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Part 24: Bush wheels and wheel discs
The odd name for this part makes more sense when one refers to the original MME description, "Bush for wheel". This was intended as a central hub, around which a wheel could be constructed with strips for spokes and/or a cardboard disc. The word "for" was dropped by 1904, and the part was known as a Bush Wheel from then on.
| 24 | Bush wheel, 8 holes | 1901 | - | 5 | 8 | 4 | N°0 | |
| 24a | Wheel disc, 8 holes | 1932 | - | n/a | n/a | 2 | N°3 | part 217a until 1945 |
| 24b | Bush wheel, 6 holes | 1954 | - | n/a | n/a | 2 | N°10 | |
| 24c | Wheel disc, 6 holes | 1954 | - | n/a | n/a | 2 | N°5 | |
| 518 | 1'' 6-hole bush wheel | 1962 | - | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
The parts
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The bush wheel (top left) was included in the very earliest MME outfits. In 1932, as part of the ill-fated budget X-series outfits, a small steel disc with eight holes (and one in the centre) was introduced. This part was transferred across to Meccano as part number 217a. Another part (219) was at that time named the wheel disc (later called the conical disc), but both of these were dropped and in 1945 the new part 24a Wheel Disc was introduced into outfits. This part was identical to the bush wheel, but without the boss, and is shown top-right in this photo.
In 1954, the 6-hole bush wheel and wheel disc was introduced. This allowed many more mechanisms to be built because of its 60° rotational symmetry, in particular it was useful for clocks and spur differentials. These parts are shown in the lower half of the photo.
Part number 518 is also a 6-hole bush wheel but only 1'' overall diameter, nickel plated, and thicker than the others. This part was introduced in the Electrikit and later in the equivalent 4EL outfit. It subsequently gained a new use as one of the parts of the three-part road wheel p/n 187c, supplied in the 1978/79 outfits 3, 4, 5, and 10. Thus it is also found in matt brass and iridescent finishes.
Chronological variations
Variations and oddities
None known
Dealer spare parts boxes
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
William Irwin
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
William Irwin
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
William Irwin
These pictures show a range of parts (24, 24b, and 24c) in post-war yellow spare parts boxes. The boxes all contain product codes, dating them from at least 1954, but since the parts within are brass these labels remained unchanged right through the light red/green period, so they could easily be early 1960's parts.
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
John Nuttall
To the right, a pair of instantly datable spare parts packs of parts 24 and 24a. The light
green sticker with black dashed line marks these as blackened steel parts from the Korean War
period (1951/52), due to the restrictions on the use of brass and nickel at that time.
Individual part numbers
Part numbers for the parts on this page are as follows: Unique part numbersFor identification, each variation has been given a suffix to the main Meccano part number. These suffixes consist of a two-character code for the colour, and if there are many variations, a further number and sometimes letter code to identify each variation. See the bottom of the 'Parts' page for further details.
You don't need to worry what the codes are, just click on any one for a photograph.
The button above turns on and off the display of DMS numbers (where they are known). The DMS (Development of the Meccano System, Hauton and Hindemarsh) published in 1972 and added to in 75 and 82, suggested part numbers for every variation of every Meccano part. These numbers aren't perfect, but they are recognised and also referenced in the EMP (Encyclopedia of Meccano Parts, Don Blakeborough).
