27b and 320 Halesowen Harvest Trailer (1949-71)

I now have 3 different base versions of the Halesowen Harvest Trailer. Dinky Toys Halesowen Harvest Trailer. 1 with brown racks and 2 with red racks. 1. Dinky Toys 27b Halesowen Harvest Trailer 1st base without number and painting ring. Metal wheels. Brown racks. 2. Dinky Toys 27b Halesowen Harvest Trailer 2nd base without number, with painting ring. Metal wheels. Red racks. 3. Dinky Toys 320 Halesowen Harvest Trailer 5th base with number 320, painting ring and a raised area on both sides of the tow bar. Metal wheels. Red racks. It is not quite clear when they went over from brown racks to red racks, but may assume that the 1st base versions were issued with brown racks. There are still a 3rd base version with number 27b and painting ring and a 4th base version with number 320 and painting ring, but without the raised area on both sides of the tow bar. In this contribution I am only talking about the Harvest Trailer with solid metal wheels. I know that there are also 320 versions with plastic wheels, without front wheel and different colour variations. I hope that members will add pictures and information about all these variations. What strikes me is the name Halesowen Farm Trailer on the base that I cannot link to this Farm Trailer anywhere. Apart from the introduction in Meccano Magazine July 1949 as Harvest Trailer I could not find any information or photo of a real Halesowen Farm Trailer. The only thing I could find is that Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England. The Brighton Toy Museum gives the following explanation about the name: The Dinky toy was named after the West Midlands town of Halesowen, possibly just to make it sound less generic. In the catalogues the trailer is named as Harvest Trailer or as Halesowen Farm Trailer or as Halesowen Harvest Trailer. All boxes mention Harvest Trailer. Only the plain box 320 mentions Halesowen Harvest Trailer. The farm equipment has always been a regular part of the Dinky Toys range of Meccano Liverpool and I love these models. Usually grouped together in the various catalogues over the years, of which I will show a brief overview. Jan Oldenhuis, 22 October 2018.








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Hi Jan, nice comparison and picture documentation! My trailer with brown racks has the early state base indeed. Remarkably the box, with the 'Join the Dinky Toys Club' statement seems much later. Perhaps also interesting to observe that the small wheel in front is shared with the no. 190 Caravan and the no. 107a/385 Sack Truck. Kind regards, Jan W

Hi Jan, I can add a slightly different one now, the latest of the traditional version with all-diecast wheels, showing the plastic jockey wheel and the red painted hook, which means it was fixed before the red paint job was done. The ejection marks seem to be slightly different too. Also a new picture of the yellow 27B numbered trade box with three models. They have each unpainted hooks, same colour racks (packed in tissue paper) and paint spraying holes underneath. Kind regards, Jan W

Jan, again some nice additions to your collection. The 27b trade box with its 3 trailers also looks very cool. What strikes me about these models is that the paint rings are also painted on the inside. Apparently a different method of painting was used compared to the Jeeps. These paint rings are unpainted inside. I am adding photos of my own models with these painting rings. Kind regards, Jan Oldenhuis

Jan, I presume the paint spraying ring was for applying the main tan colour only. After that the second red colour was applied, holding the model in the mask, and covering the whole ring afterwards. On models without ring there are faint or clear marks on the wheel supports, where it rested during the paint procedure in my opinion. Kind regards, Jan

Hello Jan, I have 2 early base Harvest trailers with red painted metal tow hook. I have a 27B base with 2 non raised ejection pins and plain metal tow hook. I have 2 320 base with plastic hubs and plastic jockey wheel and plain metal tow hook. The 320 is on a stlightly raised platform to delete the 27B. Both have no paint in the central hole.as they are all red.. Thank you for alerting us to look closely at our models - these differences are very interesting. kind regards Christopher Batten

A random 30 x 60 cm spread in my newest photo album, composed of some of the pictures posted above. Kind regards Jan

For the record, here is the scarcer late all red one, with yellow plastic wheels, with hook and coupling lip unpainted, both applied after painting the main body. The box printing is firmer than habitual and one side flap has a little extension, folded, and separated from the main flap by a perforated line. It bears the patent statement and a repeated reference number, not in white but in the basic yellow colour.

Jan, what strikes me about your above all red coloured model 320 with plastic wheels is that the racks are still painted red instead of yellow. In the catalogue of 1966 the 320 is for the first time depicted with an all-red body with yellow racks and plastic wheels. Richardson states also a red body with yellow racks from 1966 on. Your model must be a typical transition example of Meccano Liverpool by first using up the old stock of red racks. According to the catalogues from 1966 to 1971, the last versions of the 320 appeared with an all-red body, plastic wheels and yellow racks instead of red ones. From 1969, the front support wheel at the end of the drawbar disappeared and was replaced by 2 cast supports as a stand. Also, the drawbar was completely closed from 1966?? There are many casting differences during the production time. Especially the base got many changes that have already been described in TMT. It is shameful that we can no longer consult the TMT. Unfortunately I can't either find a 320 Meccano assembly drawing to confirm. Kind regards, Jan Oldenhuis, 26 October 2021

Hi Jan, thank you for your comment! Exactly because of the unusual red racks on this later issue I was triggered by this example. The red finish of the racks is the same in condition, shade, gloss and patina as the main body red of the Trailer. Exceptions in finish do not tend to be represented in official catalogues. Well, whatever, it just is what it is, and it's nice. Kind regards, Jan

