Meccano Manuals

1937-1941

Changes to the manuals during the era

General
There were a few significant changes during this era. In 1938 the shorter strip plates were withdrawn and were replaced by flexible plates. In 1940 every outfit had at least one manual model changed.

Each year there were minor changes to the manuals, where the relative positions of pictures and or text could change very slightly. These have not been recorded. The 1939 Outfits 9/10 manual has not yet been examined for changes.

American editions of some of these manuals were also produced. See bottom of the page for more details. Apart from America, all other English speaking countries used the same edition as the UK.

1937

Models motorised with the 'Magic' motor have a 'M' in the model number. 0M22-25, 1M45-48, 2M22-25, 3M21,22,24,25, 4M22-25, 5M7, 8
The 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' list the shorter strip plates (parts 193, 194, 195) in Sets 7 - 10.
The 'List of Meccano Parts' shows the shorter strip plates (parts 193, 194, 195).
The second 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' page has a paragraph on 'New Meccano Parts for Old'
On both the 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' & 'List of Meccano Parts' Part 186 is listed as a 3in. driving band
Due to a printing error, the numbering of models 2.19 & 2.20 in the 7/37 No.2 manual was swapped over.

1938

No 'M' against models motorised with the 'Magic' motor.
The shorter strip plates (parts 193, 194, 195) are replaced by flexible plates for sets 7 - 10. The quantities of parts 193 & 195 are replaced by adding the relevant quantities to existing parts 190 & 192 respectively. Part 194 is replaced by part 190a.
This affects the 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' and the required parts lists & descriptions for the individual models. These changes are as follows (For more details click here):-

Set	Model Number
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
7	P	P/T	--	P/T	P/T	P	P/T	P	P/T	P	P	P	P	--	P/T	P/T	P	P	P	P	P/T	--	P	P/T	P
8	P/T	--	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P	P/T	P	P	P/T	P	P/T	P/T	P/T	P	P/T	P/T	P	P/T	P	P	P/T	P/T
9	P	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	--	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P	P/T	P	P	P/T	P/T	P/T	P
10	P	P/T	P/T	P*/T	P/T	P*/T	P/T*	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T	P/T

P - Flexible plate substituted for the shorter strip plates in model parts list.
T - Text change for the new parts
* - Error, see below

Errors
10.4 - Quantity of 195 not amended in the list ***
10.6 - 18 of 192 + 5 of 195 » 23 of 192 + 5 of 195 - **** Note error in list ****
10.7 - Page 64, paragraph 2 - 12½in. * 2½in. strip plates described as flexible plates ****

