The first question you might ask is, "What on earth is a level luffing crane?" It is a type of crane used in dockyards and wharves, level luffing simply means the load being carried remains level as the jib is (luffed) lowered or raised. This saves a lot of time and work when ships are being unloaded. This time factor was most important in pre container days when most of the handling was done by dockers using just hooks to grab the loads. The only mechanical help usually being a crane much as things must have been in Roman times.This simple little model has always intrigued me from the time I saw it reproduced in volume 6 of the Hornby Companion series. It interestingly shows the use of narrow strips long before they were introduced in to the Meccano system. The model was published in the 1930 edition of "NEW MECCANO MODELS."

I have built the model with some fairly major changes including a better tower and counter balances to the jib. As designed the model was quite unworkable because the jib was completely out of balance. When I started building it I began to think the whole thing was perhaps a figment of the Meccano company's airbrush artist!

I cast two lead weights 2.5" x 2.5" x 1/2" each of 250 grams as opposed to two 1.5 inch pulleys used on the original, well to be fair they are just decoration. The lifting crank rods needed to have flats filed for the bolts to grip. This is driven by a worm onto two 57 tooth gears and is quite capable of being power driven. Only lack of space in the cab prevented me doing this. The hoist and slewing movements are both powered The finished model is of quite pleasing proportions much as the original prototype crane. It was a pity the original model did not have a base more in proportion to the type of crane. I have based my tower on a photograph of a crane at Portsmouth naval dockyard taken in 1960. Cranes were often featured in the Meccano Magazine and this type was no exception the two pictures below are from the April 1934 edition.

The replica mid green narrow strips and 3 hole triangular parts used on the model Toplis crane were supplied by Jack Parisson of Frankston, Australia.

Revised April 30 2009