Enthusiast proves Meccano is no toy

Glancing at photos of the cruise ship MS Ryndam against the background of an Alaskan glacier you could be forgiven for thinking you were looking at the real thing even if a closer look would expose the perforated metal sheets that make up a Meccano set.

The ship, a replica of the MS Ryndam, is the work of Meccano aficionado Joe Attard, who claims to have the largest collection of Meccano parts on the island.

What is likely to catch your eye as you enter the room where he keeps his creations is a massive, fully functional scale model of a Chinese-made crane located in the former Malta Shipyards. Mr Attard built the model about six years ago. Understandably, he attempts to draw the attention back to his latest masterpiece.

The cruise ship is 1.72 metres long and includes about 3,000 nuts and 3,000 bolts. Mr Attard, who lives in Attard, also made sure it was perfectly proportional to the original, down to the number of decks and dimensions of the cabins.

The model recently featured in the centre spread of Constructor Quarterly, a magazine devoted to all things Meccano, along with several other models made by Mr Attard throughout the years.

How did he get into Meccano in the first place? “When I was young, Meccano was the ultimate toy to own. It was quite expensive back then. An uncle of mine bought me my first set and I kept collecting till I was 20,” he recalls.

“Then, what with studying and getting married, I didn’t have time for it anymore. Thirty years later, someone at work asked about a mechanical part and it turned out to be a Meccano motor. That rekindled my interest and I’ve been collecting and building ever since.

“Obviously, it helps if you have a background in engineering when constructing something so complex but I know enthusiasts from all over the world who are doctors, clergymen, engravers, people from all walks of life,” he said.

Mr Attard, who retired after 20 years running a machinery and tools import firm, chose to build a cruise liner, in particular the MS Ryndam, because he felt the cranes, buses, and the like had been overdone. “Modern cruise ships are so big it would have taken me ages to make, so I chose one I had been on twice myself, which is smaller. It still took me eight months to complete, though!”

Building a model is not just a matter of looking at a picture and then getting started. A lot of research went into making a model, he said, leafing through photos of the ship from various angles.

So what about the vessel’s sea­worthiness? “No, it doesn’t float,” he laughs.

Despite it not being fit for the high seas, the ship does boast a retractable roof that covers a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. Well, two cleverly re-used sardine cans, to be precise. Some Meccano purists did not approve of using non-Meccano parts but he feels sometimes it could not be helped. “Creating things is very much part of being human. You need to be precise and patient.”

Has he ever considered duplicating a Maltese landmark?

“I’ve often thought of building a church, like the Mosta dome, but, as I have said, you first have to get your hands on the plans if you want to make a copy that’s faithful to the proportions of the original.”

Mr Attard laments the fact that whenever his grandchildren visit they are always absorbed in some videogame. That said, it is hard to believe Mr Attard’s giant models do not manage to tear their attention away for at least a short time.