Maxwell Roy Crago

Sadly, we must report the passing of Max Crago on 19th August 2021 at the age of 87. Max was an avid collector of many things including the Products of Binns Road. Max was present at the inaugural Meeting of the Hornby Railway Collectors Association Australia, (HRCAA) back in March 1979 at the Neale residence in Frenchs Forest and his HRCAA Membership Number was 24.

A display that Max named “Pleasures of Yesteryear” was set up in his home at 252 Powderworks Road, Ingleside and ran for several years from late 1979. An HRCAA monthly meeting was held there on 20th September, 1980 and was a very enjoyable couple of hours.

Max had a vibrant personality, was a very good pianist, saxophonist, devoted family man and just loved being with people. Max worked in the printing trade as a Compositor at the one firm his entire working life. In his spare time, one of his activities was entertaining the residents at countless Retirement Villages. He would get the most reluctant oldies up dancing to the music from his record player or tape deck.

On the 18th May 1981, Max hosted a Dinner at the Frenchs Forest Baptist Church in which a number of like-minded folk joined him which resulted in the forming of the Meccano Modellers Association Sydney. The late Malcolm Booker, known to many HRCAA Members, was one of those Founding Members. Over the next nearly 40 years Max had numerous public displays of Meccano all over Sydney including the Annual Exhibition at the Frenchs Forest Baptist Church.

At this time, Max disposed of his trains and concentrated his efforts on Meccano, especially the earlier examples and the myriads of colours of the pieces. The MMAS is now over 40 years old thanks to the efforts of those “Founding Fathers” back in 1981. R.I.P. Max..