This was the first model I built when I rediscovered Meccano building in 1980. This was shortly after I had purchased The Hornby Companion Series book "The Meccano Super Models " by Geoff Wright. At the time my Meccano collection was mainly what I had as a kid with a few additional parts purchased on second hand stalls. To build the model I had to purchase some new sprocket chain, 4 P/N 133 corner brackets and two P/N 50 slide pieces. I remember I had to wait several weeks for the corner pieces as Geoff Wright as M.W. Models was awaiting a delivery from France. Power was supplied by my childhood E20R Meccano motor well geared down. In May 2009 I decided to build the model again but this time using 1978 dark blue and yellow parts. It is basically much the same but since I first built it I guess I have honed my building skills and somewhat increased the parts I have available. Red and green are probably the colours for this model but I think it looks very smart in mainly shiny new condition 1978/79 parts. The model is driven by a small black modern 6 volt French motor driven by a tensioned belt drive to the six inch pulley. I replaced the chain drive to the governor, partly because it kept coming off at high speed, with a Mamod steel cord belt. As you can see I also filled in the cylinders. By modern standards it is hardly in the Super Model class but it has always been a favourite of mine. The instructions for "The Single Cylinder Horizontal Steam Engine" originally appeared in 1928 as super Model leaflet No.11and could be built with the contemporary No. 6 Set. It was obviously popular as it was updated and reprinted several times. The last time in 1936 using the then new strip plates, this is the version I originally built and shown below. Many versions of this type of engine appeared in Meccano manuals right up to 1978. The model runs well and lends itself to easy modification.   Horizontal steam engines of this type were the work horse of many manufacturing industries through out the 19th century and much of the 20th. The engine would drive many pieces of machinery through a system of belts and pulleys. There is a nice example of this type of engine in the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent painted red and green. May 18 2009

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