canadian meccanotes 200906 · ltd.. north american subscribers to canadian ... m2r 1k7,...

CanadianCanadianCanadianCanadianCanadian

MeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotes

--- Issue #54 ------ Issue #54 ------ Issue #54 ------ Issue #54 ------ Issue #54 ---

June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009

Push-Button Designing MachinePush-Button Designing MachinePush-Button Designing MachinePush-Button Designing MachinePush-Button Designing MachineKeith Cameron November 1973 - see page 6.

2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes2 Canadian MeccaNotes June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009

... continued on page 3

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212341234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890123456789012123412345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901234567890121234

123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345

SubscriptionsSubscriptionsSubscriptionsSubscriptionsSubscriptions

(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)(4 Issues Per Calendar Year)

o within North America: Canada - $45; U.S.A.- US$54. Make cheque or money order payableto CMAMAS, mail to Treasurer, address above.

o elsewhere: £38, US$75 or C$77

o payment via PayPal is available, contactColin Hoare for details

© Copyright 2009 Copyright 2009 Copyright 2009 Copyright 2009 Copyright 2009C.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or IndividualC.M.A.M.A.S. and/or Individual

Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Contributors.Meccano and Erector are registered tradenames and are used throughout Canadian

MeccaNotes by kind permission of MeccanoLtd..

North American subscribers to CanadianMeccaNotes are automatically members of

the Canadian Modeling Association forMeccano and Allied Systems (CMAMAS).

CanadianCanadianCanadianCanadianCanadianMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotesMeccaNotes

The “Canadian MeccaNotes” newsletter(ISSN 1207-2249) is published 4 times peryear (March, June, September and December)by the Canadian Modeling Association forMeccano & Allied Systems (CMAMAS).

“Written and produced by Meccanoenthusiasts for Meccano enthusiasts.”

Canadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forCanadian Modeling Association forMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccano & Allied Systems (CMAMAS) & Allied Systems (CMAMAS) & Allied Systems (CMAMAS) & Allied Systems (CMAMAS) & Allied Systems (CMAMAS)130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109Toronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioCANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5CANADA M6A 1X5

http://www.cmamas.ca/http://www.cmamas.ca/http://www.cmamas.ca/http://www.cmamas.ca/http://www.cmamas.ca/

CMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutiveCMAMAS ExecutivePresidentPresidentPresidentPresidentPresident ... Colin Hoare, 18 Tweedle St.,Glen Williams, Ontario, Canada L7G 3S5,[email protected], (905)873-8261

Vice PresidentVice PresidentVice PresidentVice PresidentVice President ... Attila Szakonyi,10 Fendley Crt, Brampton, Ontario, Canada,L6Z 3H9, [email protected],(905)846-5287

TreasurerTreasurerTreasurerTreasurerTreasurer ... Marsha Brandston,130 Neptune Drive, Suite 1109, Toronto,Ontario, Canada M6A 1X5,[email protected]

SecretarySecretarySecretarySecretarySecretary ... Frank Curry, 8 Windham Drive,Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2K 1X8,[email protected], (416)221-3093

Newsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/WebmasterNewsletter Editor/Webmaster ... Dav idWilliams, 3017 - 111A Street, Edmonton,Alberta, Canada T6J 3Y5, [email protected],(780)438-1197

Parts & Sets Manager Parts & Sets Manager Parts & Sets Manager Parts & Sets Manager Parts & Sets Manager ... Dave Duncan,55 Lurgan Drive, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM2R 1K7, [email protected],(416)733-8670

Editor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesEditor’s NotesThis issue is special in that it introduces two newmodel plans - the Push-Button Designing Machineand the Bucket Wheel Excavator, both huge com-plex models. Also appearing are photos from therecent Hamilton show and a report from the KewMuseum in England. Thanks to Ron Kurtz, DonaldMorton, Glynn Bates, Dave Duncan, Frank Curry,Colin Hoare and others for sup-plying items for this issue.

Part of the CMAMAS website(www.cmamas.ca) is pass-word protected. To see themeetings of minutes you nowneed this id/password:cmember/Sprocket2. Question:should we continue the postingof minutes on the CMAMASwebsite? Is anyone readingthem?

As always, the newsletter is only as good as thecontributors. Your articles, photos, model plans,short news items, wants, sales and swap ads arewanted. Items in machine readable form (e-mail,CD/DVD) are preferred but everything is accept-able. If you scan photos, please scan them at aminimum resolution of 150 dpi. If desired, yourmaterial can also be posted on our website. If

June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009June 2009 Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3Canadian MeccaNotes 3

you’d like any part of your submissions returned,please say so; otherwise I will keep everything.

Next Issue DeadlineNext Issue DeadlineNext Issue DeadlineNext Issue DeadlineNext Issue DeadlinePlease note that we plan to publish the September2009 issue around September 6, 2009; the dead-line is August 28.

David Williams

Meccano CalaisMeccano CalaisMeccano CalaisMeccano CalaisMeccano CalaisI came across this French Meccano promotionalvideo made in 2007 of the Calais factory. The videoshows the production of parts, packaging, designstudio etc.

Perhaps our “Amis français de Meccano” havemore information on how things are two years on?

http: / /www.bl inkx.com/video/meccano/bQ8FwZFYbd5hKJ-_4jEPCQ

Alan Esplen, [email protected]

TTTTTable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contents

Push-Button Designing Machine 1Editor’s Notes 2Meccano Calais 3Presidential Perusings 4BC Meccano Club Contacts 4Product Manager Report 5Push-Button Designing Machine 62009 Meccano Display at the Hamilton Mu-

seum of Steam and Technology 16The ArcAngle Robot 19Bucket Wheel Excavator 22Magic of Meccano 2009 24The Peddler 27Magic of Meccano 2009 - Kew Museum Pho-

tos 28


Presidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsPresidential PerusingsThe Meccano exhibition that took place at theOntario Science Centre over the Christmas periodhas been creating some interest overseas. MeccanoClubs in the U. K. have also been looking to findsuitable locations to keep Meccano alive in theeyes of the general public, with the West LondonMeccano Society taking the lead with their exhi-bition at Kew Bridge Pump-ing Engine Museum. Truthto tell, the show at theHamilton Museum of Steam& Technology which tookplace in May was more inline with the one at Kew.We will certainly be return-ing to the Ontario ScienceCentre at the end of 2009,and plans are in the worksto have sets available to thegeneral public that can bepurchased.

