Scrapheap Challenge Info and results

See 2024 Scrapheap Challenge for a description of this year's challenge.

Each year at our Club Spring Exhibition, we hold a Meccano Scrapheap Challenge. These challenges such as Tug of War and Climbing a Meccano chain with a clockwork motor, are intended to promote innovation. They are lots of fun, and often fiercely competitive.
To ensure fairness, we impose restrictions which vary for each event but are designed to keep the challenge within most peoples’ resources. For example, the use of only No. 4 set parts (1945-58 set), power by a No. 1 clockwork motor with standard spring or Meccano electric motor powered by 2 x AA batteries.

Scrapheap Challenge: This topic is discussed at our January club meeting each year and notified soon after. That gives three months to conceive, design, construct and test your entry before the annual club exhibition. Everybody is very welcome to have a go.

Our Scrapheap

Challenge Trophy

(cheap, simple and highly prized)

YearWinnerChallenge
2024Steve BriancourtMost accurate clockwork model to go round an object and hit the target
2023Steve BriancourtBest model using restricted number of parts
2022Sam MedworthPing pong ball through target hoops
2019Ian JeevesTo travel exactly 20ft autonomously.
2018David MillerStationary model to pull a known weight a given distance
2017Sam MedworthTo launch a projectile, to land on a target 12 feet away with the greatest (repeatable) accuracy
2016Philip DrewA race between Meccano vehicles driven forwards by a fan and/or propeller (or multiple fans and/or propellers
2015David MillerA no 1 clockwork tractor pull
2014Neil BedfordA walking device of at least 6 legs powered by a no 1 clockwork motor
2013Steve BriancourtA device that would take as close to 30 seconds to descend 3ft to the floor
2012Neil BedfordBaked bean powered vehicle - furthest travel wins
2011Sam MedworthFastest electric motor vehicle - 2AA batteries
2010Sam MedworthCaber tossing machine - furthest distance wins
2009Neil BedfordSquare wheeled vehicle race
2008Richard SmithStraight line vehicle with a no 1 clockwork motor
2007Sam MedworthAccelerating vehicle with a no 1 clockwork motor
2006Tony LavenderCrane lifting capability with magic motor drive
2005David MillerRolling vehicle - furthest distance from fixed slope
2004David MillerChain climbing mechanism with a no 1 clockwork motor
2003David MillerClimb a slope - steepest climb wins
2002Malcolm HansonClockwork powered tug of war contest
2001Malcolm HansonThrow a 24a wheel disc onto a target 15ft away
2000Ron GarsideClockwork powered vehicle