The shorter strip plates (parts 193, 194, 195) are also deleted from the 'List of Meccano Parts' - an error introduced here describes parts 191 & 192 as strip plates.
Motors page shows two extra electric motors - EO6 & EO20. Also extra paragraph on choice of clockwork motors.
A leaflet was published promoting the new EO6/EO20 motors. This leaflet had eight new models for outfits 2 - 6 utilising the new motors.
On 'List of Meccano Parts' page, part 37f now says 'box of 50'
The 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' now includes parts 26b and P52 for set 10 - This rectifies an error - no actual change in outfit contents.
On both the 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' & 'List of Meccano Parts' Part 186 is now listed as a 2½in. driving band (was a 3in. driving band in 1937)
The paragraph on 'New Meccano Parts for Old' on the second 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' page is replaced by a paragraph on 'Real Engineering in Miniature'
Several of the models which utilised the No.2 Clockwork Motor, were changed to use either the No.1A or the No.2 Clockwork Motor - The text also changed to suit.
    5.24
    6.18
    7.20, 7.24
    9.4
The text descriptions of the following models were amended to correct typos, errors or clarify aspects of the model. :-
    0.21
    1.3, 1.33, 1.35, 1.40, 1.41, 1.45
    2.2, 2.6
    3.5, 3.6, 3.13, 3.15, 3.18, 3.19, 3.24, 3.25
    4.2, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.9, 4.10, 4.13, 4.14, 4.15, 4.16, 4.18, 4.19, 4.22
    5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, 5.8, 5.11, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.19, 5.20, 5.22, 5.24
    6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.6, .8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.14, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19, 6.20, 6.23, 6.25
    7.10, 7.15, 7.17
    8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 8.9, 8.10, 8.1,1 8.13, 8.14, 8.21, 8.22, 8.23, 8.24
    9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.12, 9.13, 9.16, 9.17, 9.18, 9.20, 9.22, 9.23, 9.24, 9.25
    10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.8, 10.11, 10.12, 10.14
The 'Parts required' lists for many models were amended to correct errors. These are split into three types :-
    A. 19b was listed after 19g and/or 19h in 1937 for most models - corrected in 1938 so that 19b is listed first.
        4.3, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.11
        5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.8, 5.11, 5.20, 5.22, 5.23, 5.24
        6.2, 6.7, 6.11, 6.13, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19
        7.3, 7.8, 7.15, 7.23
        8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 8.25
        9.9
        10.1
    B. The quantity of nuts and bolts was corrected in model parts lists.
        4.6, 4.7, 4.10, 4.19, 4.21
        5.9, 5.11, 5.16, 5.17
        6.2, 6.3, 6.6, 6.7, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.19, 6.20, 6.22, 6.23, 6.24
        7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.7, 7.11, 7.12, 7.13, 7.14, 7.15, 7.21
        8.5, 8.6, 8.12
    C. Other errors corrected in model parts lists.
        4.10 - 4 of 111c » 5 of 111c.
        4.12 - 6 of 10 » 4 of 10
        4.16 - 1 of 190 » 2 of 190
        4.16 - The split in the 'Parts required' list changed from 126a-155a to 126-126a
        6.8 - 19g » 19h
        6.16 - 1 of 4 » 2 of 4
        6.17 - 1 of 16 was added to the motor option parts list
        7.9 - 7 of 12c » 6 of 12c
        7.11 - 2 of 162b » 2 of 162a
        7.23 - In the additional parts required for the motor, a note was added saying that 1 of part 27a was not included in the outfit
        7.24 - 2nd 1 of 15 » 1 of 15a
        8.2 - 1 of 165 added and 2 of 186 » 2 of 186b
        8.3 - 2 of 162b » 2 of 162a and 1 of186 » 1 of 186a
        8.4 - 2 of 162b » 2 of 162a and 1 of186 » 1 of 186b
        8.11 - 1 of 116a added and 1 of No.1 clockwork motor added
        8.15 - 2 of 162b » 2 of 162a
        8.18 - 1 of No.1 clockwork motor added
        8.20 - 6 of 11 » 5 of 11
        8.23 - 1 of 116 » 1 of 116a
        9.3 - 1 of 40 added
        9.4 - 3 of 37a » 9 of 37a and 2 of 40 » 4 of 40
        9.5 - 1 of 80c » 2 of 80c
        9.6 - 1 of 40 added
        9.10 - 1 of 116a added and 2 of 165 » 1 of 165
        9.11 - 1 of 40 » 2 of 40
        9.15 - 1 of 40 » 3 of 40 and 1 of 186 » 1 of 186c
        9.16 - 2 of 40 added
        9.17 - 1 of 40 added
        9.19 - 2 of 1a » 2 of 1b
        9.20 - 2 of 40 added
        9.25 - 1 of 19 » 1 of 19h
        10.2 - 4 of 9d added
        10.9 - 1 of 162 » 162a
        10.12 - 4 of 227b » 4 of 217b
Model 3.7 was altered with both the illustration and the parts list being amended, as due to the crank handle in the No.3 set being the type with a grip, the model could not be made as originally shown in the 1937 manuals.
Identifier '1' was removed from fig 4.20b

