BAYKO Product Details - 1963 to 1964
“FLANGED BRICKS”

This is an enigma, particularly as full scale BAYKO production ended in 1964 - i.e. within months - when Lines Brothers took over MECCANO. Though, you should bear in mind that BAYKO sets were still included in the 1967 MECCANO products price list and there was even a Spare Parts ordering form from the same year.
Freelance model built entirely with 'Flanged Bricks' and related parts
Sometime in 1963, MECCANO began their second retooling of BAYKO.
They reverted to the bright red and white colour scheme of earlier years.
Windows, Doors, Bases and Roofs all remained unchanged.
The biggest area of impact was on Bricks.
They were produced in plastic, moving away from the earlier POLYSTYRENE, to what is known as the 'Flanged' or 'Minimalist' style, as you can see in the picture [below, right].
Bricks were reduced to a simple front plate with top and bottom flanges, which locked on to the Rods.
The following parts were redesigned and retooled : -
The full selection of 'Flanged' Bricks
 
Bricks.
Long Bricks.
End Bricks.
Half Bricks.
For some reason, 'Flanged' Red Half Bricks don't exist - or do you know differently?
Other parts were retooled and produced in the new, bright plastic to match : -
Parts that were also retooled to match the 'Flanged Bricks'
 
Curved Bricks.
Garage Doors.
Pillars.
Roof Ends - A & B.
Roof Ends C & D seemed to have escaped the retooling.
The exact structure of the introduction and longer term use of these parts is shrouded in more than a little confusion. Some of this may well have been coloured by MECCANO's probable decision to 'milk' BAYKO during its extended death throws.
A totally 'flange' brick set #11
The only MECCANO era BAYKO set which could have been produced exclusively with 'Flanged' bricks and matching parts is set #11 as all other sets have one or more parts which were never made - as far as we know - in this style. The image [left], though not mint, is such a set.
All other sets, including all MECCANO era conversion sets, require red Half Bricks and / or Roof Ends C and / or D, non of which were produced in 'Flanged' or 'Flanged' compatible form.
The MECCANO era sets #12 [right] can be almost entirely 'Flanged', as you can see. However, other set # 12 examples exist with a far more cavalier mixture of types of BAYKO parts, with both 'Flanged' and standard parts mixed together, despite their colour differences!
Flanged set #12
Sometimes you can learn a lot about the timing of a particular style of set from the date codes in the manuals supplied with them. However, 'Flanged' sets have been found with both of the later versions of the manual, date coded April, 1962 and March, 1964.
This supports the dating of 'Flanged' parts to 1963 and confirms their link to the final years of BAYKO production. As all sizes of sets and conversion sets were produced during this period, it can only mean that mixed sets were routinely produced…
…I suspect there were quite a few disappointed young modellers as a result!
The image [below, left], shown courtesy of Robin Throp, supports, better than anything else I've seen, the theory that MECCANO were, indeed, milking BAYKO and had let their quality and market image standards fall away quite badly. This set #14 clearly has two brick packs upper left and centre] in 'Flanged' and one [upper right] in the more familiar beige POLYSTYRENE. It also contains both colours of Roof Ends. Click anywhere on the image to see a larger image if the colour difference isn't obvious to you.
BAYKO set #14 with mixed 'Flanged' and standard parts
BAYKO collectors' opinions on 'Flanged' bricks are mixed, but I really like them, for one simple reason…
…they are [dimensionally] by far the most accurate BAYKO parts ever produced…
…as a result, they make accurate, robust, good looking models.
Regardless of our nostalgic 21st century perspective, the evolution of bricks to the 'Flanged' style was probably inevitable, given that they use 50% less material to produce than any of the earlier styles of bricks…
…on balance I think it's a shame they came so late.
The much dreamed of Brick style, that carries 'brickwork patterns' on both sides, would have provided the perfect accompaniment to these 'Flanged' BAYKO parts…
Front cover of the Later MECCANO era BAYKO manual, date-code April, 1962 - click here for a larger image
As the 'Flanged' parts are mainly found in sets #11 and #12, only two versions of the standard manual [left], are directly relevant…
Model #B15.1, the first of the 12 model sheets issued with sets #15 and #14C
Secondly, a later version, date-coded March, 1964.
Thirdly, a set of 12 model plan leaflets [right], plus a new parts sheets, issued with sets #15 and #14C…
You may want to know more about the full range of BAYKO manuals, if so…

If you would like information on the price of BAYKO sets during this period, click on one of the links below.
   
 
Below here are links to related info : -
 
Click on any of the links below for related information.


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