179^th Meeting of the Transvaal Meccano Guild

(Saturday 23th August 2003: Fuschia Room, Jabula Center, Sandringham)

Model report (Write-up by Stuart Marr, Pics by Chris Els)

Peter Mathews

Narrow Gauge 0-6-0 Tank Locomotive

Peter Matthews demonstrated an extremely compact tank engine, built according to a design by Mike Etkinds.

The only connection between the gearbox and the driving wheels is by means of rubber grommets. The model uses a standard MO Meccano motor.

The vehicles that will accompany the locomotive use small bevel gears for wheels, the bosses resting on the rails.

Bill Steele

Giant Gantry Crane

Bill Steele showed off the latest development in the three-year saga of the Giant Gantry Crane, which is the upper part that will rest on top of a gantry.

It is based on a prototype that was used by Bow-waters Paper Dealers in Manchester.

The model features an Adcock and Wilcock patented level luffing mechanism and tracking geometry. The 1920s design was promoted as requiring

less power to operate because of the short, balanced jib, but it required more maintenance than normal cranes.

Examples of this crane were thought to have all disappeared in the 1940s, but there are three still working in Cape Town Harbor.

The model will feature two jibs and two hoists. The superstructure will rest on one of Bert Love’s bearings (using slide pieces).

Dave Heathcote

Ball Clock

Dave Heathcote’s clock is based on a design by John Wilding, and includes Pat Briggs’s recoil escapement.

The motor which is used to automatically rewind the clock is also the weight that drives it.

As the motor sinks down it actuates a lever which causes the ball bearing to roll to the right and close the circuit.

As the motor rises it actuates another lever which lifts the ball roller up and the ball rolls to the left, breaking the circuit.

Patrick 'O Shea

Caroller

Patrick has built a Caroller, using the same frame that was used for his gantry crane, and then for his workshop.

The prototype consisted of a row of partially-filled wine buckets tuned to different octaves. The buckets were struck by hammers, triggered by a large rotating drum.

The rotating drum is made of three paint tins carefully drilled. Pop rivets will be placed in the holes to lift the hammers. It will play 38 notes before the pattern is repeated.

Clifford Brown

Radial Traveling Crane

Clifford Brown’s crane is mounted on a base similar to that of a blocksetter. The model still needs to be motorized and balanced.

It makes use of part 160d (the Channel Bearing).

Clifford also showed some badly bent angle girders to illustrate the kind of damage that can be expected when a large crane falls over.

Anthony Els

Miniature Blocksetter

Anthony Els demonstrated the working of a Hollard and Pitt crane, based on a design by John Sinton. The prototype was used in South Spain in the late 19^th Century.

The compact model has neat pistons and lattice-work, and a small electric motor (running quietly on 1.5 Volts) hidden in the boiler.

ElectriKit Magnet Holders (Part no. 525) are used to close off the I-beams, giving the model a solid, finished appearance.

The Sinton design includes clamped parts, to accommodate non-standard spacing, and to hold the rails in place, but these parts are easily knocked out of alignment.

Also the rubber grommets that hold the gears in place tend to vibrate out of position, causing the gears to disengage.

Argentinean (EXACTO) Gears

Anthony Els also demonstrated a non-Meccano gear-train, using Exacto gears from Argentina.

The use of helicals reduces play and makes the gear-train particularly quiet and smooth-running.

Exacto make some very useful parts, that could have been incorporated into the Meccano system, including 10, 55, 60-tooth gears, and helicals that mesh across 1.5 inches

Chris Els

Special Edition Locomotive

Chris Els presented his model of the Centenary Locomotive, and expressed some doubts about its reliability. It includes a small plastic pinion engaging a plastic contrate, held in place by a rubber grommet.

The model runs noisily and can’t be oiled because of the rubber parts.

Hornby Hobbies Stephensons Rocket

Chris Els also showed his nicely restored model of a Hornby Hobbies Stephenson’s Rocket. The model runs on tough plastic tracks, that can be joined together to make either curves or straights (depending on which way they are connected).

Chris ran the engine on the patio outside to the delight of many of the members.

Andries Botha

Multikit Crane

Andries Botha demonstrated a small crane built by his 10-year-old daughter.

Dick Anstee

Beam Engine

Dick Anstee’s latest creation is a giant beam engine, that drives a small water pump, such as may have been used in Cornish tin mines in the 1880s.

The model is based on plans by Brian Rail, and was easily assembled apart from the parallel motion above the cylinder. A large, solid and impressive model.

179th Meeting of the Transvaal Meccano Guild