Talking of U. K. exhibitions, it looks as though wewill have a strong contingent of CanadianMeccanomen at SkegEx in July. At least two well-known members, Jim Bobyn and Greg Rahn, willbe making their first appearance at this venerableevent, as will yours truly. Rumour has it that Jim& Greg have been recruited by the show organiser,Geoff Brown, to act as stewards, whose respon-sibility it is to allocate space as the exhibitorsarrive. This is an astute way of having someoneneutral handling this sometimes difficult problem.It is also understood that the two of them plan tolighten the British Meccano world of as muchvintage Meccano as possible - well, Britain needsall the help it can get with its current balance ofpayments situation!

There will be other overseas visitors as well, oneof whom is Colin Cohen from South Africa, alsomaking his first visit. Colin has been a contributorto “Canadian MeccaNotes,” and there is anotherarticle in the works from him that should bepublished soon. One of his best-known models is“The Sleeping Meccanoman,” the plans for whichwere published in “Constructor Quarterly,” onethat Ron Kurtz so skillfully recreated.

Sadly, two veteran members of the English Meccanofraternity, whose presence was always expectedat Skegness, will not be there this year. AlanPartridge and Bob Ford, considered regulars at theexhibition, both passed away within the past fewmonths. Alan has an association with our ownmagazine, as he kindly provide his plans for an

Orrery that became the very first ModelPlan thatwe published. Plans for several other of hismodels have made it into the Meccano literature,with his “Reliable Ping-Pong Ball Roller” being oneof the most popular. Alan was also a great supplierof M4 washers, in both brass and steel that he soldat such shows as SkegEx. Bob Ford’s forte waslocomotive models, all of which he carefullyresearched before reproducing them in Meccano.Again, plans for quite a few of them appeared inthe literature, the most complex being his 0-6-2 +2-6-0 LMS Beyer Garratt Locomotive. Both menwill be sorely missed. In fact, 2009 has not beena great year so far: in addition to these two fineMeccanomen, a veteran from Australia, Bill Inglis,who for so many years was recognized as asource of replica Meccano parts, has also died.Bill’s reproduction Channel Segments (stampedwith his initials WRI) were a major success - infact, they were better than the originals!

Colin Hoare

BC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubBC Meccano ClubContactsContactsContactsContactsContacts

Greetings from the BC Meccano Club. The nameof the contacts for our club are now:

Alan Partridge - [email protected]

Gary Davis - [email protected]

Sam Chow - [email protected]

Linda Chow - [email protected]

Niel Dulson is no longer the official contact for ourclub due to health reasons.


Product ManagerProduct ManagerProduct ManagerProduct ManagerProduct ManagerReportReportReportReportReport

The May long weekend has come and gone and sohas the Hamilton Show. I apologize to those thatI missed there due to a scheduling disaster and asevere sinus infection, my son’s birthday partyetc., I simply could not attend. I will contact all of

those of whom I promisedsome items and samples ofnew parts and other good-ies for 2009. My Meccanoworkshop is now at a stagewhere I can start to buildagain and enjoy those magi-cal moments at 2:00 amwhen the first paragraphmakes sense from a “SuperModel Plan”. LloydSchneider’s Meccano dis-play was so inspiring that Ihad to ask him to help medesign the backboards ofmy workshop. We have notstarted this part of the project

yet but it will show off one of every part that Ipossess in the red/green colour scheme. I havecome across some authentic Meccano helicalgears and other brass parts still sealed in theirplastic bags. Please contact me directly for thosethat are interested in purchasingsome of these. I have some newtires to add to the ones posted onour club site. Please see photosand prices below.

X-51 (3 3/8" x 1 1/8") (Pack of 2)$19.95 (Fits 2 part # 20a’s)

X-61 (3" x 1 1/4") (Pack of 2)$18.95 (Fits 2 part # 20a’s)

MG175 (1 5/8" x 5/8") $1.00each (In stock) (Uses 1 inchpulleys)

MG275 (2 3/4" x 1") $3.00 each (In stock) (Fits2 part # 20a’s)

MB175 (1 5/8" x 5/8") $1.00 each (In stock)(Uses 1 inch pulleys)

MB275 (2 3/4" x 1") $3.00 each (In stock) (Fits2 part # 20a’s)

I have also added a photo of the X-600 tire withsome new ways to assemble a solid hub and axlesystem. This involves large axle system parts andsome non-standard gear rings and spur gearsfrom Ashok and Exacto. Pinions can also be usedinstead of spur gears to assemble a planetaryarrangement for the desired differential. I will be

using this design for my “Giant Articulated Shovel”that I am currently working on.

The next “Bulk Order” is Sept 30th, 2009. I hopeeveryone has a happy and safe summer with sometime set aside for the best hobby on the planet.

Cheers!

David Duncan, Product Manager, CMAMAS,[email protected]


Push-Button DesigningPush-Button DesigningPush-Button DesigningPush-Button DesigningPush-Button DesigningMachineMachineMachineMachineMachine

Keith Cameron NovemberKeith Cameron NovemberKeith Cameron NovemberKeith Cameron NovemberKeith Cameron November19731973197319731973

(Re-typed by Ron Kurtz(Re-typed by Ron Kurtz(Re-typed by Ron Kurtz(Re-typed by Ron Kurtz(Re-typed by Ron KurtzDecember 2008)December 2008)December 2008)December 2008)December 2008)

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionI freely admit this machine is a “gimmick”, farlarger, heavier, and more complex than mostdesigning machines in Meccano. Many may askif the effort that goes into such a project is worthwhat one gets out of it. That is for the individualbuilder to answer. I can only say I have hadtremendous fun designing and constructing thismachine. But the added satisfaction of being ableto program the machine by remote control, and towatch it produce the design, is more than ad-equate reward for the extra trouble in construc-tion. I dedicate (if that is not too pompous) thismodel to Mr. Andreas Konkoly whose designingmachines are a joy to behold, and who (I believe)was the first to use the one-piece arm with centre-mounted pen.

One unique advantage of this machine is “previewdesign planning”. As mentioned in the operationinstructions, pressing the “Start” button alonecauses the pen arm to be actuated in the mannerdetermined by the various settings. The operatorcan thus determine what design would be pro-duced before the pen is lowered. With the pen armstill in movement, any other adjustments can bemade with the appropriate buttons until the opera-tor obtains the movement he desires. The “Stop”button is pressed, the gear ratio lever is turned, andas the pen reaches its lowered position, the “Start”button is again pressed.

FeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeaturesFeatures1. Controlled entirely from a board by electricalmeans.


2. Produces a wide range of designs, including3-, 5-, 6-, 7-, and 9-peaked variations and spirals.Five different cams are chosen by push button.

3. Two-colour designs with push-button changeof colour.

4. Pre-selector gearbox, electrically selected choiceof ratios.

5. Operation started by momentary depression ofa button.

6. Automatic stop with exact line-up, joining startand finish.

7. Automatic lowering and raising of pen arm.

8. Reproducibility of designs by a system ofnumbered markers and dials.

9. Paper advanced electrically at completion, ofdesign with paper advanced through slit (facingoperator) for easy tear off.

10. Heavy duty construction, uncrowded place-ment of component parts, suitable for exhibition.The model will work indefinitely without attentionother than occasional oiling. There is easy accessto the inner workings by tipping the model on end.

11. Uses rolls of 3½” wide paper (“Rollamatic”refills) for larger, more elaborate designs.

12. Easy loading of new paper rolls - one collar is

removed only, for this.

13. This machine has 13 buttons; if you aresuperstitious do not read on.

[Keith obviously devoted considerable time build-ing and documenting the construction of theDesigning Machine. The mechanisms are variedand complex, however they operate well withoutinterference. The available diagrams (approxi-mately 75) were, unfortunately, poor photocopiesof black and white photos, yet the written descrip-tion allowed the reconstruction to proceed withoutmajor problems. I hope that it will not appearpresumptuous that I have taken the liberty tosuggest a number of clarifications, modificationsand updates using current parts. I have entered thetext as closely as possible from the manuscripttyped by Keith in 1973 on what appears to be amanual typewriter. My edits are enclosed bysquare brackets inserted in places throughout thetext. Keith refers to Meccano parts only bynumber, but part descriptions have been addedwhere I felt it helped to follow the building instruc-tions. The ‘H’ is an abbreviation for ‘holes’. RonKurtz]

“Right” and “left” refer to machine as viewedfrom front (i.e. control side).


Main Frame (Figs. 1, 2, 3)Main Frame (Figs. 1, 2, 3)Main Frame (Figs. 1, 2, 3)Main Frame (Figs. 1, 2, 3)Main Frame (Figs. 1, 2, 3)Base is a 7 (Angle Girder 49H) front and rear, an8 (Angle Girder 25H) left and right, flanges withslotted holes up and out. The top is same exceptslotted hole flanges are up and horizontal. Thebase and top are joined at corners by 8b’s (AngleGirder 15H) (round holes to front and rear) and byfive more 8b’s both front and rear placed oppositeone another, slotted hole flanges facing in, at holes7 and 17 from left, and at holes 4, 14, and 23 fromright. (End hole counts as 1.) Of these 8b’s, asnumbered 7, 17, and 14 are positioned with theslotted hole flange to the right, 4 and 23 have theflange to the left. Each of these five pairs of 8b’sis joined by an 8, slotted holes up, bolted by its endholes to the lowest slotted holes of the 8b’s frontand rear. No bolts are used on the bottom flangesof the base, which can thus be placed on aworktable. As much of the mechanism is built ontothese 8b’s, they will be designated by letters for

ease of description as follows: from left to right,A, B, C, D, E, F, G. “A” is the left corner 8b, “G”the right corner 8b. “x” and “y” will designatefront and rear respectively. Thus “By” is the rear8b in the 7th hole from the left. “The lower 8 at F”is the 8 bolted to the bottom holes of the front andrear 8b’s at 4th hole from right.

Cross-membersCross-membersCross-membersCross-membersCross-membersCross-members of the main frame refer to thestructures running from front to rear.

At A: (Fig. 4)Bolt an 8 from front to rear 8b, slotted flange upand to right, at 6th hole from base. Bolt vertical1b’s (Strip 15H) from lower 8 to upper 8 at 10thand 16th holes from front. Straddle the upper endof each 1b with a 45 (Double Bent Strip) bolted byits end flanges to the 8. Join the mid holes of the45’s with two 3’s (Strip 7H) to form a handle. Bolttwo 12b’s (Angle Bracket 2x1H) to the upper 8,spaced by a 38 from the 8. Bolt a 99 (Braced Girder25H) to Ax and Ay immediately below the top 8,


and bolt a 6 (Strip 4H) vertically across the 99’s 3rdhole from the front. Bolt a 4 (Strip 6H) to the topsurface of the upper 8 in the 2nd and 7th holes fromthe rear. Use 38’s at each bolt and slip an 11(Double Bracket) under the 4 before bolting it inplace; the 11 slides with its lugs up. The rear 12b[short lug vertical and to thefront] is immediately in frontof the 4. [The front 12b isfixed in holes three and fourfrom the front, short lug ver-tical and to the back.]

At B: (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9)

Bolt 12b’s to an 8 bolted tothe top holes of Bx and By,also fix a 4 and an 11 as atA. To the round holed flangeof the 8, and on its rightvertical face, bolt the follow-ing: a 12a at holes 4 and 5,a 1b at hole 11 and another1b at hole 15, a 2a at hole 20and another 2a at hole 23,the bolts (111c) holding the2a’s first pass through baseholes of a JPDU with itsshaft forward, and its lowerbase holes bolted to corre-sponding holes in the 2a’s.

[The JPDU was replacedwith a recent black electricmotor 770 (or A651 or A662)attached to a 19:1 reductiongearbox 760 (or A760).] A52a (Flat Plate 11x7H) isnow positioned with shortside vertical and bolted to theBx (lying against its left face)and its longer side is boltedto the lower 8 (also againstits left face). One bolt willalso fix the 1b. Now bolt theother 1b to the lower 8. Nowbolt a 1 (Strip 25H) betweenBx and By (left face) placingit lined up with the top of the52a on its right face. Bolt an8b by its round holed flangeon the right face of the 1,lining up with the rear 15holes of the 1. Sandwichedbetween the 1 and the 8b willbe the two 1b’s and the two2a’s. Bolt a 52a with long

sides horizontal and lying on the left face of thelower 8 and the 1. The rear short side of this 52ais bolted to the By. Fix a 51 (Flanged Plate 5x3H)to the left face of the 52a (Fig. 8) by means of two161’s (Girder Bracket) and bolt a 126 (Trunnion)to the under face of the 8b. Line up the latter so that


a drift turns freely in the apexhole of the 126 and the centrehole of the 51. [It was notpossible to line up the apex holeof the 126, and it was replacedby a 126a fixed by two 12’s tothe upper side of the 8b. Theslotted holes of the 12’s permitadjustment of the 126a.] [Notethat an alternate constructionfor portions of cross-member Bis described in a later section“Solenoids”.] Bolt two 3’s, oneon each side of the mid hole ofthe 1, and bolt below to the 8.Bolt a 12b to the 2nd hole fromthe top on each 3. Bolt a 73 (FlatPlate 6x3H) by a corner hole tothe front slotted hole of the 8b.The short side of the 73 lies infront of the 8b and is held by itsother corner hole to the 1 by a12. Bolt a 2a (Strip 9H) to therear long border of the 73 so the2a projects 4 holes to the right,to be fixed in place later. [Note that an alternateconstruction described in a later section “Sole-noids” does not use the 2a, 73 or 12.]

