Associated Press (AP) Television - Man attempts world's largest Meccano model

6 minute AP Television feature - from the AP Archive:   07/31/2014 03:09 PM

"Weighing 1.3 tonnes, it took retired lecturer, Graham Shepherd five years to make his coal extractor model.  Measuring 12.5 metre long by 4.9 metre high (41 by 16 foot) Bagger 288 coal extractor is a labour of love."

Wikipedia article on Meccano: mention of Bagger 288

Wikipedia article on Meccano:

Excerpt:
......A contender for the largest model on record was built in 2014 by Graham Shepherd of Grahamstown, South Africa. The fully motorized Krupp 288 Bucket Wheel Excavator (as used on large opencast mining) is complete with auxiliary conveyors. Construction utilised Meccano parts as well as replica and strengthened parts (thickened profile plates and high tensile bolts in areas carrying large loads). Shepherd reports the model as being 1,335 kilograms (2,943 pounds) in mass and 17 ft tall. It required substantial timber support frames to facilitate final assembly..."

World's Largest Meccano model??? View it operating - You Tube clip

Published on Aug 2, 2014

If you're of a certain age, Meccano is definitely your childhood toy of choice. Well, a Meccano model builder in South Africa is attempting to break the record for the world's largest model. And by the look of things it just might be: (commentary by Tatchell Venn (Meccano Historian[pictured below])

Miscellaneous pictures (29-35)

Cable sling from bucket wheel arm to central unit (motor/roller of conveyor in bucket wheel arm behind

Upper roller rail on rotating torus, showing pair of anti-toppling wheels

From below (floor-level) looking up at from of conveyor belt

Similar to previous view

And another shot

Another thruster drive

Official ThyssenKrupp outfut kindly presented to me by Mr Klaus-Peter Mueller, Managing director ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling, Johannesburg at a lunch function in Johannesburg in July 2014!

Miscellaneous pictures (21-28)

Anchor blocks for 8mm threaded rods supporting counterbalance arm

Slewing motor for service crane to winding drum area

Winding drum over service crane

Lounge furniture restored in a small triangular nook of lounge!

View past fireplace

Lounge furniture again!

View of driver's cab from below

Bucket-wheel protruding into family room

Miscellaneous pictures (13-20)

Stage walkway on an upright

More stairways

Closed cage ladders going up an upright

More closed cage ladders

Mining company and machine ID

Driver's cab (right)

Cable sling to driver's cab

Maker's nameplate

Miscellaneous pictures (1-12)

Anchorage of a 25x3 mm strip below a support fin to prevent possible splaying of toroidal mainframe

2 and 1/2 " diameter brass bush to maintain parallel planes of lower plate of main fin and bridge support of crawlers

Steering thruster to swing a group of 4 main crawlers on central unit (note strong cantilever for delivery arm support)

Another view of the anti-splay mechanism

Stabiliser device to help prevent bridge supports rocking (aluminium collars & M12 thread rods)

More stairways on central unit

Motor/gearbox driving a double-sided winding drum which positions final delivery cross-slider on auxiliary unit.

Booster motor/roller in centre of 20 foot static conveyor

Cable sling to offloader arm

35 kg of concrete blocks at end of counterbalance arm

View of main winding drums from below (showing 4 drive motors)

Swivelling cable sling to offloader