This model is from the May 1947  Meccano Magazine entitled "New Meccano Model Powerful Steam Roller" I thought it rather neat and attractive. The model used the E20B long side plate motor and fly wheel neither were produced post war, if you did not already have these parts or the many gears used you would not at that time be able get them from your local Meccano dealer! A price list from this time shows just how few extra parts were available and these were stated to be in short supply. I started off with great aplomb extending the side plates on a E20R motor to simulate the E20B but soon things went wrong. The main frame of the model in the form of a triangle with gears journaled in small brackets was not robust enough when power was applied picture is shown below. I then built new sides replacing the open frame with flat plates it was soon apparent that the reason for the angle strips was to allow non standard gear meshing. One strange thing was the fly wheel driven by a driving band and not on the crank shaft. I then resorted to a more standard form of drive intending to use a small modern non Meccano motor this is work in progress. I finished the rest of the model along similar lines to the original concept but using spoked wheels to form the centre of the front roller this looked better than the road wheels specified in the Meccano Magazine instructions. The parts I used are mainly from my mid-fifties number ten set. The model was built to exhibit at the Museum of Power, Langford “Olde Tyme Rally” on May 2018. Well in the end it looked neat even if it did not do much in the end I sadly gave up. I am afraid the sleeve pieces for the chimney do not match up to the standard of the other parts used I was short of green mint ones. I find the immediate post war period very interesting, it was a time of change and austerity for the UK and for the Meccano Company. The Meccano magazine was sometimes even thiner than it had been during the wartime years and printed on even lower quality paper. Some interesting new models though appeared at this time but often showing parts that were not available or some that were never to re-appear. I imagine it was hoped these parts along with the large Hornby clockwork and electric locomotives also featured in the Meccano Magazine at that time would all be re-introduced. After I completed the Steam Roller I thought it would be nice to build a workman’s caravan to be towed behind the engine. This is based on pictures of an original vintage vehicle. Published May 25 2018 Revised June 30 2021

On the bench during construction

The original model as shown in the May 1947 Meccano magazine