At C: (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)Fix an 8 to Cx and Cy seven holes from top, slottedflange to left. To this 8 fix a 508 (Insulating FlatGirder 3H) and two 12a’s to the slotted flange, use

two 38’s at eachbolt holding the12a’s. A second508 is bolted atthe rear to thevertical round-holed flange. A53a (Flat Plate9x5H) is boltedwith its long sidesvertical to the topand bottom 8’s,the corner holesof its shorter sideslining up with the3rd and 7th holesof the girders fromthe front. Theprojecting 2a isbolted to the up-per 8 using a 111for spacing. [Notethat an alternateconstruction de-scribed in a latersection “Sole-


noids” does not use the 2a.]

At D: (Figs. 2, 3, 9,10, 11)Fix an 8 to Dx and Dy seven holes from the top,slotted flange to right. Fix two 12a’s as at C. Thebolts securingthe front 12aalso fix a 133( C o r n e rB r a c k e t3x3H), and therear bolt alsoholds a 5(Strip 5H) pro-jecting to theright and ly-ing along oneedge of the133. The 133and this 5 areunder theflange of the8. Immedi-ately in frontof the frontbolt securingthe 133 is an-other 5 abovethe flange,projecting tothe right, and

bolted to a 126. A 53a is boltedas at C but one hole further back.Two 126’s are bolted to the leftface of this 53a, using the 4th and6th holes from the top of thevertical line of holes. The flangesof the 126’s face away from eachother. A 139 (Flanged BracketRight) is bolted to the lower 8, 7thand 11th holes from the front.

At E: (Figs. 2, 3, 10, 11,12)

Fix an 8 to Ex and Ey five holesfrom the top, slotted flange toleft. To the slotted flange bolt a510 (Insulating Flat Plate 11x5H)(short side) in the 3rd and 7thholes, and a 126 in the 8th and10th holes, flange to right. Bolta second 126 to the 8 so that theapex holes of the 126’s are at 11hole centres. Immediately to therear of the rear 126, bolt a 73 byits short side, separated from the

8 by a 2 and a 38 on each bolt (upper right Fig. 3).The 2’s line up with the long side of the 73 whichlies to the right. Bolt a 70 (Flat Plate 11x5H) to theupper and lower 8’s by its short sides lining up withthe 4th and 8th holes of the 8’s. Bolt 126’s to the


right face of the 70 at the same level as the 126’sbolted to the 53a at D. Bolt a 74 (Flat Plate 3x3H)to the right face of the upper 8, 14th and 16th holesfrom front, through holes in the upper corners ofthe 74 [can be clearly seen in Fig. 40].

Between Dand E: (Figs.2, 3, 10, 12)

Locknut a 79a(Screwed Rod 6")in place betweenthe 6th hole fromthe top of D to thecorrespondinghole in E both frontand rear, firstmounting a 1 byits end holes onboth the rear 79aand the front 79a.Locknut the 1 inplace so that it isclose to the end ofthe two projecting5’s already boltedto D. Bolt 12’s tothe free end holesof these 5’s and tothe 1. The boltholding the rear 12also passes

through a slotted hole of a 507(Insulating Flat Girder 5H) bolted tothe right face of the 1, round holesdown, and rear slotted hole boltedalso to the 1 in its 10th hole. An 80c(Screwed Rod 3") is held by locknutsto the 1 and to the middle hole of thefront row of holes of the 74 to bracethe 1 in its centre portion.

At F: (Figs. 2, 3, 12)Fix an 8 to Fx and Fy five holes fromthe top, slotted flange to the right,and to this flange bolt the right handshort border of the 510, the two 2’s,and mount two 126’s (flange to theleft) in holes to correspond withthe126’s mounted at E. Fix a 70vertically between the upper andlower 8’s bolting it to their left facesin holes to correspond with the 70bolted at E. Bolt a 126a, apex down,to the upper 8 (vertical face) at holes15 and 17 from front.

At G: (Figs. 12, 13)The top girder should be a channeled one formedfrom two 8’s, slotted holes together. A handlemade from two 45’s and two 3’s is added as at A,and a 1b (Strip 15H) is bolted vertically at holes 10


and 16.

[It is useful to test for squareness and to fixtemporary diagonal bracing strips as the framecan be easily twisted as construction proceeds.]

Epicyclic Gearbox (Fig. 7, 14,Epicyclic Gearbox (Fig. 7, 14,Epicyclic Gearbox (Fig. 7, 14,Epicyclic Gearbox (Fig. 7, 14,Epicyclic Gearbox (Fig. 7, 14,15)15)15)15)15)

This should first be assembled and tested outsidethe model in a simple frame made by bolting a 52a(Flat Plate 11x7H) to each short flangeof a 52. [A jig aids in the assemblyof the components (Fig. 14). Looselyfix four 115’s in the outer holes of a146a. Loosely fix four 115a’s in holesinwards from the 115’s. Centre theboss of a 24 in the centre large holeof the146a, and similarly fix another24 in a second 146a. Place a 38a oneach of the 115’s, place the second146 over all the Threaded Pins, run aDrift through the bosses of the 24’s,then locknut all the Threaded Pins inplace. The second 146a, which en-sures the Threaded Pins are accu-rately aligned, can now be removed,as it is no longer needed. Attach the125’s to the 180 and 19b as de-scribed by Keith, then place the 180by its round holes on the 115’s, andpass the slotted holes of the 19b overthe 115a’s. [Pass a Drift through the

bosses of the 19b and the 24, thentighten the bolts holding the 125’s,ensuring the Drift turns freely.]

