Meccano Steam Engine, 1935 (Meccano Ltd)

Exhibit
Meccano Steam Engine, 1935 (Meccano Ltd) (i)
location:
Arch Two , Area 4 Meccano Construction Sets (display) 1935

1934: Meccano Steam Engine advertising image, 1929 version with embossing [image info]

1935 advert: "The Meccano Steam Engine", photographed engine without embossing [image info]

An apparently later variant on the early (1929-type) Meccano steam engine, with blue pierced angled base, red and gold "Meccano Ltd. Liverpool" sticker, and copper-coloured boiler with "MECCANO" lettering.

Rarity

This would seem to be an even rarer variant of the "standard" 1929-type Meccano Steam Engine – it has a different type of filler cap, and the Meccano name is a transfer rather than embossed lettering.

The engine appears in a 1935 advert without the embossing, so perhaps the company decided to skip the embossing stage to make production cheaper, or perhaps the original embossing machine tool wore out and wasn't replaced, or perhaps the company subcontracted some of the boilerwork to an outside company – we don't know.

Whatever the reason, this is the only example of this version that we've come across.