Meccano exports to Switzerland around 1927-30

The sets exported to Switzerland were essentially the same as sold in the UK, apart from having the manuals and box labels translated into either German or French  language versions - not a small task by any means! Below you will find some examples of Meccano sets sold in the Swiss region covering the period around 1927-1933. (Burgundy red & dark green)

Switzerland is divided into three main cultural areas, German, French & Italian. Despite it's small size, Switzerland was considered an important enough market to print a Swiss version of the instruction booklet with set pricing given in Swiss Francs!  - see the German version of the 0-3 set booklet.  For the Suisse Romande (the French speaking area of Switzerland), you might presume that Meccano France would have distributed the outfits, but in fact they were all exported from Liverpool. Did Meccano Paris help with the preparation of the literature? Switzerland also has an Italian speaking area, the Ticino, but I don't know if any special Swiss Italian sets were ever prepared for that area. Send me an email if you have any details.

The examples follow in set number order - click on the images to enlarge

 These two Swiss German examples were originally purchased from "Emil Freudwiler" Zurich - see box sticker.

** This was one of the first leaflets for the new red/green colour scheme introduced in 1926. As pointed out by Bert Love & Jim Gamble in the HCS Meccano System 6 book, note that in the hurry to assemble the windmill model for the photograph, the sails have been mounted in reverse showing the bolt studs, nuts and girder flanges to the front!!.

The following are accessory set examples sold in the Suisse Romande area of Switzerland (Genève - Geneva). The retail toy shop in question "Franz Carl Weber" still exists today! The box lids had been lost (dommage!) prior to my discovering the sets, but fortunately most of the contents are original.

Click here to see a No.2a/3 manual example showing use of the new boiler part

 The accessory set contents were continually changing. For instance the 3a set from 1928-30 should include a Digger Bucket, but not for 1927 & 1931. Four 3/4" flanged wheels were included in the 1928/29 version instead of part 20, a 1½" flanged wheel, etc.

The 4a accessory set contents changed considerably  from 1928-1930, particularly concerning the 1½" flanged pulley. Shown below is an example layout close to the 1930s contents, although the box might well have been from a previous year. A second earlier layout with 8x part no. 20 will follow (when time allows).