About the Model:
I always loved the Triumph Herald from
the moment of its release when as soon as
funds permitted I rushed off on my bike
to buy the Dinky Toy. I still have it. Meccano
Magazine published a model of the chassis
in 1959 and this year I finally got round
to building my version. Not bad that, under
50 years. My unbuilt Airfix 1/24 scale Harrier
Aircraft kit is only 30 years old so no
need to rush that one yet. As a Meccano
modeller I can never really think what to
build next. I had been intending to have
a go at the Herald Chassis as a boy, prevented
from this ambition by lack of parts.
Meccano 'scale' modelling is a compromise
between the scale and the available parts.
For this model my original intention was
to build a model as realistically as I could
within the limitations of the Meccano system.
Any working drive train components would
be a real bonus.
The model was inspired by the MM photo
July 1959 pg372, and a combination of car
book photos/illustrations and Triumph advertising
pamphlets. Plus whatever help I could find
on the Internet and via Spanners. On giving
consideration to parts and scale, as ever
it was wheels that dictated the scale. If
possible I like only to use Meccano in my
models. The Meccano 2" wheels with 2" tyres
seemed the correct choice because the tyre/wheel
proportions looked nearest to the Herald
wheel proportions. The chassis rotating
base would probably be very similar to those
already produced in Meccano (e.g. MM August
1955 pg443), needing perhaps, length adjustment
to suit the Herald Chassis
|