QUALITY OF PRODUCTS (unless specified 2nd quality etc).
We supply the best available choices at the time of picking your order, from new Meccano, reproductions, or second hand original Meccano, in "reasonable to very good condition, as available". If you have a preference for new reproduction, or S/H original, please advise in the comments box during checkout and we will do our best to comply, but cannot gurantee to do so. PLEASE BE AWARE; IN ORDER TO CONSISTENTLY STOCK SUCH A HUGE RANGE, OUR PRODUCTS HAVE TO BE OBTAINED FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES.THERE MAY THEREFORE BE MINOR DIFFERENCES FROM THE WEBSITE ILLUSTRATIONS OR MINOR VARIATIONS IN COLOUR SHADES.

Note;
Availability of "scarce" or "difficult" or large quantities of original parts in good condition can't be guaranteed. Should any item be not match our specified criteria, please contact us in the first instance. We reserve the right to decline returned goods that are correctly supplied and otherwise to make a restocking charge against the return of correctly supplied items.
Illustrations are for guidance only and goods supplied may vary slightly physically and the colours may be different (especially plastic parts) unless there is a colour option on the particular item. (See above)..
Within the range "reasonable to very good" condition of goods will be determined by the description and chosen options of that item and their age or rarity. EG Braced Girders in green will be original pre-war items and therefore as much as 80+ years old. Also original parts that receive a lot of use (eg painted brackets, trunnions, double angle strips and flanged plates etc) are more difficult to find in good condition. We work very hard to supply the best products we can, but please have reasonable expectations! 

STOCK & QUERIES
We are able to maintain virtually 100% stock availability, but please email (preferred) or otherwise telephone, if the item you require is not on our website as we may have just a small quantity insufficient to show on the website. Occasionally some items may be marked out of stock in the shoping cart. Usually this is because the quantity limit has been exceeded. Please remove them from your shopping cart and try for a smaller quantity. We will endevour to re-stock those items as soon as possible, but the length of time to aquire items not currently manufactured is indeterminate.

COLOURS AND FINISHES
A general guide to colours:
RED & GREEN are generally medium shades from the 1950s
ZINC, BLUE & YELLOW are from the 1970s.

Also we can sometimes supply the following colours (Limited Range) Please specify in coments box at checkout and we will do our best to supply.

LIGHT RED & LIGHT GREEN from 1958-64.
BLACK from the late 1960s.
DARK BLUE, SPACE WHITE & ARMY GREEN from the late 70s.
LIGHT YELLOW French parts from the 1990s.

2ND QUALITY
(no colour choice). Parts in SERVICEABLE condition, but poor finish, repainted, or replica etc, (our choice). Note flexible plates may be supplied end holes slotted or unslotted as available. Bargain basement parts, Ideal for hidden areas of a model or for refurbishment. We regret we do not accept correctly supplied 2nd quality parts for return.  

BULK PACKS
We regret that due to continued price increases from our trade suppliers we have had to discontinue our previous Bulk Discount Packs section. However we have now reintroduced many hundreds of Bulk Packs applicable to items where we have existing large stocks to clear, for a limited period only. These can be found, where available, when you click on the "options" for any particular item.

MARKLIN STYLE PARTS
These parts are fully compatable with Meccano except for threads which are usually M4. (M4 grub screws are supplied with bossed parts where apropriate). The colour schemes are light red, light green, medium blue and black for small brackets etc.

MISC
Fixing screws etc for bossed parts are sold separately (Marklin style parts come with grub screws where appropriate)
Nut, Bolt & Washer quantities (100+) are average figures, subject to weighing limitations.

MECCANO STANDARD DIMENSIONS

Please note; the origins of the Meccano system date back to 1901 and are wholly designed to imperial sizes ie 1/2 inches hole spacings. All the original designs were made in inches and fractions thereof. Therefore it makes no sense, in our opinion, to specify items in odd metric sizes, which have no reltionship to Meccano standard dimensions. In most cases we also specify No of holes, eg a 5 x 11 hole plate, equates to 2-1/2" x 5-1/2" overall dimensions.

To convert inches to millemeters multiply by 25.4. To convert millemeters to inches divide by 25.4. Some items like chain and spring cord are specified as 40" which is nominally one metre in length.

Hole spacings 1/2" = 12.7mm. (Some parts are 1/4" spaced, but will generally be described as such).

Axle dimameter. 8swg = 0.160" = 4.1mm. Large axles are 5/16" =  7.94mm 

Threads normally 5/32" Whitworth. Some smaller threads on early electrical parts etc, were 6BA, but very little from this era is available/stocked.

Please note some threads of "Marklin Stlye" parts are metric (M4) and these are provided with the correct grubscrews. "Metallus M4 Grub Screws" do not fit Meccano tapped holes and vice-versa. M4 bosses can be effectively converted to Meccano standard by running a 5/32" whit tap though them.

Gears Standard Meccano gears are nominally 38DP (which is 38 teeth per 1" of diameter measured at pitch) (meshing diameter). Where gears are specified as a diameter in inches, it normally refers to the meshing diameter, not the overall diameter.

In addition we supply ranges of gears with 16, 20, and 30 DPs.

16DP is the traditional Meccano DP of Geared Roller Bearings, Large tooth Quadrants and some recent Junior Meccano plastic parts etc. We also have a small range of 16DP compatible parts.

30DP is the DP of the very clever specially designed gears, from the late gearing expert, Tony Bolton. These offer an extended range of ratios at 1/2" and 1/"4 spacing increments. We have obtained the remaining stock of these parts and as it would not be economical to produce further batches, you should buy these while they are available!

Strips are nominally 1/2" = 12.7 wide. Narrow strips are approximately 11/32" = 9.7mm wide

Bosses are normally 3/8" dia except for some larger gears and sprockets which are 1/2".