NORTH WEST MECCANO GUILD
Clicking on many of the pictures enlarges them and provides extra information. The models are usually attributed to the builder.
The Guild is always interested in preventing good Meccano going to waste. If you
have any Meccano to re-
Click “Exhibitions” for a calendar of our events. Or “Event Details” for information about individual ones.
Click “North West” for information about Meccano on display and Meccano related locations in the North West of England.
Meccano in the North West of England
Liverpool
Museum of Liverpool, Pierhead.
The museum has a considerable number of Meccano and Hornby exhibits. They are displayed in small groups in different parts of the museum. There are also some impressive Bayco models.
The staff run model building sessions using metal Meccano quite frequently, particularly in school holidays.
Parking nearby is expensive. There is meter parking on either side of the former Cunard Building and a large car park for the Albert Dock Complex a short distance to the south.
Giant Meccano Bridge at Nob End, Little Lever, near Bolton.
Click on the button on the
Right for more Information.
Hornby’s Homes and Factories.
Hornby and his parents lived in quite a large number of places in Liverpool including 77 Copperas Hill, Mill Street, St. Anne Street, 20 College St. N, Stamford St., 13 Hawarden Ave., 10 Elmbank Road, Sefton Park and 22 Carlingford St . All these streets except the last still exist. The Editor of the Meccanomans’ Journal visited Liverpool in the late 1960s and found that the Sefton Park house still existed. Meccano was successively manufactured at 18 James Street, 12 Duke Street, 274 West Derby Road and Binns Road (L13 1DA). The roads remain but the premises have disappeared.
Maghull
Maghull is dormitory area for Liverpool lying either side of the A59 just north of its junction with the M57 and M58. When Frank Hornby became a successful businessman he moved there. It has a station on the Liverpool to Ormkirk Line with frequent electric trains. The first of his houses, near the station, has a blue plaque.
Maghull, Meadows Leisure Centre and Library (L31 7BB).
This houses a display of good quality Meccano and Hornby exhibits. It publishes a booklet about the places of interest in Maghull with pictures of Frank Hornby’s last house on the front.
Click on the pictures to enlarge. It is signposted from the A59 just north of the junction with the M57 and M58
“The Frank Hornby” L31 6BR
This is a Wetherspoons pub. It differs from most by having been a pub before
Wetherspoons took it over, which means that it has a less barn like interior and
a car park. There is a large amount of Meccano and Hornby material on display, more
artistic rather than informative. We found that the pub was more crowded than most
Wetherspoons pubs which meant that viewing the exhibits was rather difficult, particularly
the OO gauge exhibits (mostly not Hornby-
The food comes from the usual Wetherspoons menu. We agreed with the regulars that the service was a bit slow but the beer was good. They seemed to be serving two meals for the price of one but both on the same plate.
The streets nearby have names related to the first conquest of Everest and there is some material about this on display.
The pub is situated on Eastway, a short distance East of its junction with
the A59, signed Skelmersdale. It is a bit difficult to spot coming from this direction.
The inn sign looks like a daub of white paint on a black background. It is based
on the well known photograph of Frank in court dress. You have gone too far if you
get to the Co-
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-
Places associated with Frank Hornby.
Hornby is buried in St. Andrew’s Churchyard near the Town Hall on the opposite side of the A59. His first house in Maghull “The Hollies”, 32 Station Road has a blue plaque to identify it. (This Station Road , unlike many, still has a station).
The position of his final palatial home, Quarry Brook, is not publicised, but it should possible to locate it using published photographs and perhaps the Town Hall’s guide.
Preston
The Harris Museum.
There are a few Meccano and Hornby items on display in the same first floor room as the elk. The Museum is in a magnificent building and the other exhibits are worth looking at should you be in Preston.
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Site of James May’s Meccano Bridge
The site of the bridge can be visited. It crossed the new extension of the Leeds
And Liverpool Canal in front of the “Three Graces” at the Pierhead. Unfortunately,
no trace remains. The television programme can be viewed on You -
To see pictures taken during the construction of the bridge Click Here
To see pictures taken during the erection of the bridge and of James May crossing the Click Here
Southport
The Atkinson Museum.
The Guild was asked to help with a display highlighting the achievements of
notable Sefton citizens. Frank Hornby spent the latter part of his life in Maghull,
commuting to Binns Road in his Rolls-
We were able to collect together a surprising number of interesting items to loan
for the display. Only a few of the representative collection of historic outfits
can be seen in the photographs. These include a 1910 No. 5 outfit including wheels
with the “tunnel” keyway. Also in the display case, but out of shot, are Hornby-
The Meccano models include examples made from parts covering most of the period when a Hornby was in charge at Binns Road.
Craven Arms, Shropshire.
The Land of Lost Content.
Not really in the North West but there are direct trains from Manchester. This bizarre museum may have more exhibits on display than much larger ones. It contains nearly all things that most people threw away long ago, (or in this house some which are still in use). There are examples of long forgotten cigarette brands (a small room full) and hard toilet paper (display only). There is quite a good display of Meccano covering much of Binns Road history including a large model Flyboats and unused sets. It is rather far back in the display, something that it has in common with a museum higher up the list.
Good refreshments are available. You need to check opening times. The Web-
