Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Mamod are one of the last remaining steam toy manufacturers in the world. Although quality control on the current range has declined quite rapidly since the change-over in ownership occured in 1992, they still succeed in making an affordable steam toy.
The flatbase engines were the ones that started it all off. They ceased production and changed to the raised base ones in 1954. The flatbase range is very desirable to collectors, with many great features such as cast brass engine frames, cast brass flywheels, wick burners and turned whistles. Here are some pictures of my flatbase collection.
Flatbases
1946 Mamod SE1
The engine shown to the left, is a 1946 Mamod SE1. This is shown in it's original state, no repainting has been done on this at all.
It barely differs from the pre war version. The only different feature, is that the post war one has an exhaust pipe to the chimney from the engine block.
This engine is rare in its self. It was made for about 3 months after the war, until they switched to the longer boiler with the boiler mounted chimney. I paid about £50 for this. Extremely cheap for an engine like this in such condition. If I put it on ebay, I'd expect around £120.
1949-53 Mamod SE2 (boxed)
The engine shown to the right, is a Mamod SE2 dating from 1949-53. The SE2 had several features that the SE1 doesn't have. These are the whistle and the regulator on the exhaust block.
This particular engine is very peculiar as it features the curved "Mamod" pre war decal on the side of the firebox. Nobody has ever seen or heard of a Mamod engine with the pre war decal on it so late in production. Most have the straight "Mamod" decal as can be seen clearly on my 1948 SE2.
This engine is also boxed. It was my first ever flatbase, I purchased it for £56 including postage.
This one differs from the 1948 one, because it has a longer, pressed steel engine frame. This continued like this from 1949-53. In late 53-54 the flywheel was changed from cast brass to mazak.
1949-53 Mamod SE1
The engine shown to the left is the nearly the same as the SE2 shown above.
The SE1 featured no whistle and no regulator. This was the bottom of the "SE" range at this period in Mamod's history.
I picked this particular model up at STIA (steam toys in action) 2007, for £20 with a Mamod Minor 1 meths burner. I couldn't believe it was so cheap!
These engines are quite rare, I think they are actually rarer than the SE2. I don't know why this is. This one is in quite good original condition. It is showing it's age on the base plate paint work a bit, but this adds to the character in my opinion.
1948 Mamod SE2
The Mamod SE2 like the one shown on the right was only made for one year, 1948. The earlier model, 1946-47 features a countershaft, and initially a base mounted chimney. Then it lost the countershaft, and got the small cast brass frame in 48, then in 1949-65 it got the longer pressed steel frame (as can be seen above). The engine also lost the "Super heating" feature where the steam pipe leaves the boiler, passes back under the boiler, over the flame before reaching the cylinder, supposedly giving dryer steam.
These engines have been fetching over £100 lately on ebay. I bought mine for £80 inc p+p. It's all original, with the decal in great condition.
1948-53 Mamod Minor 2 (MM2 - boxed)
This is my 1948-53 Mamod Minor 2 steam engine. This engine was just about the bottom of the range in Mamod engines of the time, with only the Mamod Minor 1 below it.
The engine features a heavy brass flywheel, as do my other flatbases (apart from the SE1 with disk crank).
This particular engine is boxed, and this is only the second one I have ever seen that is indeed still in it's original packaging.
1936 Hobbies SE1 (boxed)
This is just about as rare as they come. This engine is a "Hobbies" SE1. Hobbies is the begining of the Mamod era. There are no differences between the Hobbies SE1 and the pre war Mamod SE1, only the base colour and decal.
I was very lucky to find one of these, very lucky indeed. A very good friend of mine, James Kite (Mamodman123) happened to have THREE boxed Hobbies SE1s. That's almost unthinkable, and they are the only three that I know of. I bought one, Chris (Flywheel61) bought another, and James kept the final one.
Late 1946-47 Mamod SE1
The model you see on the left is another Mamod SE1. I tend to refer to this engine as the 1947 SE1, although it was made in the last months of 1946 aswell.
This engine differs to the 1946 SE1 in the way that the chimney is boiler mounted, not base mounted. Thus, the boiler is of a larger capacity.
I bought this engine off a Mamod Forum member, Ben Steel (Steely). He was downsizing his collection, and I'm always on the lookout for more flatbases, although this one isn't in great condition, it fills a gap.
1949-53 Mamod SE1
I picked this little engine up cheaply off eBay. I collected it from a grand gentleman at Doncaster (not far from me) one sunday before going to the NRM at York.
This engine has insulation wrapped around the pipes, by the previous owner. The previous owner also made a wick burner from it, out of an old sewing machine oil can!
I now have two of this type of engine, but I always say, you can never have too many flatbases!
1937-40 Mamod SE4
The Mamod SE4. The "Holy Grail" to Mamod collectors. Since I started in the hobby, I've always had my heart set on one of these beauties. Only in April of 2008 did my dream come true.
This little engine cost me a fair bit of brass, so much so that when I got it in the post, mother were like "You paid £*** for that? Bloody rip off!". I got mine from a collector who had 4 at one point!
This engine was the top of the range in the pre war years. Unlike the rest of the Mamod range, the SE4 never emerged after the war. Around 1500 SE4s and SC4s (SE4 with fitted lineshaft) were made, and considering they've survived the biggest war in history, some will have been thrown away and some forgotten about, there are hardly any left.
The SE4 features cast brass engine frames, all hand drilled, hand filed, and beautifully crafted. Inline oiler, whistle, exhaust to chimney, turned brass pistons, this was the engine to have, and an engine that only the very richest of children could afford.
The photograph is of the SE4 pre repaint. When I recieved it, it was badly pitted, painted the wrong colour on the engine frames, and the firebox paint would have melted off had I tried to fire her.
