Our camera is kaput. Given so generously about a year ago. Today its in Delhi - waiting to be repaired with its cousin which belongs to Victor and Sarah - also kaput (the camera - not our relatives that is).No camera means no images of Enoch's last 3 weeks of lego glory. He has just devoured the train set which has survived over the years more or less intact. We brought it down from Mussoorie this time, and Enoch has just *enjoyed* making engines, setting up track, making bridges - the works.
The remarkable thing is this - the Eicher lego collection is now at least 30 years old. And some of the first pieces were hand-me=downs from some hoary time before that!
Evidence is in the engines. We have 4 of them. Last year when we were in Mussoorie, one seemed to work reluctantly. Without much hope I brought them down here to see whether something could be done. It could. Just opening them up and doing a minimal clean and a few drops of oil - and hey presto - these little 4.5 V beauties are actually performing.
The kicker is this: the engines had their date of manufacture on them. Sturdy German things, the little engines were housed in rather ungainly (and heavy) boxes (see pic above, harvested from the internet).
But here it is. One engine was made in 1978. Another in 1977. Another in 1975. And drum-roll please... one was made in 1969. That's our birth year folks. 40 years young and this little German beauty is still working.
How much abuse those magical plastic bricks got over the years. Still they click together crisply! Amazing. And how the motors still whirr away happily when given their needed 4.5 Vs....
To come back to the dear camera - a 3 year old (max) thing. Kaput. Even the much touted Macbook that I am using to type this. Had to get a new hard-drive. Nothing is permanent it seems - other than old vintage pieces of lego (and that of course only for a while).
It is no secret that Enoch's father is just as excited about the legos as Enoch himself.
Come and join us one of these days!
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