Meccano Ltd

Meccano Ltd.. is one of the British entrepreneur and politician Frank Hornby was founded in 1901 in Liverpool companies in the toy - making.

Metal construction kits

Meccano and Frank Hornby regarded as the inventor of the so-called Stable kit or metal kit. In contrast to formerly used stone and stoneware components usually produced by stamping sheet metal parts, from which children could build virtually any object durable and resilient by screwing contain these fabricated in metal. These kits mediated children first knowledge in assembly by bolts and nuts.

Different pack sizes at different prices enabled a technical with the age growing, child-friendly learning understanding and practical skills and technical skills.

Since 1912 on the European continent Göppinger company Märklin representative for Meccano and Suppliers: Marklin Meccano also built for spring winding engines. When the distribution of English toys in Germany was no longer possible by the Second World War, Märklin produced the Meccano components in his own name, with changed color. From the Meccano black was the Märklin green later.

Typical component of both Meccano and Märklin metal kits is a centrally perforated metal strips of about 20 mm width with semi-circular rounded ends - for avoidance of injury hazardous corners. This metal strip there - always at a constant hole grid of 12.7 mm, a half-inch - in a variety of hole numbers and lengths.

Car models

Meccano set from 1931 accessories for the then emerging as a toy model trains forth as figures of passers-by and train staff. Since 1934, the company produced under the brand name " Dinky Toys" and models of cars, planes and ships. Meccano was able to continue the work with success after the Second World War. With the advent of plastic toys mass-produced in the 1970s, the company's sales went further and further back until it was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1979.

Model Railways

Its sister company " Hornby " with the name of its founder, continues to exist today; It is a well known producer of model trains. Top model for some years a replica of the fastest ever built steam locomotive, the Blue Mallard, whose original ( now preserved as non-operating Museumslok ) with Tempo 202 import the previously unbeaten record for steam locomotives. The Hornby model in scale H0 is also a real steam locomotive: it is capable of using distilled water to produce in their tender from the stream of running rails steam and get around 20 minutes.