These casting variations I've collected over the years: I try to describe them the same way Jacques did with the 27c/321. Text and photos updated 11 August 2022 1) Flat base without reference number - no painting ring - raised tow hook - die cast metal wheels - the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is fixed with a continuous rivet and 3 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible metal front wheel with a diameter of 10 mm - issued with 2 loose die cast metal racks (1st issue brown, 2nd red, 3rd yellow coloured) 2) as above but with painting ring 3) as above but with cast reference number 27B added 4) as above but with raised cast reference number 320 added, replacing number 27B (rare) 5) as above but with raised strengthening plate on both sides of the tow hook 6) as above but with a slightly larger plastic front wheel with a diameter of 11 mm (rare) 7) as above but the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is now secured with a blind rivet and from now on only 2 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible with a smaller plastic front wheel with a diameter of 9 mm as above but with rear wheels with yellow plastic hubs and black rubber tyres last version tan-red body with red racks (very scars) 9) as above but with all red painted body with yellow racks 10) as above but with die cast closed drawbar 11) as above but without front wheel under the drawbar 1a. Dinky Toys 27b Harvest Trailer 1st version with brown racks, the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is fixed with a continuous rivet and 3 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible, metal front wheel with a diameter of 10 mm 1b) Flat base without reference number - no painting ring - raised tow hook - die cast metal wheels - 3 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible issued with 2 loose die cast metal racks (1st issue brown, 2nd red, 3rd yellow coloured) 2) as above but with painting ring 3) as above but with cast reference number 27B added 4) as above but with raised cast reference number 320 added, replacing number 27B (rare) 5) as above but with raised strengthening plate on both sides of the tow hook 6) as above but with a slightly larger plastic front wheel with a diameter of 11 mm (rare) 7a) as above but the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is now secured with a blind rivet and from now on only 2 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible smaller plastic front wheel with a diameter of 9 mm 7b) as above but the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is now secured with a blind rivet and from now on only 2 knobs on the upside of the drawbar are visible - smaller plastic front wheel with a diameter of 9 mm as above but with rear wheels with yellow plastic hubs and black rubber tyres last tan-red body version with red racks (very scars) 9) as above but with all red painted body with yellow racks 10) as above but with die cast closed drawbar 11) as above but without front wheel under the drawbar. The latest version. The photos below shows also the differences between the drawbars of the trailers. From start the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is fixed with a continuous rivet and 3 knobs are visible on the upside of the drawbar. Around the time that the metal front wheel was replaced by a smaller plastic wheel (Photo 7a and 7b) the drawbar closing clip (tongue) is secured with a blind rivet through which from then only 2 knobs are visible on the upside of the drawbar. From start of production the drawbar between the 2 rods are open. From probably around 1966 (as seen in 1966 catalogue) the drawbar was completely closed (Photo 10) Comparison drawbar with front wheel: left - metal front wheel diameter 10 mm with 3 knobs/rivets on top side; right - smaller plastic front wheel diameter 9 mm with 2 knobs on top side. Dinky Toys Harvest Trailer - main drawbar versions The 3 main colour versions. The first boxes are trade boxes of 3 pieces. Around the renumbering period (ca. 1954) came the yellow red picture end-flap boxes till the end of production. 27b/320 trade box versions (Photo by courtesy of David Busfield DTCA) 320/27b dual numbered picture end-flap box with upright lettering 320 picture end-flap box with upright lettering 320 sided plain end-flap box with Italic lettering. Photo by courtesy of Vectis Auctions. The latest 320 end-flap picture box with Italic lettering Normally the drawbar locking clip (tongue) is painted red and the tow hook unpainted. On some later models the tow hook is painted red (fixed before painting photo 7b) and the front drawbar locking clip (tongue) unpainted (fixed after painting photo 9, 10 and 11). The paint ring of the trailer normally are inside painted red but some later ones are inside unpainted (photo 9 and 10). Finally, a photo of my 11 versions Harvest Trailer from left to right in order of release. Jan Oldenhuis Text and photos updated 11 August 2022.

Variations in the front wheel of this model has not yet been properly highlighted in this forum. From the start of production, the Harvest Trailers were released with a flat profile metal front wheel with a diameter of 10 mm. The drawbar always had 3 protruding rivets at the top, varying from front to back from large to small. The 6th version Harvest Trailer was released with a slightly larger plastic front wheel with block tread tyres with a diameter of 11 mm. The drawbar of this version had for the last time 3 protruding rivets on the top. This version was released for a short time and is hard to find. The 7th version Harvest Trailer was released from now on with a smaller plastic front wheel with block tread tyres with a diameter of 9 mm. The drawbar got from now on only 2 protruding and one flat rivet on the top, because from now on the tongue of the drawbar was fixed with a blind/flat rivet. The metal front wheels were normally issued in grey, but sometimes in black. The plastic front wheels were always issued in the grey colour. 900 538 Dinky Toys Harvest Trailer comparison front wheels in order of release. From left to right: 1) metal wheel diameter 10 mm; 2) plastic wheel diameter 11 mm; 3) plastic wheel diameter 9 mm. Finally, a photo of my 11 versions Harvest Trailer from left to right in order of release. 900 538 Jan Oldenhuis 11 August 2022.