Brian Rowe's Model Building Instructions

(For website updates see the bottom of the page)

Brian Rowe get his first Meccano set in 1929 for his birthday and from that day he became an Meccano enthusiast, gradually building up his collection as funds allowed. However joining the RAF as an apprentice and then World War Two, put a stop to his model building. Following the war he gradually built up his Meccano collection and in 1952 he entered his first official Meccano competition and won second prize with a model of a Stanier Pacific locomotive. This led to him entering more competitions and also having his models featured in the Meccano Magazine.

He was now the manager of a number of railway bookstalls in Devon and the sight of the many steam engines led him to build many models of these - often displayed in the bookstalls. He was also exhibiting at many exhibitions in the south west and had a vast collection of Meccano models, sets, literature and model steam engines by many manufacturers. His models were always admired and he started to produce building instructions for many of them. These were mainly models of steam engines of various types. He would sell the instructions and associated photos by mail order and at exhibitions.

He also started to produce his 'Treatise' on Meccano, which is virtually a history of much of his life. The treatise gradually expanded over the years to eventually become three volumes, each one containing over a hundred pages

Following Brian's death in the late 1990s, these building instructions and his Treatise have virtually all disappeared from the Meccano scene and I felt that it would be good to resurrect them. If anyone has building instructions and/or photos of Brian Rowe's models that are not yet on this website, please get in touch.

Virtually all his building instructions were photocopied from typewritten and hand-drawn illustrations, together with a few very poor photocopied photos. Brian did also sell for an additional cost, prints of colour photos of many of his models. Where I have them, they are included with the model building instructions. Note that as the plans etc. on this website are all from scans of his photocopies, the quality of many of the pictures is rather poor.

If anyone can supply any of Brian's plans etc. which are currently not on this website, please get in touch.
I also understand that upon Brian's death someone did buy the originals of many of these documents. If anyone know the whereabouts of these, I would be very interested to hear about it.

The numbers against the model instructions below refer to the number of that model in Brian's 1994 list of model plans also available below.

Brian Rowes 'Treatise'
volume 1.
(Added 13/05/2024)

Brian Rowes 'Treatise'
volume 2.
(Added 13/05/2024)

Brian Rowes 'Treatise'
volume 3.
(Added 13/05/2024)

A list dated 1994 of Brian Rowes model plans and photos available for sale.
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.2

No.2 - A small 'Watt' type beam engine with parallel motion
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.6

No.6 - A Bing 1913 vertical boiler steam engine - End crank type
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.6A

No.6 - A Bing 1913 vertical boiler steam engine - End crank type
Photos only of a very similar model with only detail differences to the previous model
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.9

No.9 - A Märklin compound steam engine with twin flywheels
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.12

No.12 - A Burrell Showman's Engine with large flanged ring rear wheels
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.13

No.13 - A Bray side rod engine (taken from a model in the 'Model Engineer')
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.17

No.17 - A Stuart Turner Beam Engine
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.24

No.24 - 'Swannington' winding engine with 20" flywheel
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.25

No.25 - Southern Railways 4-6-0 locomotive and tender
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.45

No.45 - A Mill steam engine - single cylinder
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.46

No.46 - Boulton & Watt Bell Crank Steam Engine of 1802
(Added 14/04/2024)

No.47

No.47 - Four pillar beam engine with 12" flywheel
(Added 14/04/2024)