Mobaco – Moubal

Mobaco consists of thick cardboard base plate with square holes. Wooden columns of various heights could be inserted. With various cardboard like pannels a building structure could be created. Mobaco also used a very efficient building plan system and so having all parts are numbered.

Mobaco came with many different sets (first two sets in 1924). It was produced & sold by Moubal in Zeist and later sold via Jumbo.

For much more game related information, visit mobaco.nl.

History

A picture of the Mobaco-timeline:

Mobaco is originated by simular building game Pulko Bauwkasten. Most likely there was somekind of cooperation between mr. Pulkowisky and Moubal, where Moubal basically provided a better production method.

After the first 7 years of selling the Mobaco game, Moubal started to increase sales by selling a bigger variaty of contructions, adding: windmills, garages & Model-Z.

Moubal also tried to sell different games, including Elba, which uses the ‘cardboard’ material.

After the WW2, Jumbo took over the sales & the boxes were reduced a lot, increasing profit. Finally there was a new toy on the block: Lego, which basically vanished a lot of these toys.

Today there are still many collectors, at least in The Netherlands, which are collecting & building with/including Mobaco. Some active members are found on the facebook page.

Due to the 100 existance, there were already 2 exibitions and a third is still is still in preparation.

Specials & rare parts

After investigation all Mobaco related content, it’s always nice to find rare parts/buildings. Why are these parts displayed, but never produced?

• One of these special parts (windows) are found already on the first manual (1924) on top side of the big unknown castle building.
• Model Z, including many special parts, were already issued in 1931, but never produced: read more in this post: reconstruction of Model Z.
• Also during the start of Jumbo sales, a small windmill appreas both on the front cover picture and even as part number inside the lid. But never produced.
• There are rare parts found, about be bigger green windmill(?) kind of construction. Might have been a prototype?
• Some years back, there was a sale of Mobaco farm house on MP. It’s remarkable, because during the garages & windmills period, Moubal also announced more building types, like farm houses. It’s unknown if these were prototypes or not.
• Rare parts ao: Clock #29, Mansard/hip roof panels #150, #151 & #152.
• Bigger base plates..
• Different windows…

Re-makes

These specials are interesting, when brought to live. So let’s re-make these parts:

It took a lot of time, investigating the right materials to use on the laser cutter. Mobaco cardboard could be best modified by saw or water cutter.

I’m still selling Model Z special parts and other parts if needed.

Some system characteristics

Here a short list of some system characteristics and how it’s retrofitted into the virtual LeoCAD library:

(todo: re-create this table…)

Library information

Here an overview of the parts library:

Building in LeoCAD

Many buildings are virtual recreated by a small group of LeoCAD enthousiasts.

Buildings from manuals

All -to me known- recreated buildings from the manuals.
Below some animations of those buildings:

And 2 representations of the never produced Set 5 buildings:

Special buildings by G. Poort

• Anthonius-kerk De Vecht
• Amsterdamse grachten panden
• Bergkerk – Deventer
• Bolwerksmolen – Deventer
• Chateau Moulinsart
• Cheverny
• De Waag – Deventer
• Dom Toren
• Dudok (wit) – Hilversum
• Dudok (rood) – Hilversum
• Heldringkerk Hoenderloo
• Jachthuis St Hubertus
• Kasteel Ruurlo
• Lebuinuskerk – Deventer
• Rijksmuseum

Special buildings by C. Mol

• Domkerk + kloostertuin (v4b)
• Gemeentehuis – Zeist (v4)
• H&H 1955 Jaarbeurs model
• Maliebaanstation
• Moubal Fabriek
• Nieuwe Station Ede-Wageningen, groot v1
• Nieuwe Station Ede-Wageningen, klein v2
• Notre Dame (Jumbo size)
• Oude Station Ede-Wageningen 1920 v1b
• Speelgoed Fort
• Speelgoed museum Oosterhout

Special buildings by others incl. myself

• Amsterdamse grachten panden + gevels (GdV)
• Reconstruction Farm
• Dom Toren + kerk
• Molen De Ster Utrecht
• Notre Dame (Jumbo size)
• Notre Dame (Mobaco)
• Notre Dame (a la L’Edifice)
• Remise Spoor 0
• Model Z street (PtH)
• Notre Dame (PtH)

Below some pictures from all special buildings I like most:

Building & playing

Downloads

The latest Mobaco library is available at Cults3D.

Or read more about Mobaco related posts on this website.