Mamod demise?

[martyn]

I read a report today on a news site that Mamod has had to close, as the hexamine fuel it uses in its models is now severely restricted on general sale, plus a general rise on operating costs.

If so, that's another childhood firm closed; I still have a near 60 year old steam roller (mine) and an even older stationary engine (given to me by a friend) from the firm, but both use meths.

I can't now find the article to give a link to, but it was supposedly in the 'Daily Mail'

Martyn

[crewearpley40]

Sad. Happy memories

Martyn @martyn

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13755521/Government-anti-terror-ban-forces-historic-British-model-steam-train-firm-close-87-years.html


Is thus what you are thinking ?

[martyn]

Yep, that's it, Chris.

I've just found it myself.

Be aware it may lead to a flood of spam adverts when on the Daily Mail website!

Martyn

[Bealman]

Yes, a bloody shame. I well remember that stationary engine with the meths burner in the tray with the handle. You could use it to power Meccano models. Sad.

[Ensign Elliott]

That's sad, I have a Mamod traction engine from when I was little. You see them quite often at Toy & Train fairs and antique shops for decent prices.

[asherjackson]

Sad, I used to order here all the time. Now it's just a memory.

[Beach Halt]

I had the double piston static model as a kid. Had lots of fun with it.

[keithfre]

the hexamine fuel it uses in its models is now severely restricted on general sale

Similar solid fuel tablets (e.g. Wilesco) appear to be still on sale here in the Netherlands and Germany. Whether it would be legal to import them into the UK could be another matter, of course...

[Paul J]

I used to use a Mamod steam loco around 30 years ago. The first thing to be replaced was the burner with something not powered by those useless tablets.

I find it very odd that they could not switch to meths burning. I suspect the "rise in operating costs" (i.e. not making any money) might be the main reason.

[martyn]

Yes, I wondered why they didn't just switch back to meths again-or would that be deemed a fire hazard or something similar in today's H+S.

It's quite possible that this reason is masking something else, I just think it a shame that the firm has gone under.

Martyn

[zwilnik]

I used to use a Mamod steam loco around 30 years ago. The first thing to be replaced was the burner with something not powered by those useless tablets.

I find it very odd that they could not switch to meths burning. I suspect the "rise in operating costs" (i.e. not making any money) might be the main reason.

Back when I had one as a kid and of course ran out of the fuel tablets that came with it, I ignored the warnings in the instructions and just used meths in the tray. The main issue was that it caused a lot of carbon build up on the underside of the boiler, which would probably cause it to corrode or overheat. I'm guessing that's from meths not burning quite as clean as the 'proper' stuff.

[Paul J]

There used to be plenty of third party meths or gas burners for Mamods. I used both at one time or another.

There were also better engineered basic locos available from other makers for not much more money...

It is a shame that they are finally no more.

I was a member of the Huddersfield Railway Modellers. Their well known 16mm section started with various quality Mamod conversions back in the mid 1980s.

[zwilnik]

There were also better engineered basic locos available from other makers for not much more money...

I've got an option to buy a pretty battered (definitely used) Bowman O Gauge 4-4-0 Loco from about 1930. It's definitely in need of repair and missing its tender, but still tempted as a project (as if I don't already have enough of those )

[cmason]

Hmmm.

Never knew Hexamine could be used as a fuel in Mamods. My stationary engine ( that I connected to Meccano machines ) in the 1960's had a meths burner that came with it.

Also they are a bit late out of the gates on Hexamine aren't they? Yes, looking it up I do understand that it can be use as a pre-cursor for RDX, which has been around for over 80 years. However it has been widely used in the hexi-burners issued with compo-rations and also available for camping etc. for almost as long, so it seems strange that it is only now being regulated. Does this mean it cannot be bought for camping etc. as well? I do remember that hexi is nasty stuff and should not be burnt indoors inside a tent - nor did one want to taint one's tea with it when brewing up,

Colin.

[cmason]

So I dug a bit further:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensing-for-home-users-of-explosives-precursors/licensing-for-home-users-of-poisons-and-explosive-precursors

However May 2023 is just an update and it seems it has been regulated in some way since much earlier. So I wonder why the crackdown now,

Colin.