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Hi All,Meccano and Dinky Toy Factory.My Two Aunty's worked their after the War,anyone remember them Dora Fielding (nee Lunt) and Marjorie Buck(nee Lunt).They had some good photos taken by some studio for publicity,A site called Reflections have some for view.I wonder what happened to my four engined Flying Boat,with a Single Engine float plane on top.Best Regards Ken B
ps Just going to have a cool one its 18c and its 11-30pm Phew
In W.H. Smiths.
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/6...mlaa240mc4.jpg
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my Nan -Virginia (Jean) Devereux- worked in Meccano in the 50's/60's.
she had a few unboxed dinky toys which she asked me to put on EBay for her a couple of years ago. they made over 300 quid! she was about 88 then and was chuffed to bits.
she says she wishes she'd have kept more instead of handing them out to her grandkids as presents. my cousins all got rid of them.
Does anyone know what happened to the Meccano sign (think it was in sandstone). Was it destroyed or salvaged?
Here's a pic of my mum on one of the machines in Meccano.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/a...yofMeccano.jpg
nice pic John :handclap:
Used to walk past the Meccano site every day going to work in the 80's, then it all came tumbling down !
what year was that Zapps? don't think my Nan has any photos from her time there. I'll ask her though.Quote:
Originally Posted by ItsaZappathing
Quincy - I think it was about 1975-78.
There was a Meccano factory in Speke, early 60s or their abouts
my Nan had retired by then so she probably wouldn't have known herQuote:
Originally Posted by ItsaZappathing
There was one in Hanson Rd Aintree but when that closed they all moved to Binns Rd.Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmy
Wan't the one in Speke in Edwards Lane?
Thanks M6AJJ, that was the where it was. The factory backed onto the railway line.:)
Was that at a later date when it became Airfix after Binns Rd closed down ?Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmy
Hi John found this article, it mayshed some light on the subject.
In 1938 Meccano Ltd launched the 00 gauge Hornby Dublo model railway system, comprising both clockwork and electric train sets. Production continued until 1964.[4]
In 1942 the production of all toys ceased due to wartime legislation and the company switched to manufacturing for the war effort. Despite the heavy bombing of Liverpool during the war, the Binns Road factory was not damaged. The production of Meccano, Dinky Toys and Hornby Dublo slowly resumed after the war in 1945, but was interrupted again in 1950 by the Korean War due to a shortage of metal.[2][4]
In 1960 Meccano Ltd purchased Bayko, a Bakelite building model construction toy, from Plimpton Engineering in Liverpool, and moved all its production to Meccano's factory in Speke, Liverpool. The construction sets were updated and polystyrene was used for all the plastic parts instead of Bakelite. Manufacture of Bayko continued until 1967.[7] Meccano Ltd also manufactured Kemex (chemistry sets) and Elektron (electrical sets).
[edit] Takeovers
By the early 1960s Meccano Ltd began experiencing financial problems, in spite of exports worth over ?1m, and was bought out by Lines Bros Ltd (Tri-ang), Meccano's biggest competitor, in February 1964. This purchase included both the British and French Meccano factories. Sweeping changes were implemented, including the removal from office of the last members of the Hornby family and applying the Hornby name to the Tri-ang plastic trains. In 1970 Lines Brothers changed the company name to Meccano-Tri-ang.[2]
In 1971 the Lines Brothers Tri-ang group went into voluntary liquidation and Meccano-Tri-ang was eventually sold to Airfix industries in 1972, the company name reverting back to Meccano Ltd. At the same time, General Mills, a United States toy manufacturer, purchased the majority of shares of Meccano France S.A., renaming the French company Miro-Meccano.[2]
[edit] The new Meccano
With competition from other manufacturers from around the world and the increasing popularity of television, Meccano Ltd's dominance of the toy market diminished sharply. To cut their losses, Airfix closed Meccano Ltd's flagship Binns Road factory in Liverpool in November 1979, bringing to an end three-quarters of a century of British toy making. The manufacture of Meccano, however, still continued in France. Airfix were eventually liquidated two years later and in 1981 General Mills purchased Meccano Ltd UK, giving it complete control of the Meccano franchise. It shifted all Meccano and Airfix operations to France and completely revamped the Miro-Meccano construction sets.[2][3]
In August 1985 French accountant Marc Rebibo bought Miro-Meccano from General Mills, reverted the French company name back to Meccano S.A. and reintroduced some of the discontinued Meccano sets. In 1989 Rebibo was bought out by Finamec (Financi?re de Serbie), who continued the manufacture of Meccano in France. In 1990 Meccano France purchased the "Erector" trademark in the U.S.A. and started selling Meccano sets marked "Erector Meccano" in the U.S.A.[2][3]
By 2000 Meccano France was faltering and was bought out in May 2000 by the Japanese toy company, Nikko, who continue to manufacture Meccano sets in France and China, although very different from the Meccano originally manufactured by the Binns Road factory.[2]
Well found Jimmy, very informative. I was very lucky having Lego, Meccano and airfix models throughout my childhood, oh and dozens of Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky vehicles.
Ditto. Nice one Jimmy:handclap:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/DSC01597.jpg
Taken during the Meccano strike.
Nice one Zap.
My late dad on a Dinky 'day out'!
Attachment 12124
Nice one Cad, looks like Brighton or Llandudno. Where was it taken?
1979 Good pic John :handclap:
Couldn't say sorry - nothing on the back of the photo.Quote:
Originally Posted by pablo42
...judging by the clothes, the name of the fair, and this history sheet...:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadfael
http://www.toyfair.co.uk/downloads/T...Toy%20Fair.pdf
I am the writer of the Dinky Toys encyclopaedia on CD. This is like a huge web site but on a CD. It contains a huge lot about the Dinky Toys and their history as well as articles about the Meccano factories :
• James Street Liverpool
• Duke Street Liverpool
• Binns road Liverpool
• Bobigny France
• Calais France
• Elisabeth N.J. U.S.A.
These articles contains many pictures of the factories showing some of the staff at work. It would be nice to add some and include the names of those people who made our toys many years ago.
Dinky Toys had their 75 th. anniversary last year and Meccano will be 110 next year and is the toy which has been made for the longest period. Today it is made in Calais France, in China and in Buenos Ayres Argentina.
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4...stedessais.jpg
Who are these two ?
I would be pleased to include in the CD any picture of the factory and it people, of memorabilia and any anecdote which you may provide.
You can write, send pictures and obtain the CD at dinkycollect@free.fr for £ 43.00
I have a few questions which you may answer :
• Although the Meccano factory was in Binns Road, the main entrance was in a cul de sac. Did this cul de sac have a name ?
• How far was the Crawfords factory ?
• What are your /your parents memories of Meccano Ltd.
Thank you for your help to improve the DINKY TOYS ENCYCLOPAEDIA
hmmmm, does that mean if we provide any content for ur encyclopaedia we'll get a percentage of all future profits that u're making ?