Models by Les Chatfield

Drill Press

This is my Secretary’s Challenge model in that it uses a part I have hardly used — until now. It is the brass cone pulley. A beautiful part but lacking a model to go in.

Now I have two new models using these pulleys. The chuck came from goodness knows where but I was able to hold it in the chuck of my lathe and drill it to take a standard Meccano shaft, secured with some Loctite!

Funicular Railway

A water balanced type based on the East Hill Lift in Hastings.

Goods Yard Crane

Built using only the Pocket Meccano Set parts, not an unlimited amount as specified in the Challenge.

Mignet Pou-De-Ciel

Another large scale model of a home-built French-built light plane known as a Pou-de-Ciel. Literally ‘Louse of the Skies’!

This model has been ‘on the stocks’ for a long time but now with this enforced home lock down I have finished it. It features a detailed inverted two-stroke engine (which runs!) and working flying controls. It even ‘takes down’ like the full-sized aircraft for transportation!

Mini Moke

Another model built to use wheels in my stock — large ones comprising the tyres glued to boiler ends. I strengthened them with bush wheels and the vehicle is driven by a single Emebo motor via the front wheels. (This is the first vehicle I have built with front wheel drive steering!) Despite the low power it does go at a realistic speed and can be seen in action in an album on my Facebook page.

Series I Land Rover

This model, driven by a magic motor, was built to see if I could make a believable model using those dreadful Meccano plastic wheels.

A German Bruder figure is at the wheel (and is a bit undersized). The windscreen hinges down and the spare wheel is correctly mounted behind the driver. (I had to mount a semi-circular plate next to the spare so one could not see the awful hollow interior of the wheel.)

Shaping Machine

This is one of my most recent ‘mono colour’ models. It came out far larger than I first thought but it does work well and features a real lathe tool mounted in the ‘tool post’.

The long green ram moves to and fro with a slow forward cutting stroke and a more rapid return stroke. The mechanism that does this is visible behind a hinged door to the rear of the machine. The length of the stroke can also be adjusted as well. Two more three speed pulleys can be seen forming the motor drive.

“Tich” Locomotive

This small 0–4–0 tank locomotive a full size copy of an original 3.5” gauge live steam engine designed and built in the 1930s by one of Britain’s most prolific and well known model locomotive engineers named Lillian ‘Curly’ Lawrence, known as LBSC.

My Meccano model was built from the original drawings as closely as Meccano will permit.

Other Models

  • Ball Mill
  • Cement Mixer, Wheelbarrow and Shovel
  • Clockwork Lorry
  • Engine Hoist with Meccano V8 Engine
  • Grand Piano
  • Gyroscope
  • Lorry
  • Mobile Phone Camera Dolly for photographing table top models
  • Power Hacksaw (new version)
  • Ruston and Proctor Steam Navvy
  • Steam Tug Hercules
  • Sussex Post Mill