687 25 pounder Ammunition Limber (1957-70)

Last week I happened to find a true clone of the Dinky Toys no. 687 Trailer for 25-pdr Gun, in a flee market. As you can see they are like two peas in a pod, the Dinky on the left the other one on the right. Now its not so haphazard, because every now and then Im looking for some new additions for the items of my 'War Technology' Series, which were made in the USSR in the 1970s and 1980s. And this is one of them. War Technology is the name M.C. Barres Baker translated from the original Russian brand name of the range, of which some models are shown below. In fact, an extensive seven page article was written by him, as published in Model Collector 6:1 of November 1992 (pp. 13-19). So if you want to know more about them, I refer to that fine article. The scale of the models is between 1:60 and 1:87, so the models have an average size somewhere between the Dinkies and Matchbox models. This trailer model has exactly the same size as the Dinky, so its 1:60 scale. The similarity is so striking that one might presume that the Russian designer had the Dinky in his hand while preparing this model. The differences, though, are obvious too. The backs show that the Russian model is without any detail, flat, whereas the British original shows many details. The towing hook is a large plump extension of the main casting. And the base is easy too, without any baseplate. The number is visible: 40K, and the wheels are all black plastic. Still, its a nice little toy, not too badly done. In fact, this goes for the whole series, seven of the nineteen sturdy models shown below. Easy to see that the trailer (below, right) has the biggest scale. In fact there is also a 25-pdr Gun in this series, which shows the same close similarity with the Dinky Toy, no. 686. I wonder how many look-alikes and clones have been made after all, of well known army models made by Dinky. Perhaps others can describe or show other examples of this Trailer for 25-pdr Gun?Kind regards, Jan Werner

Reviving Jan's Thread on the 687 Trailer for the 25-lb Field Gun that he posted on 21 November 2009, attached is a photograph of the base of two that are in a trade box of six models. Notice the top trailer has the Sales Number inscribed on the right side of its base plate , whereas the trailer below has no sales number. Check out the models in this trade box, four of the model's base plates face to the rear, with two at the top facing to the front. Minor I know, interesting, yes, of interest to everyone, a resounding no!

On this one the base plate has been folded the wrong way round. Is it a single model or was it issued in quantity ? A few models have symetrical base plate which can be fitted in any direction and can not be considered as variations : 14 a B.E.V. electric truck 80 a E.B.R. Panhard Do you know any other ones ? Jacques.

Jacques . . . Actually, your 687 is how Meccano intended the base plate to be affixed. It has not been 'folded the wrong way round', as following careful scrutiny of my 687 with the sales number shows it to have a hole through the folded part of the base plate on the inside at both ends through which the axle was intended to pass. Your example is more than likely one of the many in the first production batch which was actually given the correct treatment. Perhaps yours is less common and its value could be higher than those with the axle outside the base plate. Obviously it was discovered by the ladies on the assembly line that the base plate UNDER the axle rather than THROUGH the base plate was far quicker and as productivity reigned supreme, more 687s could be completed in a shorter period of time with the tolerance between the BP and the axle being negligible so there was no need to spend time threading the axle through the holes in the body of the trailer as well as the holes in the base plate. That takes care of the base plate with the sales number. The unnumbered base plates on the other-hand, do not appear to have a hole through which the axle can pass, or at least that is what I can ascertain while looking through the hole for the 'hook'. Apparently a new base plate was prepared for some reason, deleting the holes on both folded ends as well as deleting the sales number. Just why the Sales Number was deleted is yet another Meccano Mystery! The shape of the base plate is such that it could be fitted either way, so there is no question of this being a variation - it is just how the ladies picked up the die-cast body, whacked the base plate on, threaded the axle, and then secured the wheels to the axle. Still, it is yet another interesting topic. Bruce

Bruce, Thank you for your explanation. This means that the casting has been modified and uses a tyni bit less zamac, the base plate uses less metal, it is not folded and much quicker to assemble. The girls are happyer.

Jacques As far as I can see inside the trailers, (without having to resort to tearing them apart!) the base plates for all of them are identical, the only exception being the one carrying the sales number which has a hole drilled through the folded part which the axle would have been passed, as per your example. There is no difference in the casting also from what I can see, so the amount of zamac/mazak is most likely the same. The only question remaining is the purpose behind deleting the sales number from the base plate. Also it would be nice to see how common or less common your trailer is having the axle on the interior rather than exterior. I examined the trailer that came with my 697 25-Pounder Field Gun Set and it has the axle on the exterior of the base plate. I received the set for my birthday in December 1957. (I was hoping it would have been the same as yours! :laugh: ) Bruce

Bruce, In each corner of the inside of the trailer are bos on wich the base plate rests. When the change was made to the flat base plate, these had to be reduced in hight.

Jaques, talking about symmetrical base plates: you may like this picture demonstrating the full symmetry of the B.E.V. Electric Truck base plate. Kind regards, Jan

Jan, Thank you for the picture, are those base plates from your to be 14b B.E.V. electric truck trailers ?

Your're quite right Jacques, another project that did not materialize in the past time. Now I realize that I sold the main vehicle which I had painted in BR maroon, so I fear this project is born dead ... Nevertheless, enjoy the remains of it! Kind regards, Jan

Come on Jan, you are retired now and you should get on with this project when you have finished refurbishing your display cabinets. You can easily get an other 14 and paint in BR maroon at the same time as the trailers. Jacques.

Jacques, I have a very long 'to-do-list', but I'll add this one far below! Kind regards, Jan