Do our toys affect our modelling now?

[bigherb]

I had Meccano and a Bayko set but the best for me was Airfix I learnt my modelling and painting skills through them.

[matto21]

I loved Lego and I still do. A couple of years ago I set about buying all the sets I couldn't afford when I was younger.

[Taz]

For me option 1, but can I carry on building my railway out of Lego

 

 

 

There are some real big benifits to having kids

[Talltim]

Meccano was always so much better, As an 18 year old I couldnt have made a new battery clamp for my rotting Vauxhall HA Viva out of Lego!

 

Dunno, my fridge is mended with Lego.

 

I'm going to have to say Lego has influenced my railway modelling. Until very recently I was very heavily into building trains from Lego (for some reason I've lost all interest in it in the last couple of months) My interest in US railroading stems from talking to US Lego train fans.

I also had FischerTechnik as a child, and while I like the idea of it, I could never really get my head around designing with it.

 

This was the last thing I built (just the loco), I've no photos of it as its not actually finished. The medium blue ~(main body) colour only has a limited range of parts in it and the Meark blue (top of the hood) even fewer so It was a challenge to build.

http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream

In the video is Carl Greatrix, who is currently the best Lego train builder around, although he modifies to many parts for my likeing ;-)

[bluebottle]

At the last couple of Pontefract shows, John Chism's Lego layout was one of the most popular, with brightly coloured big trains pelting round the corners at high speed. I suspect that all but the most fanatical of finescale modellers enjoyed the performance!

[simon hudson]

I was never into lego it was just appearing when I were a lad it was always Meccano and Airfix my old man was in the Merchant navy during the war and one of my early memories was helping(watching) him build HMS Hood and his attempt at the old Kitmaster coaches,As regard construction sets one of his old toys from his past was similar to Lego but it had metal rods that you slid panels onto and it made a beautiful 1930's style bungalow or semidetached house I played with it for hours does any one remember the old Triang Hornby Arkitex sets I did enjoy that I always tried to build Sunderland station Happy days

[Talltim]

one of my early memories was helping(watching) him build HMS Hood ,

was it like this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/legomonster/sets/72157604081309563/

As regard construction sets one of his old toys from his past was similar to Lego but it had metal rods that you slid panels onto and it made a beautiful 1930's style bungalow or semidetached house

Sounds like Bayko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayko

[Poggy1165]

I loved Meccano and Bayko as a kid but was never really into Lego. Sometimes I wish I still had my old Meccano (built up to a No.10 set of course!) as it would be fun to build a tower crane or whatever.

[simon hudson]

Bayko that was it I've even been looking on that auction site!!.nice model of the Hood all you need now is Bismark and Prinz Eugen Prince of Wales et al

[The Q]

A very small mecano kit for me and then many years of Airfix... never had lego.

The Q

[peach james]

I'm sitting at the computer, with Bricstol Temple Meeds right above my head. (some 7-8000 pieces of lego, 3 tracks...). So, yes, lego has played a small part in my modeling.

 

I've used some (but not a lot) of lego in the model of Long Marton, but there is also a lego version of a S&C station around here. I have 350 000+ pieces of lego here, was at a local mall with a Lego Certified Professional (Robin Sather) over the weekend. Then, I went digging for info on the Digitrax stuff for the OO scale, and I find myself sucked into here!

 

James

[rodshaw]

It was Meccano and Airfix for me, Lego came a bit late to grab my interest. My sister had a Bayko set, which I played with as well. (Those steel rods would never get past H&S these days!)

 

I used some Meccano to make a turntable mechanism on one layout. It wasn't the original Meccano though, but some I bought "for the children" in the 80s.

 

At a swapmeet last year, I saw a 1950s Meccano 5 set for sale for £15 - exactly the one I had as a kid. Wish I'd bought it now!

 

But it was my dad finding an old Tri-ang TT Jinty and some wagons and coaches I used to play with that kicked off my railway modelling about 12 years ago. They'd been stuck in a box somewhere for over 40 years and neither of us knew.

[charles2]

Hi all !