The gearbox is built up from fourcomponents as follows:

Component 1: (Fig. 14) Bolt a 180(Gear Ring) to a 19b (Pulley 3") usingfour matching 125’s (Reversed AngleBracket 1x1x1H). A 37b passesthrough each of the four outer roundholes of the 19b, through the slottedhole of the 125, and the 37a tight-ened by hand. Mount the 125’s onthe same face as the boss. Positionthem as far from the boss as thegroove wall will allow, and boltthem to the 180 using its radialslotted hole. This will prevent thegear which engages with the innerteeth from fouling the 125’s.

Component 2: Bolt a 180 to a 19b asabove, but add two 31’s (Gear Wheel38T) on 111’s locknutted in the cen-

tre of two diametrically opposed slotted holes ofthe 19b. [The modern 147f’s (Pivot Bolt 3/4") area better choice than the 111’s.] Mount them on theside away from the boss and the 180, and use561’s (Thin Washers) on each side of the 19bunder the locking washers. Mount the componenton a rod in the simple frame with a 26 (Pinion 19T)also on the rod, the gear face of the 26 engagingwith the 31’s. The boss of the 26 is toward the 19b,


and a 38 spaces the 26 from the hole of the 19b.Now mount Component 1 also on the rod (first use3 spacing 38’s) so that its 180 engages the 31’s ofComponent 2. Spin the two components freely onthe rod and tighten the bolts securing the 180, the125’s, and the 19b on Component 1, and thelocknuts holding the 111’s on Component 2. Makenecessary adjustments until all parts mesh freely.Non-matching 125’s (differing dimensions) pre-vent true spinning.

Component 3: (Fig. 15) On a 27b (Gear Wheel133T) mount a pair of 26’s on 111’s locknutted inthe diametrically opposed roundholes on the boss side; mount apair of 31’s on 111’s locknuttedin the centre point of two dia-metrically opposed slotted holeson the side away from the boss.Now slide this component on tothe rod (still in the simple frame)so that the 31’s engage with the180 of Component 2. With the27b slide a 26 on to the rod withits boss toward the 27b, spacedby one 38 from the 27b, and by3x38 from Component 2. Tightenthe locknuts (use 561’s as above)so that the gears all mesh well.Component 4: (Fig. 15) Bolt a180 to a 19b using 125’s asbefore. On the side of the 19baway from the 180 fix a 95a(Sprocket Wheel 1½”) by 111’sthrough two diametrically op-posed holes, separated at eachbolt by one 59 and two 38’s. Slip

a 27a (57T Gear Wheel) on therod with boss away from theboss of the 27b and its teethengaging the 26’s on the faceof the 27b. Now slip Compo-nent 4 on the rod so that its180 engages freely with the26’s on Component 3. Tightenbolts and locknuts on Compo-nent 4.

Now insert grub screws in thetwo 26’s on the rod, and alsoin the 27a. Fit a 59 at each endof the assembly, and tightenthe grub screws so that eachcomponent is free to turn butnot to slide. Tighten the grubscrews in the 26’s and the 27aalso. Mount a temporary

handle at one end of the rod. Turn the rod usingthe handle, and hold Component 1 to prevent itturning. This should set the gear train in motionand give a 9:1 ratio to the output (the Component4). Adjust any binding parts. Now releaseComponent 1 and hold Component 2. Turning thehandle now produces a 3:1 ratio. Again adjust anybinding parts. (If this gear arrangement seemscomplex, remember an exact ratio is required, andthis is not easy.)

Gear ShaftGear ShaftGear ShaftGear ShaftGear Shaft


When the gears are adjusted to satisfaction,dismantle, and reassemble on a 9½” rod whichmust be straight. (The purist can use a 13.) Insertthis rod through the 5th hole from the front in thesecond row from the top of the 52a mounted atthe front at B (Fig. 7). As the rod is introducedfurther, slip on to it a 59, a 38, Component 1, a38, (Component 1 is mounted with 180 to theright), then three 38’s, a 26 with boss to right, a38, Component 2 with 180 to right, three wash-ers, a 26 with boss to right, a 38, Component 3with 31’s to left, a 27a with boss to right, awasher, Component 4 with 180 to left, a washer,a 31 with boss to right, a washer. This shouldjust fill the space between the 52a at B and the53a at C. Insert the right hand end of the rod inthe 53a. Temporarily bolt a 52a at A horizontally

to the Ax and the 1b and insert the left hand endof the gear shaft in the correct hole, first slippinga 31 on the shaft. [Note that the 52a is notnecessary as an 8 has already been installed at Ato accept the 9 ½” rod.] Allow about 3/8" of thegear-shaft to project to the left of the temporary52a. Now tighten all the grub screws. Thereshould be minimum lateral play in the gear assem-bly. The 180’s of Components 1 and 2 should lineup midway between vertical rows of holes in the73 and the 95a should be in such a location thata chain from above will easily clear the upper 8 atC. [Note that the 73 was not used in this

construction.] Add a tempo-rary crank handle to the pro-jecting left end of the gear-shaft (Fig. 4).

Main Drive ShaftMain Drive ShaftMain Drive ShaftMain Drive ShaftMain Drive ShaftInstall a 13 (Axle Rod 11½”) inthe 53a’s at C and D and in the70 at E, at 1" centre above thegear shaft. On the drive shaftfix a 31 (Fig. 31), boss to right,at its left extremity where itengages with the 31 on thegear shaft. Fix a collar to thedrive shaft on the right face ofthe 53a at C, slip on a 32 (bossto right) (Fig. 11) between theplates at D and E, and connectthe right hand end to a 15a

(Axle Rod 4½”) by means of a 63 (Fig. 11). Be surethese rods are truly straight and that the join at the63 is wobble-free. Mount a 95 (Sprocket Wheel 2")on the 15a with its boss against the right face ofthe 70 at F (use a 38) then mount a 95b (SprocketWheel 3") on the remaining length of 15a to theright of the 95, boss of 95b to right, and separatethe two sprocket wheels sufficiently so that theirchains do not rub one another. [Note that 95b hasbeen replaced by a 95a, see Fig. 13.]

End of part 1 - continued next month ...


2009 Meccano2009 Meccano2009 Meccano2009 Meccano2009 MeccanoDisplay at theDisplay at theDisplay at theDisplay at theDisplay at the

Hamilton MuseumHamilton MuseumHamilton MuseumHamilton MuseumHamilton Museumof Steam andof Steam andof Steam andof Steam andof Steam andTechnologyTechnologyTechnologyTechnologyTechnology

With three of our stalwart exhibitors(Hubert Hogle, Don Redmond & EricEisen) all being unavailable for this year’sexhibition at the Hamilton Museum ofSteam and Technology, there was con-cern that we would not have enoughmodels to fill all the tables. How wrongthat proved to be! Thanks in no small partto first-time exhibitor Simon Bowditch,and strong support from all the otherregular exhibitors, the show was assuccessful as it had been in previous years.

