689 Medium Artillery Tractor (195765)

Transfered from the thread 'New arrivals'.Well done Dave, I just saw a set on eBay for 200 Pounds! Now you have that one, maybe you could look for another with the variation as shown below. The gap between the end of the front bumper and body is filled in and by studying the sets that have turned up on eBay, this seems the usual variation not the open ended bumpers. Then there is the last version of the 689 with plastic hubs and driver: Ron.

Ron I like the photograph of the 689 with plastic hubs. I note that by this stage, Meccano was starting to experience difficulties in ejecting the casting from the mould as evidenced by the cross-hatching on the inside roof of this model! Your photograph deserves a place in the Interior Cross-Hatching thread!! This can be found on about Page 7 of this forum. Kind regards Bruce

Bruce, Do you mean that some 689 have a smooth ceiling ? Jacques

Both my 689s (as in the photo) have cross hatched roofs. Ron

Thank you Ron, does any one else have one with a smooth ceiling ? Jacques

Bruce, Do you mean that some 689 have a smooth ceiling ? Jacques Forgive my ignorance, but my first 689 with a quality stamp of July 1957, three months before the model was released had a smooth interior roof. I noted this, but I sold it 12 years ago, and of course I had not worried about photographing its interior. Over the years I have had quite a number of 689s, and two with a quality stamp of October 1957 had smooth roofs. I have a mint and boxed 689 with the quality stamp of 56 1 AS, which I presume to be January 1965, although it has the traditional blue striped box with Supertoy hubs, so I do not think it could be January 1956 - anyway, this model has a cross-hatched interior. I just always assumed, (obviously incorrectly) that the smooth roof was normal! No wonder my first one sold for twice what I paid for it. A Dinky military collector, no longer living in Queensland, checked out my surplus stock and then had a look at some of those in my collection. I did not want to part with it as it was in excellent condition, but he made me an offer I could not refuse! I have another one lying around here somewhere, with one of those strange three row numbers, the last row being 057, so hopefully I can dig it out and check its roof. Cheers Bruce

Bruce, Thank you for confirming the smooth ceiling variation which must then be very rare. It will be nice, when you find one to post a picture of the inside of the smooth ceiling variation. All the best. Jacques.

Having just picked up this 'thread' and being a collector of Military Dinky variations I thought that the DTCA had now set me on a search for the 689 with with the gap in the front bumper. I've now checked my three variants and it was a relief to find my very first purchase has the gap. Of interest it has metal wheels, a cross hatched cab roof interior and a Blue/White striped box imprinted 01 57. No need to panic at Sandown this coming Saturday! Malcolm

So we have at least five variations : 1) Smooth cab ceiling, gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, diecast driver, white box. 2) Cross hatched cab ceiling, gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, diecast driver, white box. 3) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, driver ? box ? 4) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, plastic driver, Yellow box. 5) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, plastic hubs and driver, Yellow box. If your model is not listed here, please let us know. The date stamps do not seem to make sens. If it means 1965, Bruce's stamp of 56 1 does not match with the box striped box which was deleted sometime after 1960 and replaced by the yellow box. In 1965, the model should be of the variation four with plactic hubs and driver. My 689 also has a peculiar stamp of 296 which does not make sens either. Did Meccano change the date stamp system and are these numbers the controler's number or anything else ?

don't forget it was also available in the 695 Gift Set There is no date code, or any other stamp marks, anywhere on the box. Dave

There is now a specific thread for the set 695 7.2' Howitzer and tractor at : dtcawebsite.org/dinky-forum/2-dtca-forum...limit=6&start=6#5279

dinkycollect wrote: 'So we have at least five variations : 1) Smooth cab ceiling, gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, diecast driver, white box. 2) Cross hatched cab ceiling, gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, diecast driver, white box. 3) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, driver ? box ? 4) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, Supertoys hubs, plastic driver, Yellow box. 5) Cross hatched cab ceiling, no gaps behind the bumper, plastic hubs and driver, Yellow box. If your model is not listed here, please let us know. The date stamps do not seem to make sens. If it means 1965, Bruce's stamp of 56 1 does not match with the box striped box which was deleted sometime after 1960 and replaced by the yellow box. In 1965, the model should be of the variation four with plactic hubs and driver. My 689 also has a peculiar stamp of 296 which does not make sens either. Did Meccano change the date stamp system and are these numbers the controler's number or anything else ?' Jacques Just found your post (above) with the Quality Inspection Stamp of T O 296. Does the box have an original price written on it somewhere? As you said, the stamp does not make any sense. Of those 689 you have listed, which one has this peculiar stamp? Regards Bruce (150) #626 11 June 2015