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bases. Bakelite bricks, windows and other parts could then be slotted between pairs of rods in order to create the walls of the building. Other commonly used parts included floors (thin sheets of resin bonded paper with the same square pattern grid of holes as bases), and roofs of various types. There were also a large number of other more specialised parts. In the original sets bases were large, and coloured brown; walls were brown/maroon and cream; roofs were deep maroon; and windows were a very dark green, but by 1937 the 'true' colours of red or white walls, green windows and red roofs were established, though bases were still large and brown.
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this set, initially, were 'Oak', a mottled brown colour made by the addition of sawdust to the resin, and sets like this were, and indeed remain, much cherished. In 1937 the familiar, long-lived colour scheme of red and white bricks with green windows was implemented for the standard sets. In late 1937, or early 1938, "Set 6" was also changed to the new standard colours and a conversion set, "set 5A", was introduced. However, until wartime austerity interrupted, any set could still be ordered in 'Oak'.
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version, initially in a mottled green. Post war the standard colours were red and white walls, red roofs, green windows and green bases, and, despite some experiments with 'rogue' colours in the years immediately after the war, these remained in play until 1959 when
Meccano took over, changing the colours to orange red and cream bricks with yellow windows and grey bases.
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By 1938, the Bayko sets were described as "Bayko
Building Sets", as a period of change began. The 20s series, updated Ornamental sets, were introduced, in which curved bricks and windows and orange turrets were perhaps the most noteworthy introductions. In 1939 all the existing sets were relaunched
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In 1935 three
Ornamental Sets A, B and C were introduced that contained decorative parts to supplement the existing sets, including pillars, arches and mottled green roofs. In 1936 a "Set 6" was introduced, a much larger set than "Set 5" that included all the new ornamental parts. All the bricks in
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bases had a square grid of holes, spaced at 3/8 inch centres, into which thin metal rods, 75 thou in diameter, of various lengths, could be placed vertically. In order to make larger models, two or more bases could be joined together by means of metal links secured by screws through holes in the
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Over its lifespan, both
Plimpton and Meccano Bayko was exported across the world, and, besides being a toy, it attracted a modest adult following that still exists today. A healthy trade in original Bayko sets and parts also exists today, with some enthusiasts even casting their own Bayko pieces.
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developed in the early 1900s. The sets were called "Bayko Light
Construction Sets" (the term "Bayko Light" coming from the name "Bakelite") and went on sale nationally towards the end of 1934. There had been, however, limited production, with sets literally packed on the kitchen table, 12 months
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A period of radical change was heralded in 1938 with the introduction of the much sought after 20s series, through which a number of new parts were introduced. Then, in 1939, the 'New Series' retooling programme added to the range of new parts and changed the bases to the more familiar, smaller
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Strangely, as Bayko was being 'milked' as it struggled, unsupported in the market place, another re-tooling programme was begun. This comprised the introduction of the 'Flanged' or 'Minimalist' bricks and related parts, reverting to red and white bricks, but this programme of change was stopped
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Plimpton began the move to polystyrene parts, gradually, from the mid-1950s onwards, a change which
Meccano subsequently took up with enthusiasm, it being so much cheaper to produce. Ironically perhaps, in the last days of Bayko, they began to reverse this change, of both materials and colour
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By 1963 Meccano Ltd also began feeling the pressure of competing toys, even though the models Bayko produced were more realistic architectural constructions, and advertising was increasingly scarce, even in
Meccano Magazine, their own publication. By 1964, now under the Tri-ang ownership, all
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Further new parts were added to the sets in 1949 and 1950, probably from
Charles Plimpton's innovation stream, were introduced to increase the realism and flexibility of the system. Although the initial plans had been for a further two sets, the range was completed in 1952 when "set 4" was
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Initially five sets were produced, "Set 1" (the smallest, entry level) through to "Set 5" (the largest). The bricks were brown and cream, the bases brown, the windows dark green, and the roofs dark maroon. Plimpton began advertising Bayko in
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By the late 1950s, suffering from a chronic lack of investment in new parts, Bayko came under great pressure from other construction toys that appeared on the market, and Audrey
Plimpton retired in 1959. She sold the company to
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After an unfortunately long gestation period, four
Meccano Bayko sets went on sale from the end of 1960 into 1961, numbered 11 to 14 to avoid being confused with the Plimpton sets. The Bayko adverts continued in
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in September 1935, unaware that 25 years later, Meccano itself would own and manufacture Bayko. Regular advertisements appeared in the magazine over those next 25 years.
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that was originally used to manufacture many of the parts. Bayko was one of the world's earliest plastic toys to be marketed.
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and replaced by a 'New Series' of six sets that incorporated new parts, still in the red, white and green colour scheme.
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supplier, and for the first few years of its life, Bayko was marketed by both Plimpton Engineering and Bakelite Limited.
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halfway through. Eventually the 'milking' led to a deterioration of standards as mixed colour sets were churned out.
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Bayko models had a higher standard of realism than their competitors, but the fragile Bakelite frequently broke.
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earlier, presumably for a restricted, local market. The Bakelite material was sourced from Bakelite Limited, a
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advertising for Bayko was stopped, although Meccano continued manufacturing Bayko sets and spares until 1967.
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in December 1948 and his wife, Audrey Plimpton took over the running of Plimpton Engineering.
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in 1933, following a long period of convalescence in Ruthin in North Wales. Plimpton set up
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Bayko was primarily intended for the construction of model buildings. The rectangular
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Basic construction elements: base, rods and bricks, from a Plimpton era Bayko set
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scheme, with the introduction of the so-called 'Flanged' or 'Minimalist' parts.
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and became a worldwide brand between 1934 and 1967. The name derived from
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Having acquired the rights to manufacture Bayko in 1959,
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introduced, which included all the parts except turrets.
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was used for all the plastic parts instead of Bakelite.
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Example model house, built with a Plimpton era Bayko set
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in 1959, though Brittains had also been in the frame.
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18:English building model construction toy
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376:Production was interrupted in 1942 by
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226:it was soon exported throughout the
49:adding citations to reliable sources
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652:(information about Bayko from the
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302:The Bayko system was invented and
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364:, built by Leo Janssen, 1999–2003
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36:needs additional citations for
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197:Plimpton Engineering (1934–59)
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467:"The Development of Bakelite"
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654:V&A Museum of Childhood
181:; 57 years ago
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602:"Meccano Era Summary"
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630:Bayko Building Site
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362:Museum of Liverpool
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524:"The Bayko system"
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144:construction
138:Product type
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101:January 2011
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43:Please help
38:verification
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1334:Meccano Ltd
1206:Herpa Wings
897:Meccano Ltd
691:Scale model
425:polystyrene
419:factory in
413:Meccano Ltd
407:Meccano era
401:Meccano Ltd
341:Meccano Ltd
1638:Toy brands
1612:Categories
1176:Corgi Toys
997:Scalextric
967:Powertrack
832:Hot Wheels
812:Greenlight
782:Corgi Toys
740:Auto Pilen
611:6 February
585:6 February
559:6 February
533:6 February
493:"Bakelite"
453:References
382:war effort
333:Birmingham
165:Introduced
71:newspapers
1530:Materials
1473:McFarlane
1324:Kitmaster
1216:Majorette
1042:TrueScale
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202:(1959-64)
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1458:Hot Toys
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360:in the
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274:History
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797:Ertl
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762:Buby
720:List
711:Cars
613:2009
587:2009
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504:2011
478:2011
285:See
186:1967
179:1967
160:U.K.
64:news
1226:MPC
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