 

For me it was Lego with a good smattering of airfix thrown in for good measure!!! I still enjoying 'helping' my 8 yr old with some of his Lego kits & my 13 yr old sometimes wants a hand with some of the larger Star Wars sets (having said that, he built the 'Emerald Knight' on his own - and what a brilliant looking loco that is considering that it is built of Lego!!) - no doubt with him knowing how much daddy likes Star Wars from when his daddy took him to see it in '77 at the Odeon Leicester Square - the opening shot of Leia's ship being chased by the star destroyer literally blew my mind away (and still does!!), hooking me totally into the films!

 

TTFN!

Charles

[yorkie_pudd]

Seeing the HMS HOOD pics reminds me of an exhibition in the 70`s at Yorkshire Evening post in Leeds. They had a lego display of a battle ship and HMS ARK ROYAL with planes on the deck etc. It was just a jaw dropping view to behold which most kids these dont have the imagination to do or more likely state " why would anyone want to build or waste time doing it".

 

 

 

[Brit70053]

Never had Lego or Meccano, I think it was beyond my Parents' pocket, but like some others it was affordable Airfix Kits which got me started making models, the original instructions were so educational with details identified by name. A shame that the modern 'Assembly by Numbers' lack this information in deference to multi lingual general instructions

I still regret my Dad opining that Kitmaster Locos looked a bit complicated for my abilities. Later when I had the confidence they'd disappeared from the market.

 

The clockwork 'O' Gauge trainset I received as a 3 year old managed to sustain my 'Model Railway' (?) interest until a Dublo R1 goods set materialised at age 9.

The bug has never left me !

 

Regards,

 

John

[rodshaw]

Meccano components had wonderfully evocative names, like trunnion and cord anchoring spring.

[Grimly Feendish]

What a fascinating question.

 

I loved lego but has a difficult time choosing between options 1 & 2. I like building things but nowadays I have to trade off time for money. This isn't so bad considering the excellent quality of RTR relative to when I was young.

 

I always thought my love of Airfix kits had more of an impact on how I like to model these days. I still really enjoy making plastic kits.

[damndublo]

It must have been the Meccano that I was given second hand by family friends when I was about 6 or 7. Loved tin, metal and alloy ever since. Run Hornby Dublo and Trix TTR today in preference to modern stuff and have driven Series Land Rovers for close to forty years. With these ailments, it's got to have been the Meccano that was to blame.

[jamie92208]

One other connection to Meccano that I've just thought of. I've got a very vague recollection, from memories of adverts in the Meccano Magazine, that the Mamod stationary engines had meccano spaced holes in their base plates so that your Meccano machinery could be steam driven. That is definitely heading towards an interest in things steamy and mechanical.

 

Jamie

[rob D2]

I had a truck load of lego, does that make me a toff then (what a quaint phrase, but I guess some have a chip on both shoulders).

 

In fact I was a senior member of the legibuilders club (1981!!)

[rodshaw]

I still regret my Dad opining that Kitmaster Locos looked a bit complicated for my abilities. Later when I had the confidence they'd disappeared from the market.

John

 

It seems there's still plenty Kitmaster about...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/__kitmaster_W0QQ_dmdZ2?clk_rvr_id=324910684702&crlp=11229695404_284591_284611&UA=%3F*F%3F&GUID=7e05e4ea1330a06c21c66d36ff9fc844&adpos=1t1&agid=3117478084&tm_kw=kitmaster&siteid=3&MT_ID=11&tt_encode=raw&keyword=kitmaster&geo_id=32661&ff4=284591_284611

 

Rod

[edcayton]

Does anyone remember Talon TEK ?

 

Ed

[Brit70053]

John

 

It seems there's still plenty Kitmaster about...

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...4=284591_284611

 

Rod

 

I've managed to buy some of those which interested me in my far off youth, but of course they're no longer toys,... or at pocket money prices!

 

Cheers,

 

John

[birdseyecircus]

I got my first lego around 1977 about a year or two before the mini figures appeared. My mother often quotes ' He was bought all sorts for christmas that year and all he played with was the lego. We could have bought him just that and saved our money!'

 

Space ships, trains i built the lot! - including large exploration vehicles with lots of compartments so i could stuff woodlouse from the garden into them!

 

Paul

[coachmann]

I never did Lego really but Lego-ver was more of an influence.