The following post was copied from the "Cross Hatching" thread:

Dinkinius wrote:
"Gentlemen

Since starting this Thread, I have been looking carefully at the Dinky Toys and Supertoys in my collection. Having five 642 Pressure Refueller's in my collection, each in their individual blue-striped box, I examine each, and all did not have any cross-hatching. Then in a dusty box, I discovered a long-lost example, but unfortunately, without its box. Looking at it, I was very surprised to see that this one had cross-hatching on the interior of the cab. Shining a flashlight into the rest of the casting, no other cross-hatching was visible. Obviously this model was a late issue as all the other boxes were dated April, May and June 1957.

Bruce

"

At the time I posted the above, I did not mention that this was my Pressure Refueller from my younger days, as it contained an unusual feature not seen on any other 642 Pressure Refueller.

The "unusual feature" is the correct Royal Air Force roundel on the front. I could not vouch for the roundel's authenticity so I did not mention this at the time as I could not recall performing any change to my model. Besides in the late 1950s I had no means to carry this out, as there were no sellers of transfers for restoration of Dinky Toys in those days. Even the transfers from Airfix or Revell model kits did not fit as these were of the wrong size. Besides, the 642 was one of my favourite models, and spent most of its life in its box, the latter disappearing after I left home in 1964. I was also a nutter on things relating to the RAF and the RAAF. Had the French roundel adorned my model, I would have known of this error, but I have no recollection of this, just a memory of it being one of my favourite Dinky Toys.

A month or so ago I won another 642 Pressure Refueller having the RAF roundel on the front, and on receiving it, the model has the cross-hatching in the cab roof (the same as mine), and its box had a UK price for 1959-1960, of 7/6. The size of the roundel matched mine.

The box carried one of those unusual quality stamp, 684/025/567. Has anyone been able to make any sense of these style of numbers?

The only conclusion I can reach with my model (which I received for my birthday in late December 1959) and the boxed model recently received is that more than two years after the model's release, Meccano had finally got around to providing the correct roundel on the front by which time a problem had arisen in effectively ejecting the model from the die, and a temporary solution was reached by incorporating cross-hatching under the roof of the cabin. Based on that, it can be reasonably assumed that every model with cross-hatching "should" have the correct RAF roundel on the front, with the exceptions being during the change-over period.

The following have been copied and transferred to this Thread from the Interior Cross Hatching thr ead to enable those who have an interest in the 642 Pressure Refueller to be able to read all the comments pertaining to this great little model.

dinkycollect wrote:
"Bruce,

Good find.

The cross hatched models are always later issues than the smooth ceilings.

Have you noticed that Meccano failed to reproduce the headlights which should be below the bumper ?

Jacques."

Dinkinius wrote:
"Jacques

Yes indeed, as well as a number of other features, although I guess they were aiming for a simple, uncomplicated casting.

I wonder if other members can check their 642 Pressure Refuellers to see if we can find more with cabin roof interior cross-hatching still in their original box together with an inspection stamp on the inside of the box's lid. Certainly would aid in learning the approximate date when the cross-hatching took place.

Kind regards

Bruce"

Richard wrote:
"The interior ceiling of the cabin of my Pressure refuellers is smooth !
Richard"

STARNI999 wrote:
"Hi all,
Both my early (no windows, grey decal) and my late (windows, red decal) Euclids are smooth,as expected, the RAF fueller is too, no X hatching here!
Chris Warr."

Dinkinius wrote:
"dinkycollect wrote:
"

Jacques - what a splendid job you have done with this photographic comparison! To Chris and Richard, many thanks for your input. It is starting to appear that the 642 Pressure Refueller with cross-hatching on the ceiling of the cabin is not very common - at least until more can check their models. It also may have revealed the possible reason why this model had a relatively short production life - a problem may have arisen with the die/mould and the cross-hatching, a temporary solution did not really solve the problem. Of course this is purely conjecture, but considering that Meccano would have needed to recoup its development costs, a long production life for each model has always been the rule rather than the exception. The 642 has always been one of my favourite models and it is nice to start learning a little more about it.
Bruce"

janwerner wrote:
"If I can be of help, here is my contribution. I have no 'circumstantial evidence', like a box or other related information of the exact dating of this very example.

Kind regards, Jan"

Al

Some time last year I created a Thread dealing with the 642 PRESSURE REFUELLER, (Not as this Thread is known today) The discussion centred on the name of the Refueller in that the model, for some unknown reason, is referred today as 642 RAF Pressure Refueller a title that Meccano never used. From the day it was released with the announcement in the Meccano Magazine, Meccano gave Model 642 the name "Pressure Refueller", without the abbreviation of RAF for Royal Air Force. Somehow, or somewhere, this Post is currently in limbo within the old website, and to bring about some continuity, I hope you will be able to complete the Thread on this model by bringing these discussions under a single Thread, 642 PRESSURE REFUELLER (1957-1959. (Please note the time-frame in which this model existed within Meccano's documentation.)

Many thanks.

Bruce (150)

#710

Many thanks Chris for your very valued contribution, especially for including the copy from Jacque’s Dinky Toys CD (of which I do not have a copy) on the 642 Pressure Refueller which has prompted me to re-visit my records.

I am not sure where Jacques obtained the information that clearly shows the 642 either in production or in a sales leaflet or order form as late as 1962, and for that matter, I am not certain if the model ever achieved the status of being issued with window glazing. Like most things Meccano, I stand corrected if evidence does in fact exist!

