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Jan Oldenhuis's picture
Jan Oldenhuis
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--27k and 324 Hay Rake (1953-71)

In the Netherlands the month of July is traditionally called "The hay month". In the summer, farmers are very busy harvesting dried grass as hay with its own different methods and development of working with machines. A suitable time to pay attention to the 27k Hay Rake – assembly drawing 28-5-51. It's far from impressive but still a nice piece of the Farm Equipment with a history of about 130 years and I like to show some special details of this machine.

27k 324 Hay Rake

14 July 1931. Raking Hay with a Horse drawn Dump Hay Rake. Note the right hand of the driver on the hand lever and the right foot on the foot lever.

Horse drawn Hay Rake in full action. Note the right hand of the driver on the hand lever.

Raking hay in windrows with a Horse drawn Hay Rake.

Haymaking with horse wagons in earlier times. Note the horse drawn hay rake on the right.

Advertisement Massey Self Dumping Hay Rake

I searched for an image of a similar real one Hay Rake as the 27k model, but I could not find it. All these types of hay rakes are very old (already patented in USA in 1885!!!)…..

US Patent Horse Hay Rake J.H. Thomas 1885

….. and pulled by horses instead of a tractor and have a seat for the operator to operate the raising and lowering of the hay rake by hand or foot lever, as pictured below.

Old Hand Dump hay rake 

Old Hand Dump hay rake 

I strongly doubt whether this 27k Dinky model has ever really exist in its form without operating possibility by the driver. This model is derived from a very old horse-drawn self-dump hay rake with an operator seat and hand or foot lever to dump the rake. I can’t find such real one self-dump hay rake pulled by a tractor or it is an old Horse drawn Hay rake, still with an operator seat with hand and foot lever or with a rope between rake lever and tractor for operating the rake, as shown below.

1950’s Brochure International Harvester McCormick self-dump Rake. Note the rope from the lever of the rake to the tractor to operate the lifting function of the rake by the driver of the tractor.

Tractor pulled Dump Hay Rake, but still with operator seat with hand and foot lever.

John Deere 51MT pulled McCormick-Deering dump rake, but still with operator seat with hand and foot lever.

Meccano Liverpool:

I have a strong suspicion that Meccano Liverpool an example of  a horse drawn Hay Rake has converted in a tractor pulled Hay Rake and make the rake automatically goes up and down at a fixed point of the turning wheels to increase the play value and make it suitable for being pulled by a tractor or jeep. Ofcourse, It had to be made in such a way that it could be played with. But did this model actually exist as a real one? That is a question mark for me.

Introduction Dinky Toys 27ak Massey Harris tractor and Hay rake in MM March 1953

Introduction Dinky Toys 27ak Massey Harris tractor and Hay rake in MM April 1953

27k Hay Rake in Farm Equipment in catalogue UK 1953

From the early 1950s, Meccano Liverpool produced Farm models belonging to the so called “Farm equipment”. These were so popular that most were produced until the early 70’s.

It started in 1949 and wend up to 12 models in the series 27:

27a (300) Massey-Harris Tractor 1949-1971

27ak (310) Farm Tractor and Hay Rake 1953-1965

27b (320) Halesowen Harvest Trailer 1949-1971

27c (321) Massey-Harris Manure Spreader 1949-1973

27d (340) Land Rover 1950-1971

27f (344) Estate Car 1950-1961

27g (342) Moto-Cart 1949-1961

27h (322) Disc Harrow 1951-1973

27j (323) Triple Gang Mower 1952-1961

27k (324) Hay Rake 1953-1971

27m (341) Land Rover Trailer 1952-1973

27n (301) Field Marshall Farm Tractor 1953-1966

Farm Equipment in catalogue USA 1955

Farm Equipment in catalogue UK 1957

Farm Equipment in Dutch catalogue 1962

In this contribution I limit myself to the 27k/324 Hay Rake. The details I know about this model I will show in pictures.

27k Hay Rake with 1st trade box 27k with 1 piece, issued for a very short time. Pencil price 3/9. (Photo David Busfield TMT)

Note: Striking that this model was issued in a trade box of only 1 piece. A trade box normally contains 12, 6, 4 or 3 pieces. Still 2 other trade boxes are known with only one piece as pictured below: 70a Avro “York” Air Liner and 16 Express passenger set.

Trade box with 1 x 70a Avro York Air Liner

Trade box with 1 x 16 Express Passenger Set

My 27k with 2nd dual numbered trade box with 1 piece. Pencil price 3/9

324 yellow picture box with upright Dinky Toys lettering. Black operating lever.

324 yellow picture box with Italic Dinky Toys lettering. Silver operating lever.

324 Yellow and red plain non picture box

Text on 324 box about the automatic raise and lower function of the tines of the rake, to activate with the lever mechanism

27k base with number 27k on the frame of the base.

Dual numbers 324 and 27k on the base of the Hay Rake. With silver operating lever.

Note: Very special that dual numbers have been embossed on the base of a model. Dual numbers are well known on transition boxes around the renumbering in 1954. As far as I know, the French Muir-Hill Dumper Truck is the only one that also has a dual number on the base, namely 887 and 562.

French Muir-Hill Dumper Truck with dual number 562 and 887 on base.

27k top view with operating lever mechanism.

27k. Inside view on wheel system of automatic raise and lower the tines of the rake if turning the wheels. Note the cam to lift and lower the tines of the rake.