This report will only highlight the new models thatwere on display for the first time. At least twice

as many were on display in total.

Simon, who is well known in the Meccano frater-nity, and who has contributed quite a few articles

to “The International Meccanoman,” has beentrying to find the time to come up to Canadafrom his home in Connecticut for several years.This year he finally made it, and was accom-panied by his wife Karen and young son. Thefamily arrived with an impressive array ofmodels, starting with the first example of thefully operational “King Ghidora” model, a kitthat was sold exclusively in Japan. Other setshave inevitably made their way around theglobe, with several being stored away inCanada, so to see one fully working was adelight. This was just one of an amazingcollection of models that had somehow beenstored in the family minivan. The othersconsisted of (and I hope that all of them arelisted) a Showman’s Traction Engine, a RadioControlled Racing Car, a Robot, a RecoveryTruck, A Crazy Crab (a Keith Cameron model),a 1990’s Erector Fire Truck, a Design Car, aBagatelle Table (a miniature model built for the‘Spanner’ Christmas Challenge 2008), a StripBender, a Marklin Robotic Arm, the HungarianCentipede (originally from Andreas Konkoly),the Capitol Building, the Hopping Chicken fromthe 1998 Set 2 and the Snapping Crocodile fromthe 1989 Set 4. Son Adam also contributed,with his model of the Spykee robot.

Next to him was Brent Simpson, who certainlyhad not been idle during the winter months. Hispiece de resistance was a 1957 Low Rider Car.He had also recreated a Keith Cameron model,


the Kenworth W-900 Tractor. Brent’s version,however, was significantly modified from theoriginal, Build around the motor from a cordlessdrill. The drive had been modified such that it wentstraight into the rear differentials. Extra realismwas created courtesy of Brent’s wife Cathy,who is a skilled seamstress. A peek inside thecab revealed a miniature double bed with a catsleeping on it. In addition, there was a tinytelevision, with “The Simpsons” being screened.The mudflaps displayed Marg Simpson in asexy pose as well!

Brent also brought along a 1932 coupé equippedwith spring-loaded suspension, and the chas-sis of a 1930 Bentley. To complete the newmodels, there were four miniatures consistingof two birds, an astronaut and a road workerwith jackhammer.

Glynn Bates can always be counted on to comeup with come up with several new models, andhe did not disappoint. He had an automatedearth moving equipment model and a dragster,both from 2009 sets, a Marks & SpencerSopwith Camel, a Steeltec Stealth Bomber andtwo German Float Planes from sets available inthe U. K.

The Rocket Space Centre set is always apopular model, and this time it was Bill Gibsonwho had a version to show (Bill liked it so much,he bought the very last unopened set that wehad left in stock - thanks, Bill!). He also had theConcorde set, a Steeltec Motorcycle, and aGrader & Car from the 1000 & 2000 Series.

Although Len Waltham spent most of his timeoperating his Carousel (and there have beenseveral improvements to this terrific model

since we last saw it), he also foundtime to build three more models,these being a Windmill, a FerrisWheel, and a G. R. O. P. E. model.For those of you who do not knowabout such models, this acronymstands for Get Rid Of Parts Easily i.e.you use lots of a common part thatseem to breed in your collection.Len had created a neat little MarbleMountain out of a quantity of FlangedSector Plates. All the public had todo was put the marble in the top,and watch it roll down the four sidesuntil it was discharged at the bot-tom! The kids loved it!

Our other visitor from south of theborder was Lou Boselli. Lou had hisusual collection of models, but he

had added to it with an Erector model that was firstpublished in 1958, in the Set 10½ Manual, theRadar Satellite Tracker.


Others who came to the show, and they all deservethanks for doing so, as well as for contributingtheir models, were John Wapshott, Frank Curryand Attila Szakonyi. All in all, it was anothersuccessful weekend.

Colin Hoare

Photos by Glynn Bates. All of the photos from thisevent can be found on the CMAMAS websitewww.cmamas.ca under “Photo Gallery from PastEvents”.


The ArcAngle RobotThe ArcAngle RobotThe ArcAngle RobotThe ArcAngle RobotThe ArcAngle RobotHaving finished automating the 1954 Dra-gline, which was a joint effort betweenDavid Duncan and myself, Frank Curry, (seeissues #48 and #49 of MeccaNotes), I thoughtI would put the lessons learned on theMotorvator to good use by building theArcAngle Robot as described in ModelPlan149, and setting it up to sort different colourblocks as described in ModelPlan 171. Afew comments and a picture were providedin issue #50 of MeccaNotes of the work inprogress. Many readers will be familiar withEngineering, Procurement and Constructionotherwise known as EPC. Meccano usuallyfocuses on engineering and construction butI found that there was a lot of procurementinvolved in this project. I suppose the designintent of the Meccano system was to removeor at least greatly simplify the procurementstage. The control system for the Robotrequires various light sources and sensors tonot only count the blocks passing along theconveyor, but also to sort the black blocks from thewhite blocks. The ModelPlans do a great jobidentifying sources for the various electrical ande lec t ron iccomponentsbut of coursethere is theusual biastoward sup-pliers in theUK. Also pro-curement in-volved eitherbuying origi-nal or repro.parts whichoriginated inthe MeccanoElectrikit, orfinding sub-stitutes and doing some redesign. So this articlewill substitute a Toronto bias for the UK bias.Here are some of the highlights of the procure-ment process along with a few pictures of themodel. A “Toronto-Centric Non Meccano PartsList” is included at the end of this article. Sincea fairly complex series of actions is featured,there is also a video of the Robot in action onYoutube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlrvIgejUGM.

If this url does not work try searching in Youtubefor Meccano ArcAngle.

