 £6/5/0 and the unavailable OO gauge Duchess of Atholl £2/5/0.  The large radius track was very expensive so that many did not get to run often.

The church was not crowded but there were some very interested visitors particularly for David Pickup’s Meccano Princess Elizabeth.

Pictures of some of our models are shown below.

The Blocksetter often found on the front of the manuals was also there but not photographed.

The Big Model & Hobby Exhibition at Aintree Racecourse.

This is a new venue for us and the organisers, under the seats of the Princess Royal Stand. We were on an upper floor in a spacious, well lit space. Only two members exhibited although others paid to get in. The display produced a lot of interest. After a slow start, the Hands-On Plastic Meccano Workshop was busy and the Plastic Meccano Meccanograph produced many patterns. Some pictures of the display appear below. The pictures of the Chairman’s models did not come out.

Models designed and built in the Plastic Meccano Workshop.

Click on any of them for a slide show.

The Clitheroe Fun Palace.

Based on an idea  of Joan Littlewood of Theatre Workshop Fame for “a  Laboratory of Fun and a University of the Street”, venues, often public libraries, provide a variety of activities which are both fun and educational . Our Plastic Meccano  Hands-On Workshop is a very suitable  and popular contribution.

4 members attended. We were rather short of tables. The room to which we were allocated was one had housed part of the library but was no longer in use. We were able to use the empty  shelves for both the models constructed in the Plastic Meccano Workshop and some of those, mostly interactive, brought for display. We were provided with suitable refreshments  and help packing up  and loading our cars.

Over 20 models were built in the Plastic Meccano Workshop. Many were designed by the builder. The models which were brought for display  produced much interest. The Coal Tippler emptied numerous waggonloads of wooden bricks after a problem with a grub screw securing a worm catching on its meshing gear wheel was rectified. Some pictures of the models constructed in the workshop are shown below.

A large area in the middle was used for remote controlled Meccano cars.

Most of the Models built in the Plastic Meccano Workshop.

Click on the picture for a larger version.

Hainault Hangout.

One of our members exhibited at the Hainault Hangout organised by the North East London Meccano Club.

An interesting collection of models was displayed. In the foreground is a model of a GWR Broad Gauge 4-2-2 Locomotive built by Roger Auger.

Further back on the right is Santiago Plicio’s latest fairground ride.

The second picture shows most of Brian’s display.

Individual pictures of many of Brian’s models will appear on the 2022 Virtual Meeting Page.

More pictures of most of the other models can be found on:

https://nelmc.org.uk/gallery/sections/the-hainault-hangout-2022