1939

The 'List of Meccano Parts' now correctly describes parts 191 & 192 as flexible plates
Extensive errors in the 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' for the accessory outfits 1a to 7a were corrected. However an error was introduced which showed none of part 78 in outfit 7a. Also the outfit 1 contents list was amended, to read '1 of 19s' instead of '1 of 19g'.
There were further amendments to the text descriptions of a few models :-
    2.6
    3.8, 3.13, 3.20
    4.9, 4.12
    5.3, 5.14, 5.16, 5.23
With a number of models, although the description did not change, formatting was changed and some words moved to a different line:-
    1.33
    2.11
    3.4, 3.10, 3.11, 3.13, 3.19
A few models had their 'Parts required' lists corrected.
3.11 - 4 of 155a added
Three 'More New Models' manuals were introduced - 0-3, 4-6 & 7-10. There were two models each for outfits 0-8 and one new model each for outfits 9 & 10. All the models shown in the 0-3 'More New Models' manual were repeated in the 4-6 manual. The only difference was that in the 0-3 manual, the models were not numbered but they were in the 4-6 manual. The 0-3 and 4-6 manuals also included three models featuring the new EO6 and EO20 motors, which had been initially published in the 1938 leaflet promoting the new motors. The outfit 4-6 models in the 4-6 'More New Models' manual were also repeated in the 7-10 'More New Models' manual. A typographical error was introduced here as the numbering of models 6.26 & 6.27 were swapped over.

1940

All outfit manuals have either one or two models replaced by the new models which had been introduced in 1939 in the 'More New Models' manuals. Some manuals also had model numbers swapped around. The number of models in each manual remained the same. These changes affected models:-
0.2, 0.9, 0.11, 0.15, 0.19, 1.6, 1.14, 2.9, 2.19, 3.13, 4.10, 4.13, 4.25, 5.15, 6.1, 7.7, 7.12, 8.14, 8.16, 9.23, 10.9 (In the 1940 manual the 10.9 model was noted as 10.8 due to a typo). Click here for more details.
Part 111d added to the 'List of Meccano Parts'.
The 'Contents of Meccano Outfits' now includes part 27c Parts list for set 10 - This rectifies an error - no actual change in set contents.
In the 'Contents of Meccano Outfits', the following amendments were made. The error for quantity of part 78 in set 7a was corrected. An error was introduced which showed none of part 216 in outfit 4a. The description of Part 57b was changed from 'Hooks, Loaded (Large)' to 'Hooks, Loaded'.
There were further amendments to the text descriptions of a few models :-
    3.22
    4.7, 4.22, 4.25
    5.13
    6.2, 6.13, 6.17, 6.23
    7.8, 7.15(see note 9 below)
With a number of models, although the description did not change, some words moved to a different line:-
    3.19
    4.5, 4.15, 4.16, 4.17, 4.20, 4.22
    5.4
    6.7, 6.9, 6.13, 6.15, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19, 6.23, 6.24
    7.15 - see note below
A few models had their 'Parts required' lists amended
    0.23 - Split between 'Parts required' columns changed from 5-10 » 10-12 (In manuals for outfits 1 - 6)
    4.16 - 2 of 192 » 3 192
    5.25 - 2 of 11 » 12 of 11
    6.12 - Where Part No.111 should be is a blank space - maybe faulty printing on my copy
    7.4 - 2 of197 » 1 of 197
    7.15 - 148 of 37 » 150 of 37, 14 of 37a » 12 of 37a, 8 of 190 » 6 of 190 and 2 of 193 & 2 of 195 were added - See note below
On page for model 7.7 - As model was changed - advert for Meccano Guild was also deleted.
Model 7.15 had the page totally reformatted - The main picture was made larger and the description was totally reformatted, but with only one very minor text change. The parts required list was changed to four columns and amended - however this introduced errors as parts 193 & 195 were included which went obsolete in 1938.
In the outfit 3 manual, pages 34-35 showed models 4.4 - 4.7 instead of 'Build bigger and better models'
The early 1930s 000 Outfit complete with cardboard coloured parts was reintroduced. It is assumed that this was a war-time measure to create a cheap set (Meccano had increased in price very considerably because of the war)

1941

Front cover of manual no longer shows the manual prices for various countries.
No other changes apart from a few, very minor text formatting changes have been identified.

American Editions

In 1937/8 Mecano Outfits were sold in America by 'The Meccano Company of America Inc'. (These were manufactured mainly by A.C. Gilbert who made Erector) These looked virtually the same as the normal Liverpool outfits. Meccano Ltd (Liverpool) produced the manuals for these American outfits.