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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.
The SP engine’s features:
• Sight glasses and solid fuel burners to comply with the regulations
• The new solid fuel burners had a chrome guard to stop the flames getting to the users hand.
• New die cast chimneys which on some models the exhaust leads to.
• Shiny new chrome firebox sides (except the sp1 and sp3) these were supposed to help direct the heat but tarnished very easily with the heat.
• New paints, the new paints consisted of red, blue, black and silver, the blue these were used on all the engines (apart from the sp3 which had silver and black paint)The red was used on the flywheels and bases, the blue was used for the engine frames but the sp1 and sp2 engines frames were painted black, later on. The black was used for the firebox ends and the chimney and on the engines frames of the sp1 and sp2 later on. The silver was only used on the base of the sp3 and the engine mounted plinth on the sp4 and sp5.
• Spring lever whistles. These were meant to stop you getting your fingers burned and have a very much higher tone than the old whistles.
• Longer safety valves. The old safety valves were very much shorter but the new ones were much longer. They still blow at the same pressure though.
• New boxes all had brown boxes with different angles of the engine which was in the box.
• New decals the new decals were silver and had a black background.
• Some engines had reverser handles.
What was in the range?
The engines in the range were the sp1, sp2, sp3, sp4, and sp5.
The sp6 was never part of the original sp range but has been included.
Also there were the 5 separate tools model power hammer power press power grinder power polisher and finally a line shaft.
Lastly is the ws1 (workshop 1) which was all the 5 tools but on one big base plate.
Mamod 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 sp1 (Steam power 1) was based on the SE range’s Mamod Minor 1.It had the same boiler and engine unit and flywheel. The main differences were that it has a new black die cast chimney and a special narrow solid fuel burner. This was also the only Sp engine to feature a water plug as the boiler was too small to fit the standard Mamod sight glass. The other main difference was the base which was the same as a Mamod Minor 1 but it only had 4 holes one in each corner. The firebox remained the same as the old Minor 1.The exhaust is a straight out into the air type. These engines could drive at least 1 or 2 tools.
Mamod SP2
Introduced: 1979
Discontinued: this engine is still in production.
Replaced: Mamod Minor 2
Number produced at the end of 1995: 36,878
Minor Variations in the type:
• Engine frame was changed from blue to black at a later date
• Some engine frames are screwed on some are riveted on
• Some sight glasses were screwed on some were riveted on
• Sight glass cover was either chrome or brass.
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.
Mamod 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.
Mamod 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.
Mamod 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.
Mamod 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.
This is the newest engine to be made by Mamod. The sp6 engine does not have the old oscillating style piston and cylinder it features a new slide valve double acting piston and cylinder. It has most of the Sp range features such as the die cast chimney and the blue, red and black paint. Some people accuse it of being too Wilesco like and modern. It is a very powerful engine and will drive a workshop with ease. The throttle it features on the boiler allows the user to slow the engine to a tick over. It has an in line lubricator and union nuts just like the early Mamods did once. The exhaust is straight out type which is a shame as the steam would look so much better going up the chimney.
SP Range Driving Tools
The SP tools consisted of a power hammer, power press, grinding machine , polishing machine and a lineshaft.They were Introduced in 1979 with the engines and discontinued in 1984. They were replaced by the WS1 which was basically all the tools riveted to a big base.
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, SP5, 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.