27k. Outside view on wheel system of automatic raise and lower the tines of the rake if turning the wheels. Note the red and yellow coloured cam to lift and lower the tines of the rake when turning the wheels.

Massey-Harris Tractor with Hay Rake in operating position

Massey-Harris Tractor with Hay Rake to ride in non-operating position

27ak Dinky Toys Farm Tractor & Hay Rake- 1953-1954 renumbered to 310

310 Farm Tractor & Hay Rake – 1954-1965

310 Farm Tractor & Hay Rake – 1954-1965

Hay Rake in 398 Gift Set Farm Equipment – 1954-1964

324L Hay Rake - Râteau à foin in French catalogue 1962-1

As to be seen in the above picture, from 1962 onwards several British Dinky Toys, including 324 Hay Rake, were also sold in France. In the French catalogue they got the suffix L (from Liverpool).

Note: It's very pity that Meccano Liverpool never made a Combine Harvester as Dinky Toy model, like Corgi Toys and Matchbox did in a splendid way, shown below. Only with the biggest Meccano Set No.10 with leaflet No. 13 you could built a Combine Harvester. A sadly missing Dinky Toys model compared to the competition. It's guessing why they never made one.

Jan Oldenhuis 2 August 2019

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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There's hardly anything to add, Jan, to your elaborate account of the Hay Rake! I took some more detailed snap shots of my two examples, showing the reference numbers cast in below. The example with 27k only comes with a dual numbered trade box  dating from 1954. The other one, with both 27k and 324, makes part of a later, post 1957, no. 310 gift set. The remaining number 27k may be due to a possible tricky operation to change or remove that number on such a tiny extension of the casting. Leaving no other place on that casting, the drawing bar of main casting of this model may have been the only option to simply add the new number there.

Consulting the GBofDT it strikes me that the tine holder, job no. 13768, has been redrawn and redesigned, 5th of July 1963. In fact that holder consists of two parts, a cast part below and a tinplate cover on top of it. Lacking an image of that drawing one might wonder what change would/should have taken place. I wonder if it took place at all. The picture in the 1965 catalogue shows no obvious change, nor does the final one in the 1970 catalogue. Others might inspect their models to see if later examples show any modification there. Kind regards, Jan W  

Jan Oldenhuis's picture
Jan Oldenhuis
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DTCA MemberNetherlands

Jan. Thank you for your valuable contribution and your comment about the change on the drawing dated July 5, 1963. A casting change of the tine holder must indeed have taken place on July 5, 1963, given the images I found on Ebay. I myself only have one example, namely the 27k with double-numbered trade box. I compared my 27k to a 324 on Ebay and you can clearly see the difference. It appears indeed that later a tin plate cover was placed over the tine holder of the 324 hay rake.

Before the casting change you can clearly see the turned tines of the tine holder with a top view of the front side. After the casting change you apparently don't see the turned tines of the tine holder with a top view of the front side. This is also visable on your added pictures of the 1965 catalogue (tines visable) and the 1970 catalogue (tines not visable).

Kind regards, Jan Oldenhuis

janwerner's picture
janwerner
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It seems that the tinplate cover was enlarged. Am I right? Jan W

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Jan Oldenhuis
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Jan. You may be right. The photos suggest that, but I can't confirm because I have no such 324 example of my own to compare with. The tinplate cover of my 27k is 7 x 68 mm, measured over the narrowest continuous flat side. Perhaps someone else can add the measurements of the tinplate cover of such a 324 example. Jan O.

kasvd
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Hi jan,

I 've got both examples in my collection and took this photograph to show the difference you noticed.

The one with the cover being discouloured by sunlight. (i apologize for the dust)

 

Jan Oldenhuis's picture
Jan Oldenhuis
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Hi Kas. I am very happy with your contribution. Thank you for adding your very clear photos. The differences between the inside- and outside of both versions can now be seen much better. Many thanks. Kind regards, Jan O.

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dinkycollect
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DTCA MemberFrance

 

This picture clearly shows the change to the tines cover made in 1963

this other picture (modified from Jan O's pictures above) shows that the early tines cover (the narrow one) was first attached to the casting by six tongues

and the wide cover by four tongues only.

I have listed four variations but there may be more as I do not know at which stage the reference number 324 was added to the casting.

1 ) black lever and tines, narrow tines cover 27k
2 ) black lever, tin plated tines, narrow tines cover 27k - ?
3 ) tin plated lever and tines, narrow tines cover 27k - ?
4 ) tin plated lever and tines, wide tines cover

Six boxes are known for this model :

1 ) Yellow lid box ref. 50 160 with reference 27k only
2 ) Yellow lid box with doble numbering
3 ) Yellow end flaps box with ref. 324, DINKY TOYS in up right caracteres
4 ) Yellow end flaps box with ref. 324, DINKY TOYS in italic
5 ) Light Yellow end flaps box with ref. 324, DINKY TOYS in italic
6 ) Yellow / red plain end flaps box with ref. 324, DINKY TOYS in italic

I have read somewhere that this Dinky Toys has been packed in yellow Visi-Pacs but I doubt it as I have not yet seen one. Have you ?

Mike Richardson in his GBDT states that there was a tradebox for six rakes but this is obviously a mistake.

For the Encyclopaedia, I still have a question : what is the diameter of the wheel axle ? and do you know any other variations ?