The Meccano Magazine was a monthly hobby magazine published by Meccano Ltd of Liverpool, England, makers of Meccano construction toys and Hornby toy trains. It was another of the marketing ploys developed by the inventor of Meccano and managing director of Meccano Ltd, Frank Hornby.

Meccano was the first toy manufacturer in the world to actively brand, publicise and market their products with an inspired sales programme. The magazine, which was first published in 1916, not only promoted the latest Meccano and later Hornby toy trains, but let boys know about the contemporary international engineering, railway and aviation developments and encouraged boys to consider occupations such as the various branches of engineering.

Whilst the magazine was largely didactic, in the early period it also actively encouraged boy ownership and carried reports and contributions from the Hornby Railway Company and Meccano Guild branches which were all run by boys, and readers' suggestions from around the world including Australia, South Africa and Canada. The magazine's last issue was Spring 1981. Lasting over 60 years, it is considered that Meccano Magazine was the most important boys' general hobby magazine in the twentieth century.

Beardsley, Roger, "The Hornby Companion", [The Hornby Companion Series Vol.8], New Cavendish Books, London, 1992

Margaret Simpson,
Curator, Science & Industry,
2007

Magazines (2), 'Meccano Magazine', paper, published by Meccano Ltd, Liverpool, England, March 1930 and 1941

The March 1930 copy of Meccano Magazine comprises 86 pages printed in an A4 format. The content includes feature articles on building giant locomotives, the Garratt express locomotives in New Zealand, grain handling plants and becoming a railway engineer. Regular features include articles on engineering, aviation and railway news, and various hobbies including nature study, philately and book reviews. Reports on what was happening in the various Hornby Railway Company and Meccano Guild branches, Meccano model building contests, the Meccano dragline excavator and readers' suggestions are also included.

The September 1941 copy of Meccano Magazine comprises 31 pages printed in an A4 format. As it was published during the Second World War there are less pages than previous editions and the feature articles are of a military nature including naval gunnery, the Meccano Spitfire and the Bristol Beaufighter. The magazine has similar regular features previously noted in the March 1930 edition.

The first issue of the Meccano Magazine appeared in September/October 1916 as a 4-page bi-monthly publication. The first copies were given away free but in 1918 a fee of 2d for four issues was instigated. In 1919 the magazine doubled in size to 8 pages and cost 1d per issue. New Meccano parts were advertised in 1920 and in 1922 the magazine grew into a monthly publication with full colour covers from 1924. By December 1924 the magazine had grown to 96 pages. The company exported to many countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and other parts of the British Commonwealth and had content relevant to these countries.

By 1930 the magazine featured new models and parts, model building competitions and articles about contemporary railways, electricity, inventors and the latest engineering and transport developments. It is believed that at its peak in 1930 Meccano Magazine had a circulation of 70,000 copies. Between 1928 and 1937 the famous Meccano Supermodel leaflets were published including the giant block setting crane, dragline excavator, electric mobile crane and railway breakdown crane.

During World War II the content and quality of the magazine was reduced due to wartime austerity. It decreased in size from A4 to an A5 format which continued until 1961 when the A4 size resumed.

In 1963 the magazine began making a loss so Meccano Ltd handed publication over to its printers, Thomas Skinner. Skinner finished producing the magazine in 1967 and it was taken up by Model & Allied Publications (MAP) of Hemel Hempstead in 1968. Publication stopped briefly at the end of 1972 due to another decline but resumed again in April 1973 as a quarterly magazine and from 1977 incorporated Meccano Engineer and the Meccanoman's Journal. The Meccano Magazine ceased in Spring 1981.

Gift of Max Burnet, 2007

2007/223/2

1930