Fig. 1 is a general view of the robot duringconstruction, showing 4 of the motors and 3 of thepotentiometers, the top of the 4th (slew) motor isjust visible. The pots measure the angle or travel

of the various movements. Fig. 2shows the conveyor. Fig. 2a showsthe two light sources. To the rightis a small flashlight which startsthe conveyor when its beam isbroken by a block. To the left is asecond flashlight which is a keyring LED flashlight ($5.99 fromCanadian Tire) ,with a replaceablelithium battery, clamped betweentwo flexible plates. A strong light


was needed here because the beam has to bounceoff the block (white one shown) and be picked upby the sensor, a tiny Light Dependent Resistor(LDR), 42 cents from Electrosonics in Toronto. Inlow or no light the LDR exhibits low resistancewhile with some light arriving the resistance of theLDR increases. The Motorvator detects the differ-ence and moves the robot arm over the correct bin,ready to drop a black or white cube. The use offlashlights reduces the amount of wiring needed.

The conveyor requires at least 165 links of MeccanoPlastic Caterpillar Track, Part No. P91 along withplastic sprockets to drive the track. A UKMeccanoman, George Illingworth, very kindlyshipped the track along with some other light-weight plastic Meccano parts at very reasonablecost. I made contact with George via Spanner2.

The wiring for this assembly promised to besomething of a rat’s nest. ModelPlan 149 incor-porated DB 25 male and female connectors, to befound on the ends of that old parallel port cable thatused to connect to your printer. Our engineeringoffice had a box full. Use of this 25 strand cablehelped me tame the wiring layout and allow foreasy connect/disconnect of the Motorvator fortransportation. Fig. 3 shows the DB 25 connectionon the robot, Fig. 4 shows the Motorvator with theother end of the DB 25 cable, and the connectionsin place on the Motorvator. The following connec-tions are made (directly or indirectly) at theMotorvator.

* 5 rotating motors - slew, vertical, horizontal,grasp, conveyor

* 1 servo motor - block feeder

* 1 timed function - start/count revs./stopconveyor

* 2 on/off functions - light sensors, detect block,

detect colour

* 4 analog functions - read potentiometers,start/stop motors

* 1 computer connection, as needed - updateprogramme

* 1 power supply - 12 volts DC

Fortunately the program for controlling the assem-bly was available for download fromwww.mwmailorder.co.uk at no charge, so I ex-pected only have to fiddle the code rather thanwrite it from scratch. A section of the code isshown in Fig. 6, Programme. Including subpro-grams the line count was about 500. It turned outthat I had made so many, what I thought of asminor modifications, that I could not get the codeto work. So I started the main program fromscratch and just called bits of the original assubprograms, and checked them out one at a time.That approach worked well.

A feature of ModelPlans 149 and 171 is that eachblock has to be fed on to the conveyor by hand, and

in just the right place too, to ensure that the lightsource is obscured, thus starting the conveyor oncue. To get around this limitation, and to use oneof the few remaining ports on the Motorvator, Ibuilt a feeder which used a servo motor, and 1"angle brackets attached to Meccano chain usingBrads/Attaches Parisiennes, to nudge the blockson to the conveyor. Fig. 5 shows the block feeder.This was my first use of a servo motor so a gooddeal of learning had to take place before it worked.As usual Andrew Wells at Meccparts.com andMeccanisms.com in New Zealand was very help-ful.

The end result, not very pretty but fully functional,can be viewed in action on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlrvIgejUGM .


Toronto-Centric Non MeccanoToronto-Centric Non MeccanoToronto-Centric Non MeccanoToronto-Centric Non MeccanoToronto-Centric Non MeccanoParts ListParts ListParts ListParts ListParts List

See page 22 (below).

NotesNotesNotesNotesNotes1) NZ currency converted to CAD using factor 0.71

2) Another useful hobby shop chain in the Torontoarea is Sayal Hobbies, 3791 Victoria Park Avenue,416 494 8999, sayalhobbies.com, plus other SayalHobbies stores in Toronto area

Frank Curry


Bucket Wheel ExcavatorBucket Wheel ExcavatorBucket Wheel ExcavatorBucket Wheel ExcavatorBucket Wheel ExcavatorThis model of an O&K (Orenstein and Koppel AG)bucket wheel excavator is based on pictures of theprototypes that were in service in the Great Cana-dian Oil Sands Ltd. project (later named Suncor)in northern Alberta, Canada. It is reported thateach machine could load a 150-ton truck every 35seconds with a bucket wheel diameter of 44 feet.Suncor parked the huge excavators for good in1993 and switched to 240-ton trucks, large powershovels and ore crushers.

The model (Fig. 1) was scaled from photocopiesof pictures of the prototype that were found inmining magazines in the 1970’s. Since the scalingis based on the height of a man in one of thepictures the proportions of the various compo-nents of the model will at best be approximate. As


well, the pictures were small and/or unclear so thedetails of features on the model are a guess. Themodel is about 6' 5" long, 20" wide and 3' high (notincluding the mast at the front top of the supportboom). The scale is approximately 1:40. At theToronto Hobby Show in November 2001, it wasa hit with the children since bucket wheel excava-tors had been showcased on the Discovery Chan-nel the week before the show.

Figure CaptionsFigure CaptionsFigure CaptionsFigure CaptionsFigure CaptionsFigure 1 - Completed model of an O&K (Orensteinand Koppel AG) bucket wheel excavator as usedin the Alberta Tar Sands near Fort McMurray.View of the discharge conveyor in place in thesuperstructure, supported by the arm from theupper pivot. The discharge chute is supported atits back end by its support arm.

Ron Kurtz

February 21, 2009

Editors note: because of the sheer size and com-plexity of this fantastic model plan, we havedecided to publish it to the world on the CMAMASwebsite rather than including it only in CMN. Seewww.cmamas.ca under “Special Features” forthe complete details.


Magic ofMagic ofMagic ofMagic ofMagic ofMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccanoMeccano

20092009200920092009The Magic of Meccanoshow at the Kew BridgeSteam Museum in London,England is a major eventfor Meccano enthusiastsin the south of England.Jim MacCulloch of theWest London MeccanoSociety and Adrian Will-iams of the Holy TrinityMeccano Club have orga-nized the recent shows onbehalf of all the Londonarea clubs in cooperationwith the Kew Bridge Mu-seum Trust. The eventstarted about 1990 as adisplay of models everysecond year, but now withshows in 2008 and 2009 itmay become an annual event pending a decisionby the Museum for 2010.

The Kew Bridge Museum is a wonderful locationfor presenting Meccano models. From 1838 to1943 huge steam engines in this station pumpedwater from the nearby Thames River to consumersin the western suburbs of London. The station stillpumps water, but with electric motors since 1943.Fortunately, several of the original steam engineshave been preserved and some still operate withlive steam, though they no longer pump water.

