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Introduction
The SP range was designed in 1977 and introduced in 1979.The
engines had to comply with the new German EN71 toy safety
regulations. This means the old SE range of engines was now
obsolete as they did not comply. Mamod’s efforts to try and make
the SE range safe by adding to the old engine’s sight glasses and
solid fuel burners was not enough and they only lasted for one
year. So in 1977 Mamod decided to re-design the entire stationary
range and add the necessary items to the mobile range to comply
with these regulations.SP meant steam power, so after 40 years the
SE range finally put its feet up into retirement and the SP range
showed the way forward.
Engines in detail
SP1
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Mamod Minor 1
Number produced: 27,500
Minor Variations in the type:
• Some had the engine unit and frame the wrong way round
• Some had old Mamod Minor 1 boilers due to the rivet where
the boiler mounted chimney had been.
• The engine frames where painted blue but at one stage
Mamod decided to paint them black.
• Had the old type Mamod decal instead of the newer type.
The sp2 (Steam power 2) was an all new design. It replaced the
Mamod Minor 2 and was similar to it in a few ways. This engine
had the same sort of boiler as the Minor 2 and engine unit and
frame. These engines where very powerful despite there size and
could drive the whole set of tools easily. The exhaust was a
straight out type like the sp1. The engine frames on these where
also painted black at a later date like the sp1.
SP3
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Mec1
Number produced: 9,067
Minor Variations in the type:
• Some reverser handles where red some black
• On some the Gears where brass instead of plastic
• The crank end was painted black but on some examples it
was left metal
• Was the second model to feature the old Mamod decals of the
SE range.
• Some sight glasses were screwed on some were riveted on
• Some sight covers were chrome some were brass
The sp3 (Steam power 3) was based on the Mec1 Meccano engine.
It was basically the same apart from it had a solid fuel burner, sight
glass, whistle instead of the steam dome, plastic gears instead of
metal ones on the crank shaft for driving Meccano models, it had
two decals a Mamod one and a Meccano one and finally the whole
base was painted silver. The boiler was a standard Mamod one as
used on the sp2 and sp4.This engine could also drive the whole set
of workshop tools. The exhaust was a straight out type.
SP4
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: this engine is still in production.
Replaced: Se1/Se1a Se2/Se2a
Number produced at the end of 1995: 41,191
Minor Variations in the type:
• Some sight glasses were screwed on some were riveted on
• Some sight covers were chrome some were brass
• A special version was made for Griffin and George for
schools and educational purposes.
The sp4 (Steam power 4) was the middle engine of the range. It
featured the standard Mamod boiler and die cast chimney. This
engine frame for this engine was mounted on a silver plinth. This
engine had a reverser which allowed the user to make the engine
run in reverse or forward. It could drive the all the tools easily.
This engine’s exhaust was sent down some pipes and actually went
up the chimney so the chimney would be seen with all the exhaust
steam blowing up it. The problem with this was the steam often
condensed in the bottom and would settle there also all oil would
be left there too.
SP5
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se3
Number produced: 10,461
Minor Variations in the type:
• Some sight glasses were screwed on some were riveted on
• Some sight covers were chrome some were brass
• A special version was made for Griffin and George for
schools and educational purposes.
The sp5 (steam power 5) was the top of the range engine. It had a
longer boiler and a twin cylinder engine unit with a reversing
handle for both directions. The engines can easily drive a
workshop due to the fact it has a bigger boiler and twin cylinders.
The engine like the sp4 had the exhaust going to the chimney but
for some reason on the sp5 there is a small pool in the bottom to
collect the condensed steam and oil so it could easily poured away,
and also they came with a small sponge in the bottom of the
chimney to soak up any left after. This engine also featured the
engine unit being mounted on a plinth. The crank ends of this
engine had the words Mamod stamped into them and this can only
be found on the sp5.
SP6
Introduced: 2006
Discontinued: Still in production
Replaced: None
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type:
• The plastic throttle handles can be a different colour
sometimes.
Power Hammer
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se range power hammer.
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type:
• The first ones produced the hammer was painted silver and
later on this changed to black.
Power Press
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se range power press.
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type: None
Grinding Machine
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se range grinding machine
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type: None
Polishing Machine
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se range polishing machine
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type: None
Line shaft
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: 1984
Replaced: Se range line shaft
Number produced: Unknown
Minor Variations in the type: None
WS1
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: Still in production
Replaced: None
Number produced up to 1995 approx: 12,000
Minor Variations in the type:
• The hammer was painted silver before later turning black.
Conclusion
The SP range is now very collectable and I myself have most of it.
Nowadays the only sp engines let in production are the sp2, sp4,
sp, and the WS1.There have also been some new engine introduced
like the Sp2d and Sp5d which are versions of the sp2 and sp5 but
with a dynamo and bulb. Also the sp6 was introduced but it lost the
charm of the old Mamod sp range. The quality has dropped
nowadays too.
By Lewis Parkes