25x and 430 Commer Breakdown Lorry (1949-64)

Great job ! I love those green hubs.CW.

Strange how such a subtle difference like these differently coloured hubs produces such a very unfamiliar appearance to a well - known model.Yes,
it must have been a tricky job to restore this badly distorted jib,
well done ! Regards,
Jan

Greetings all The Commer Breakdown Lorry was one of my favourite models, sadly I never acquired an example in my younger days having to contend with my 661 Recovery Tractor to handle the civilian casualties! Although pictures of the grey and blue model have been included in this Thread, none show the first box type in which these were packaged. Here is my early grey and blue example packaged in the plain orange box with the inspection stamp of ao850, August 1950, part of the first production batch before the 25X was released the following month. It is interesting that the box does not contain the wording MADE IN ENGLAND - simply MECCANO LIVERPOOL. The photo clearly shows the rubber block printing style of DINKY SERVICE on the back. Kind regards Bruce (150) #551

Bruce What an interesting and early box that is, and both it and the model are in great shape. Nice to see such wonderful examples. Regards,Terry

Terry Many thanks for your kind and appreciated words. Yes, it is an unusual box and I often wonder what Meccano was thinking at the time. Possibly the label was not ready, as I have only found these boxes with stamp data that makes them in the first production run, as the next type with the label was also produced in August, the same as the plain box. Maybe the model was packaged in the plain box in the first week or two of August, using a rubber stamp with the end details which would have meant a production run of at least several thousand, and when the labels arrived it was no doubt deemed too expensive to retrieve any of the first run still in the factory and affix a label to them. Besides, the initial unlabeled boxes may have already been on their way to the numerous Meccano agents Well, that is my hypothesis and I am sticking with it!! I like the colour, as the brown, light fawn, light brown with the green back has too many variations! I have owned seven 25x models, including those with the orange box with label and the first blue-striped box, but six had to make way for other purchases, leaving me with just the one shown in my last post. One of those sold was dark brown, and I am still kicking myself for having sold it! Of the nine 430s I have acquired, I still have four, so perhaps the time is ripe to go back to collecting more Commer Breakdown Lorries! And the last acquisition has been tan/light brown/or whatever colour can describe it, with windows, but unfortunately without a box. Moved onto another collector eight years ago, and now yet another regret, was my red and grey version: Kind regards Bruce (150) #567

I really like those early orange boxes, with or without labels. The more primitive the better for me. This one for the Commer is a kind of hybrid between the regular orange lid boxes and the single model trade boxes (Avro York, Hay Rake). If these picture-less orange boxes were meant to be labelled in a later stage, those labels would have been unusual, only covering the top and not the sides of the lid. Kind regards, Jan

Jan I am not quite sure about your last sentence. The plain orange box and the orange box with the label are identical in size, and as such the label would have fitted. The boxes in fact were the same, except one lot did not receive their labels, just printed ends, most likely using a stamp, whereas the others had their labels affixed either by the box manufacturer or Meccano itself. The following show both styles of boxes, and I apologise for their quality, as they were scanned from colour prints that in themselves were slightly under-exposed. I wish digital cameras had been invented 50 years ago!! Kind regards Bruce (150) #569 There is that wonderful dark brown Commer I wrote about in my last post!

Hi Bruce, so you know, or presume, that underneath the side sections of the label of the labelled box there is also the printed text, as on your label-less box? Kind regards, Jan

This could well be, at least on the earliest ones with white label. Next time you go to the dentist, ask him to X ray your box.

Hi all, Luckily I have both boxes, one of which has a loose label, there doesn't appear to be any stamped writing under there though....

My plain box is QC stamped August too. Chris Warr

Greetings Chris, Jacques and Jan The boxes must have been provided earlier due to a possible problem with the printed label. (It must be assumed that the contractor handling the manufacture of the boxes, was also responsible for the label printing.) The manufacturer then provided Meccano with a small supply of label-less boxes as an interim measure until the boxes with labels became available. The ends were then stamped By Meccano using the same method as with DINKY SERVICE on the sides of the Commer as time was running short when the model had to be available to Meccano's agents ahead of its announcement in the Meccano Magazine. That is why there is no printing beneath the label as shown with Chris's box. Chris, it is nice to know that your box also has an August 1950 stamp. Out of curiosity what are the letters before 850? What are the stamp details on the box with the label? Kind regards Bruce (150) #570

Hi Bruce, The plain box is 'S85-' the label box is 'FR(?)105-' where (?) is partly illegible, and - is a presumed missing 0. Both are on the underside of the base box. Cheers CW.