The museum also has collectedworking steam pumps from othersites and set them in the spacewhere the large coal-fired boilersonce stood. Diesel and gas pump-ing engines are included in thecollection as well as one 20-footdiameter waterwheel that drivesa pump.

Four original Kew beam enginesremain. 1) The Boulton and WattWest Cornish Engine has a 64-inch diameter piston, an 8-footstroke and a 24-inch pump thatdelivered 130 gallons per stroke.This engine, built in the Birming-ham works of Boulton and Watt,was initially installed at Chelseain 1819 and moved to Kew in1839. Further restoration will beneeded for steam operation to be

possible. 2) Next to the Boulton & Watt pumpis the Maudslay Engine with a 65-inch piston,an 8-foot stroke and a 23-inch pump that alsodelivered 130 gallons on each stroke. Thiswas installed in 1838, modified considerablyover its working life and restored in 1988.Two larger engines are located in a separatebuilding. 3) The 90-inch engine, so named forits piston diameter, was built in 1846 with an11-foot stroke and a 46-inch pump that deliv-ered 472 gallons per stroke. It was restoredin 1976 and is the largest working beamengine in the world. 4) The even larger 100-inch engine, installed beside the 90-inch one


in 1869, had the same 11-foot strokeand a 46-inch pump that moved 717gallons on a stroke. This engine wasoperational until 1958 as a standbyfor the modern electric pumps. Unfor-tunately each of these large enginesso completely fills its enclosure thatno photograph could cover the wholemachine.

For the visitor approaching the mu-seum from the street, the most promi-nent feature is the elegant 197-foottower that looks like a smokestack,

but actually is a standpipe that providedthe pressure for delivering water to theconsumers.

So with a desire to see this exceptionalmuseum as well as participate in aMeccano exhibition, I timed a visit to ourdaughter in Scotland to fit with the Magicof Meccano show on April 18 and 19 ofthis year. I brought along my model of the1788 Boulton and Watt steam engine thatI had displayed at the 2006 TorontoHobby Show. Unlike the pumps at Kew,this beam engine produced rotationalmotion with sun and planet gears and aflywheel. The original is in London’sKensington Science Museum.

About 40 modelers displayed their cre-ations on tables distributed throughoutthe museum in the midst of the historicengines. Here are some examples. TheLondon Eye by Alan Wenbourne: Theconnection of all the structural rods in thisgiant wheel required some 600 rod andstrip connectors. However, the majorchallenge was to simulate the actualmotors that keep the observing cageshorizontal as the wheel rotates. ThisAlan accomplished with rods geared toeach cage and to the central bearing. TheSunderland and Wear Radial BlocksettingCrane by Peter Goddard: He has re-searched all types of blocksetters andwritten about them. This 50-ton crane,used at Sunderland, England in 1885, hada fixed timber base so it positioned theblocks entirely by slewing and carriage


travel on the jib. Also in the picture is Peter’sRushton-Holt tractor.

Locomotive 92024 by Dennis Remnant: Den-nis constructed this exceptionally detailed 2-10-0 model from a plan by Paul Joachim. In1954 British Rail built this series of 10 locomo-tives with Franco-Costi boilers that preheatedthe water.

Orreries by Michael Whiting: Michael is ex-pert on orreries. He had several models de-picting satellite systems around the majorplanets.

Motor Chassis by Roger Marriott: He demon-strated three working Meccano chassis alongwith several of the 1930’s kits and the cars madefrom them.

O-Gauge Trains by Ivor Ellard: Ivor lived inUnited States for a while so he used hiscollection of Erector strips and girders for thebridges.

Jigsaw by Chris Bourne: Chris demonstratedhis jigsaw by making puzzles from MeccanoMagazine covers. He assured me they werecopies, not originals.

Traction Engine by John Fowler: John con-structed this realistic traction engine entirelyfrom refurbished parts. He also had asupermodel grandfather clock that kept accu-rate time.

Meccanographs by Mike Fallows: Mike hasconstructed many innovative Meccanographsthat produce remarkable patterns.

Wadden Steam Engine by Jim MacCullough:The original engine for this model is directly

behind Jim. This 1910 horizontal compoundsteam engine came from the Croydon pump-ing station, where it was in use until 1983.

The usual dealers Mike Rhoades from York-shire and Dave Taylor from Essex had largestands with many tempting parts for sale.Mike concentrates on the resale of traditionalparts while Dave has new replica parts as wellfrom Ashok and other suppliers. On a smallertable with used and refurbished parts therewas Ted Lintern from the London suburb ofNorthwood, his prices were less than the

others so Mike purchased some parts from him forlater resale!

Don Morton


MECCANO &MECCANO &MECCANO &MECCANO &MECCANO &ERECTORERECTORERECTORERECTORERECTOR

Parts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & LiteratureParts, Sets & Literature

Old, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, RestoredOld, New, Used, Restored

Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)Send $2.00 (U.S. or CDN)

New Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/PricesNew Parts List w/Prices

*** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ****** SPECIAL TO MEMBERS ***

Remote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control UnitsRemote Control Units

with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00with 2 Motors: US $50.00

ALSOALSOALSOALSOALSO

Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00Master Builder Sets: US $100.00

(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)(Shipping Extra)

Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;Discounts on 1990's sets;

Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.Call or e-mail for details.

LOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLILOU BOSELLI

19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.19 Payson Rd.

Cornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-HudsonCornwall-on-Hudson

N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.N.Y. 12520 U.S.A.

(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863(845) 534-2863

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

The PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerThe PeddlerFOR SALE: 1927 Meccano Set - excellent condi-tion. Complete with miscellaneous pamphlets andmagazines. Contact:Greg Greason for in-ventory and photosApt. 10, 72 IsabellaSt., Toronto, ON.,Canada M4Y 1N4,[email protected],Tel: 416-924-0423.

FOR SALE: Illustrated below: 2 non-Meccanogirders, plus 2 angle plates and 3 small connectorplates. Plus, I turned up a little wrench stamped“Meccano Made in England” which would beincluded in the pile. $5 for all plus shipping,Stephen Dukoff, [email protected] or 613-376-3851. I’m located in the village of Sydenham, justnorth of Kingston, Ontario.


Magic of Meccano 2009Magic of Meccano 2009Magic of Meccano 2009Magic of Meccano 2009Magic of Meccano 2009- Kew Museum Photos- Kew Museum Photos- Kew Museum Photos- Kew Museum Photos- Kew Museum Photos

See page 24.

canadian meccanotes 200906 · ltd.. north american subscribers to canadian ... m2r 1k7,...

Documents