Meccano Bridge Sets New World Record

[Night Hunter]

School pupils and civil engineering students have set a new world record after building a footbridge - made entirely from Meccano.

 

The temporary bridge, spanning over 100ft across Belfast's Clarendon dock, has been recognised by representatives from Guinness World Records as the world's largest Meccano structure.

 

It has been designed and constructed by a group of students at Queen's University Belfast and local school children in a bid to encourage more young people to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

 

Civil engineering lecturer Dr Daniel McPolin said he hoped the project would inspire his students.

 

"I just thought it would be good to get them away from the books, to get them away from the computers and calculators, and to give them a chance to create something really, really exciting," 

 

Speaking ahead of the inspection by world record officials, Dr McPolin said he was hopeful the structure would measure up.

 

"We're fairly confident," he said.

 

"We've measured the bridge. If it turns out to not be big enough, that would be pretty embarrassing for us."

 

The Big Bridge Build project, which includes 11,000 pieces of Meccano and has taken a year to create, has already attracted attention from the engineering and architectural world.

 

The bridge has also been tested for weight, with several people having walked across it.

 

Source http://news.sky.com/

 

[RedBaird]

Did they build the crane out of Meccano, too?  

 

From a 1956 version of the kit.