With the documentary evidence available to me, the last occasion when the 642 was included in any retail price list was in a four page pictorial leaflet having a print code of 16/660/100 4th P, the date translating to June 1960. It is interesting that the final time when the 642 was available to be ordered by agents in the UK was in the Dinky Toys Order Form also for June 1960 with the print code of 16/1004/5/60/7.250. Even with the slow shipping time between the UK and Australia, the 642 does not appear in the Australian Meccano Toys of Quality leaflet Printed in England, print code 16/760/12.5 with the model also not being included in the price leaflet for August 1960.

Subsequent Dealer Order Forms available to me after June 1960 do not show the 642 as being available after that date. I do not have any Dealer Order Forms for July to November 1960, but the 642 is not included in the Dealer Order Forms for December 1960, February, May, or September 1961, March, April, and July through to December 1962. Stock would have still been on the shelves of countless agents months and months after June 1960, but certainly officially, the 642 was no longer in production and available in sufficient quantities to be ordered at least by June 1960. Assuming the model had been deleted by June 1960; this date would no doubt preclude any models being manufactured with window glazing, as such would have been an added cost that would require cost recuperation. This is not reflected with the retail price for the model in the UK that shows the complete opposite commencing with 7/9 in May 1957 remaining constant until May 1959 when the price dropped to 7/6 with this price remaining constant up to and including June 1960.

On examining the Quality Inspection Stamps of which I do not have all that many, the 642 Pressure Refueller was in production during the following months: April, May, June, September, October, November 1957, April 1958 and August 1959. Hopefully others can add to these by providing this Topic with a photograph or details of the inspection stamps in their model’s box.

The 642 has four variations,  providing an assurance that 3) is an authentic RAF roundel and has not been applied post-factory over the top of a French roundel, and that the diameter of the roundel matches those roundels Meccano would have been using for contemporary RAF aircraft between 1957 and 1960, the Javelin and Hunter..

1) French roundel with smooth ceiling

2) French roundel with cross-hatch cab ceiling

3) RAF roundel with smooth interior cab interior, with the latter only being included if this can be assured that the RAF roundel has not been applied over the top of a French roundel, and that the diameter of the roundel matches those roundels Meccano would have been using for contemporary RAF aircraft during this time frame, 1957 to 1960, the Javelin and Hunter and

4) RAF roundel with cross-hatch cab ceiling

Has anyone else found a 642 identical to that found by Chris?  If so, this Topic is in need of photographs of it!

Finally, Dave Kaun, can you please amend the time frame from 1957-59 to 1957-60. 

Again, many thanks Chris for bringing this to our attention.

Kind regards

Bruce   (150)

20160927/990/0315

Hello Terry

While I am waiting for the website to be fixed by the wizards as I have several Post to lodge, both requiring images to be uploaded I thought I will answer your last Post on the 642 Pressure Refueller.

What a simply marvellous acquisition of one of Meccano’s magnificent products, and one of my favourite models too! I can still vividly remember when I received mine for Christmas 1957. It mostly stayed in its box except when I took it out to smell it!  A pity that some little urchin messed it up a bit after I left home.

As for the Quality Inspection stamp that is in your box this is an example of Meccano’s warped sense of humour – change a system that can be translated by collectors in the future to a system that on the surface makes no sense at all. They used the same system with the quality inspections in the small yellow end-flap boxes too, the idiots!  What was so wrong with letters and numbers, I ask?

It is the bottom row of numerals that means something and in the case of your model, it was quality inspected during the month of October 1957. October is the 10 month, so it is represented by a zero, the seven is the last numeral for the year, and the 5 at the start completes the year. (As for a model inspected in November, the second last numeral for the year is dropped and the row becomes 117.)  However, what I have learned is that there appears to be no hard and fast rule, and in some cases, the price written on the box is useful, although with the 642, the UK price remained constant from April 1957 through to April 1959 at 7/9 and from May 1959 to August 1960 at 7/6. (I have just changed the subject line to the year when the model was deleted from the Meccano inventory from 1959 to 1960, as I have recently obtained some Dealer Order Forms for the later part of 1960 and these included the 642 so all those publications are wrong!) Wasn’t that a marvellous era – prices were so constant, none of this up and down, or should that be up and up as it is these days!

I would like to see some images of the box itself – isn’t it great when one obtains a model whose box shows very little if any wear!  I achieved something similar with a recent arrival, another 666. One has to ask the question, where have these boxes and toys been hiding all these years?! The same for a 689 I obtained through eBay and a seller in New Zealand in October 2001, but I have written a little on this model in that Topic.

I presume the interior of the cab has cross-hatching on the ceiling.

Again, a great model and box and it is nice that it will remain in this condition for many years to come.  Whereabouts in the UK is the dealer from whom you purchased it?

Kind regards

Bruce

20161011/1000/1159

PS

This is my 1,000th Post since I started writing for the Forum a little over two years ago, on 24 July 2014, and it is nice that it is addressed to an old buddy! Not for one moment did I ever consider writing so much, although some may have wished that I never did!!

Chris

My apologies for having missed your appreciated contribution!  I have added the inspection details as well as the features for each boxed model to my data base.  Interesting from my perspective, to see that X 957 was originally sold here in Australia, as the price on the end, 13/6 was the price the model sold here from its release through to its demise.

One thing I did notice, although this may have been due to the angle the photograph was taken, with the example on the far right the roundel appears to have a slightly lighter shade of blue and also appears to be slightly larger than the other example with the RAF roundel.  Is this the case or are my eyes playing tricks??

It is nice seeing  someone else has a similar set of 642 Pressure Refueller boxed models although all mine were manufactured in the first year of production. One thing though, with your models (assuming each are in the same box in which they were originally sold) the use of the RAF roundel apparently occurred throughout the model's production life , rather than only at one set point in time.

Kind regards

Bruce H.   (150)

20161128/1047/0203