Subject:
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Re: Lego Technic: R.I.P. ?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Fri, 15 Nov 2002 04:30:34 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmailNOSPAM.net>
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Viewed:
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850 times
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Allan Bedford wrote:
> Not to nitpick, but remember that Meccano and Erector were two distinct and
> different companies. The latter being somewhat of a clone of the first.
Really?! I always thought the Meccano company made both sets - simply
*calling* them 'Erector' in the USA and 'Meccano' in the UK.
I have both Meccano (carefully saved since I was a kid) - and Erector
sets purchased in the USA several years ago. The two systems aren't
just similar, they are IDENTICAL - many of the quirks of the parts set
are faithfully reproduced in both sets (even though they were
purchased 35 years apart!)...right down to the weird square nuts and
the wrench that comes with them.
The problem with large-scale Meccano/Erector is that you can generate
some seriously powerful machines in solid metal...kids could REALLY
hurt themselves....you can build Technics machines that'll do you some
serious damage too - but it's a lot easier to do that with Meccano.
I like Lego much more - the parts don't rust - and the paint doesn't
rub off!
> > that came in a massive wooden trunk with layers and
> > layers of felt-lined trays to hold the parts. It was more like a
> > piece of Victorian furniture than a kids toy. They always had
> > sets available up to truly insane sizes and prices. I get the
> > impression that the larger ones were just there to give kids something
> > to lust after! The sets were just numbered as a function of size -
> > there was no theme to them at all.
>
> The larger sets (up to the grand #10) were indeed something to lust after.
> Having personally seen #10's packaged in their wooden 4-drawer cabinets, I
> can assure you that even fans of plastic bricks would appreciate the majesty
> of a building system that comes wrapped so handsomely.
Yes - it was a wonder to behold. (I thought the large sets had LOW
numbers and the small ones had the larger numbers - but I'm sure
you're right).
Amongst my circle of friends, it was always our goal to have a larger
numbered set than anyone else. The #10 set was almost mythalogical -
nobody had seen one, the largest any of us had was at least three
below that...but there was always a picture of it in the build
instructions of the lesser sets.
> Like LEGO, Meccano can be built on two different levels... you can simply
> follow some of the old instruction books and turn out neat little models.
> Or, in the hands of an adult with a sizable collection, you can turn out
> some of the massive sculptures and/or machines that we sometimes see from
> adult LEGO fans. Some of the gearing and mechanisms possible with Meccano
> would make a LEGO Mindstorms fan drool. :)
Definitely.
Meccano mechanics combined with modern motors and electronics would be
an awesome thing!
Meccano sets were more like Lego's bulk buckets - Here are a load of
parts - with a set of instructions that incidentally show you some of
the things you can build. That's a lot different from: Here are the
instructions to build the thing on the box lid...there will be NO
parts left over - and there *might* be some instructions to build a
vastly inferior second model - but probably not.
> > > Books were provided to encourage a
> > > certain level of initial building experience mainly to show what the
> > > different bits and pieces could be used for. The emphasis, however, was on
> > > viewing the toy as a collection of parts rather than a "model kit" with the
> > > intent that the users imagination and creativity could be let loose.
>
>
> > Yep.
>
>
> Until the later years... when they focused much more on themed sets. It was
> all downhill from there. :(
Exactly.
What remains to be determined though is whether this is the chicken or
the egg.
Is it that sales of 'generic' sets started to fall alarmingly - so the
company panics and starts making themed sets in order to keep business
alive? .... Or is it that they thought they could make more money with
themed sets and that's causing the demise of the 'generic' parts
business?
If it's the former - then there may just be bigger societal reasons
why both Lego and Meccano went the same (seemingly suicidal) route.
---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
Projects : http://plib.sf.net http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Lego Technic: R.I.P. ?
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| (...) Meccano was started in England by Hornsby... Erector followed years later in the U.S. For many years they were each other's competition. (...) If you look at the bottom of that 3-year-old posting I mentioned, you'll note that the eventual (...) (22 years ago, 15-Nov-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Lego Technic: R.I.P. ?
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| (...) Not to nitpick, but remember that Meccano and Erector were two distinct and different companies. The latter being somewhat of a clone of the first. That said, and in the context of this thread, there are a number of lessons the LEGO company (...) (22 years ago, 15-Nov-02, to lugnet.robotics)
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