Hornby Meccano

Hornby boats were manufactured by Meccano ,Liverpool. In my opinion ,the best manufacturer of toys the world has seen. The range of toys from Meccano construction sets and accessories to the most famous Hornby trains and Dinky vehicles. Made to a very high standard, the motors are made to the same high quality as the more famous Hornby Clockwork locomotive motors. The achilles heel of Hornby boats is that most of the metal boats have 'sealed' compartments that can let in moisture . and the hulls can rot from the inside. The larger non 'racing' boats can run for over 500 feet on one winding, which travelling at about a foot / second , gives a run of approx. 8 minutes. With the springs correctly greased with with graphite grease , and the precision gears and propeller shaft lightly oiled , these boats run beautifully.
Overall , Hornby boats are very impressive. Not quite 'seaside paddling pool' boats ; they would have been , like all Hornby toys in the 1930s , predominantly the preserve of 'middle class' boys.
The post war plastic Hornby boats are not manufactured to the same standard as the pre-war boats , and also the plastic hulls have a tendency to warp , as all toys made from plastic around 1950/60s have a tendency to do.