A new fun model based on instructions shown in a 1920's 00- 3 manual using only the parts from the contents of the Vintage SES plus a 1930's No.1 clockwork motor.  The model was later revised and appeared in a 1934 manual but with simpler linkages and looked less fun.I have made a video of the model operating this can be seen on You Tube

Twin engine monoplane

Horse and cart pull-along toy

Break down truck based on that shown in the instruction booklet

Horizontal steam engine

Dockyard crane

Swing Bridge (The vintage Dinky Toy is not part of the set BTW)

Motor van

Row crop tractor with steering and trailer

Watt's beam engine with parallel motion this can be seen working on my YouTube channel click link below

Early electric Steeple cab or Camel back industrial locomotive

Shown on the right is another model from the Vintage Special Edition Set a luffing tower crane. The model has rotation, jib luffing and operating hoist. I used almost all the parts in the set to construct the model plus a few extra nuts and bolts.

More views, greater detail and with additional information on all the above models can be seen in my gallery on the NZ Meccano web site

The Vintage Special Edition Set as new, unused

This is a page about the Meccano Special Edition Set shown at the bottom of the page. This nostalgic set was first marketed by Meccano in 2008. The box lid claims "Meccano since 1898" this date perhaps could be the supposed year when Frank Hornby first made his home made construction set for his two boys, that was to later become Meccano. The actual date of this is not recorded, but there was certainly no Meccano in 1898. The name Meccano was first used in 1908, so to be correct the lid should say just that!

The set is in many ways a bit of a misguided attempt to create an old set it would have been far better to have stuck to the parts in an original set, giving far more flexibility than this set has. Having said that it could have been worse It comes in a very nice strong presentation box with quite a lot of constructional parts. The colours chosen, pea green and dark red are similar to the colours used by the Meccano Company when coloured parts were first introduced in the late nineteen twenties.

For the choice models shown in the instruction booklet supplied with the set, Meccano went back to the nineteen thirty 00 -3 instruction book, the cover is shown below). The the four models shown on the box lid and the instruction booklet supplied with the set can all be found in this original manual.

I had seen the set advertised and thought it not up to much. However when I was presented with the set as a Birthday present by my son Daniel who at the time lived in Canada I thought it looked great fun and right from when I unpacked the parts it was clear better models could be built with the parts provided rather than those shown. I have now made quite a lot of models using only the parts from the set. These models are shown on this page. However it was apparent right from the start that there were insufficient nuts and bolts, so I have added a few extra as required. Meccano never did supply enough nuts and bolts and still don't, loose a few and you are stuck. There has been one other additional part and for now on one model only, a rubber drive belt!

The inclusion of plastic parts does sort of take the edge off it being a representation of an old set but I am sure the use of the traditional brass parts would have made the set very expensive. Other criticisms I would make of the set are the mixture of round and tri-flat rods, the latter are needed because the smaller plastic pulleys do not have bosses to secure them to standard rods. It is odd that that only three 1/2" loose pulleys were supplied one more and for little cost, would have greatly increased the scope of the set and of course those extra nuts and bolts would have been useful! I guess the thinking was, with these parts you can build the models shown but not go on and do more. Well so much more can be done with this set as you can see.

The model near the top of the page is a gantry crane this has a traveling trolley with hoist that has a strap brake, each of the upright supports has wheels to enable the crane to travel . I used almost every part in the set but once again added extra standard length bolts and nuts.  

I also have gone back to the nineteen thirty 00-3 instruction manual for inspiration however most of the models of my own design but keeping these within the type of models that could have been built in the nineteen twenties or early nineteen thirties . These are shown on this page, they can also be seen with more views, greater detail and with additional information in my gallery on the NZ Meccano web site

The models can of course all be built with any Meccano parts At the time of writing May 2014 the Vintage Set is no longer made by Meccano but is often available from dealers or on ebay.

Steel yard crane with operating hoist and rotation

Windmill with hoist

Derrick crane with operating hoist, luffing and rotation

Electric mobile crane with luffing and hoist based on the SML 20 published in the late 1920's - 1930's. The original SML 20 can be seen here.

Page created October 30 2011 last revised February 14 2023