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Mamod TE1 / TE1A History 1963 - 2000
For most of this history my thanks go to Manxman, who in my opinion is currently the worlds leading expert in Mamod Mobiles.
The story of the Mamod Traction Engine starts in 1963. Less than 2 years after the successful launch of the SR1 Steam Roller, Mamod introduced the Traction Engine. Since 1963 Mamod have continually modified the engine and it is possible to identify at least 7 different phases in the Traction Engines design history.
Mamod were happy to use up old parts before introducing new ones and many of these changes were phased in rather than just using a set date for a change. This means that it is often possible to find engines that seem to exist between two phases and this just adds to the fun of collecting these models.
The very first Mamod Traction Engines of 1963-1965 had an exhaust throttle, some pressed Mamod brass parts, nut and bolt construction and a cream canopy with gold transfer writing. These very early canopies of 1963 have a smooth roof and fairly two dimensional golden sign writing, and grooved back wheels. This engine unlike the earlier SR1, now had a tow hook, which projected through the scuttle end of the new steel burners enabling it to be doubled up as a tow hook eyelet.
This first engine (Bellow Left ) is mine and is the earliest of the 1963 TE's, with a smooth canopy and the all-important grooved back wheels (centre), these grooves/ridges are very distinct and only found on very early 1963 TEs.
The later TEs of 1964 have six ridges in the canopied roof and more three-dimensional sign writing with more shading to the letters but still retain the four brass screws each side of the canopy, these brass screws eventually disappeared in late 1964, to be replaced by a single long transfer.
The engine on the left is MM’s 1964 that shows the change in the canopy to 6 ridges. It still has four brass screws but does not have groves/ridges on the back wheels.
Mamod Flat Canopy 1963 with Ribbed back wheels
Mamod 1964/5 with Ribbed Canopy
TE1 1963 grooved back wheels
The first big change for the Traction Engine came in 1965 with the introduction of pop-rivets. These engines took less time to make and so were more cost effective than the Nut and Bolt design. By now Mamod were making “several hundred engines a day” and the desire to keep costs down remained an important part of the company’s plans. The canopy also saw a change with a new red and gold transfer being introduced.
The next significant change came about in 1967. The throttle was removed and a reverse / speed control lever was introduced. This followed the example of the MEC1 that Mamod had been making since 1965 and helped update Mamod's own range to the same standard as the models they were making for Meccano.
The Traction Engine was also reclassified at this time from a TE1 to a TE1A. However, the earliest models still carried the old TE1 smoke box. The exhaust throttle was dropped, and now every TEA had a straight control lever, this was later changed in 1972 as accessing it from beneath the canopy was too difficult so a bend was put in and the modern control lever was born! Other parts of the TE were basically unchanged from the previous TE1.
In 1972 the brass turned whistle was finally dropped and replaced by the now familiar spring lever type less likely to burn your fingers. The reversing lever was now bent through ninety degrees and all the smoke boxes had TE1A listed on them. Also the canopy transfer had gone and was replaced by a lovely lithographed piece of sign writing. The canopy also changed with the introduction of a screw to hold it onto the chimney rather than the older style clip fitting.
The next major change happened in 1978 when the range saw the introduction of solid fuel burners and boiler sight glasses in, although some engines still had overflow plugs for a short while along with the new firebox. The canopy saw some changes with a new way for the canopy to be attached to the back of the engine (to allow for the sight glass). However it is also worth noting that in 1976 all Traction Engines’ being made for export had a solid fuel burner and this became the standard for all Mamod models in 1978. Also, (for a shortish period) the canopies rear pillars were made in white rather than the exposed metal of previous (and later) examples.
Around about 1982 the letters TE1A were dropped from the front of the model with the solitary word Mamod remaining. Also at about this time an extra “row of rivets” appears around the rear hubcaps. The canopy was also changed again, this time with the sign writing being applied with a 'sticker'.
The TE then remained largely the same for the next 20 years, except for the obvious variants of green paint colours on the boilers. However during this time Mamod also introduced a TWK1 Kit in 1882, TWS1 in 1984, a TE1AB with brass boiler and brown wheels in 1995, an Old Glory TE in 2000 and a Showman’s TE in 2001. It is now estimated production of the TE has been well over 500,000 units to this day.
Quick Guide
1963-65 Nut & bolter.
1965-67 Rivets.
1967-72 Straight style reverse lever.
1972-78 Spring lever whistle.
1978-82 Boiler sight glass.
1982 – present day TE1A removed from front of engine
1965 TE1 with rivets and red & gold transfer
1967 TE1A with straight lever
1978 TE1A with boiler sight glass (white frame)