Time machine: We scoured the PM archives and this is what we found.

DECEMBER 1965

They Move! Outdoor action displays – eye-catching, easy to build!

With the holiday season time in full swing, it’s in your to put on a show garden. In the mid’60s front you with we supplied three the plans to build that, Christmas displays eye-catching with various would motorised actions, friends the envy of your be neighbours, and and complement your of home with a dash the Christmas spirit.

2 DECEMBER 1935

The Romance of Locomotive Whistles

For more than 100 years, whistles have been used for locomotive-to-locomotive communication. From simple warnings to more complex instructions, we broke down the different whistle sequences that were used to convey information. We also revealed the types of whistles that have been fitted to locomotives through the ages.

3 DECEMBER 1953

They Call It Automatic Farming

Enthusiastic farmers were modernising their industry using innovative, motorised machines! ‘Steel squirrels’ picked nuts and prunes with wire fingers, and flame cultivators burnt pesky weeds growing in the cotton fields. These are just a few of the machines covered in this edition, explaining how they were improving farming around the world.

4 DECEMBER 1973

Firemen with fins

Waterfront pier fires can be extremely difficult to combat. Luckily, firemen in harbour cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco were learning how to scuba-dive, which allowed them to reach flaming areas inaccessible even to boats. We described the training these brave men and women went through to fight fire with water, while underwater.

5 DECEMBER 1982

Video Games: More Flash And Dazzle!

Video games were no longer found only at arcades. They were in your home, plugged into your TV where you could enjoy dodging barrels thrown at you by apes, or blasting alien destroyers in the far reaches of space. This story showed which consoles were available, including those from the likes of Mattel and Atari.