| Description | from | 24 | 24a | 24b | 24c | 518 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cast brass, four holes, feather key | 01 | .mm | ||||
| Cast brass, 4 normal and 4 large holes, feather key | 04 | .mm1 | ||||
| Cast brass, 4 normal and 4 large holes, tongue key | ?? | .mm1a | ||||
| Bronzed steel two-part wheel, 4 holes | ?? | .mm4 | ||||
| Machined brass, eight standard holes, tongue key | 11 | .mm2 | ||||
| Disc 1/16'' thick, 1911 short boss, tongue key | 12 | .mm3 | ||||
| Disc 1/16'' thick, patent short boss, tongue key | 12 | .mm3a | ||||
| Disc 1/16'' thick, 1911 full boss, tongue key | 12 | .mm3b | ||||
| Disc 1/16'' thick, 1911 boss, single-tapped | 12 | .br1 | ||||
| Nickelled steel disc, 1911 boss, single-tapped | 15 | .ni | ||||
| Nickelled thicker disc, patent boss † | ?? | .ni1 | ||||
| Brass thicker disc, patent boss | ?? | .br2a | ||||
| Brass disc 1/16'' thick, patent boss | ?? | .br2 | ||||
| Brass disc 1¼'' diameter, patent boss | ?? | .br3 | ||||
| Steel disc, brass plated, recessed boss single tapped | ?? | .br3a | ||||
| Brass disc, recessed boss single tapped | ?? | .br3b | ||||
| Brass disc 18swg, 1 3/8'' dia, standard boss | 20s | .br4 | ||||
| Brass disc 18swg, 1 3/8'' dia, boss double tapped | 27 | .br5 | ||||
| Steel disc 21swg, unpainted (X-series part X475) | 32 | .st | ||||
| Steel face enamelled blue | 34 | .nb | .nb | |||
| Steel face enamelled red | 37 | .re | .re | |||
| Steel face enamelled red, painted over Mazac bush | 40 | .re1 | ||||
| Olive green, only two holes in face (Mech Army) † | 39-41 | .ma | .ma | |||
| Post-war brass face, standard boss double-tapped | 45 | .br | .br | .br | .br | |
| Blackened steel face (Korean) † | 51-52 | .bs | .bs | |||
| Brass, 1 7/16'' diameter, edge not chamfered | 60s | .br6 | .br1 | .br1 | .br1 | |
| Nickel-plated steel disc, not chamfered | 62 | .ni | .ni | .ni | ||
| Zinc-plated steel disc, not chamfered | 68 | .zn | .zn | .zn | ||
| Black fibre insulated face, Electrikit part † | 62 | .xx | .xx | |||
| Brown fibre insulated face, 4EL part † | ?? | .xx1 | .xx1 | |||
| Steel with matt brass finish | 71 | .mb | .mb | .mb | .mb | .mb |
| Iridescent | 79 | .ir | .ir | .ir | .ir | .ir |
| ALL | ALL | ALL | ALL | ALL |
, Cast brass, four holes, feather key.',519,422,'white')){kind=link}
, Cast brass, 4 normal and 4 large holes, feather key.',500,403,'white')){kind=link}
, Cast brass, 4 normal and 4 large holes, tongue key.',400,326,'white')){kind=link}
, Bronzed steel two-part wheel, 4 holes.',532,408,'white')){kind=link}
, Machined brass, eight standard holes, tongue key.',360,300,'white')){kind=link}
, Disc 1/16\'\' thick, 1911 short boss, tongue key.',500,411,'white')){kind=link}
, Disc 1/16\'\' thick, patent short boss, tongue key.',300,274,'white')){kind=link}
, Disc 1/16\'\' thick, 1911 full boss, tongue key.',360,246,'white')){kind=link}
, Disc 1/16\'\' thick, 1911 boss, single-tapped.',360,245,'white')){kind=link}
, Nickelled thicker disc, patent boss †.',360,260,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass thicker disc, patent boss.',500,382,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass disc 1/16\'\' thick, patent boss.',500,388,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass disc 1¼\'\' diameter, patent boss.',500,455,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel disc, brass plated, recessed boss single tapped.',500,210,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass disc, recessed boss single tapped.',500,223,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass disc 18swg, 1 3/8\'\' dia, standard boss.',500,354,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass disc 18swg, 1 3/8\'\' dia, boss double tapped.',288,244,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel disc 21swg, unpainted (X-series part X475).',300,286,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel face enamelled blue.',400,301,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel face enamelled red.',400,292,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel face enamelled red.',350,330,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel face enamelled red, painted over Mazac bush.',500,351,'white')){kind=link}
, Olive green, only two holes in face (Mech Army) †.',500,379,'white')){kind=link}
, Olive green, only two holes in face (Mech Army) †.',400,325,'white')){kind=link}
, Post-war brass face, standard boss double-tapped.',400,288,'white')){kind=link}
, Post-war brass face, standard boss double-tapped.',300,292,'white')){kind=link}
, Post-war brass face, standard boss double-tapped.',400,285,'white')){kind=link}
, Post-war brass face, standard boss double-tapped.',300,292,'white')){kind=link}
, Blackened steel face (Korean) †.',400,294,'white')){kind=link}
, Blackened steel face (Korean) †.',300,287,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass, 1 7/16\'\' diameter, edge not chamfered.',400,278,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass, 1 7/16\'\' diameter, edge not chamfered.',400,316,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass, 1 7/16\'\' diameter, edge not chamfered.',400,326,'white')){kind=link}
, Brass, 1 7/16\'\' diameter, edge not chamfered.',400,328,'white')){kind=link}
, Nickel-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',288,256,'white')){kind=link}
, Nickel-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',350,296,'white')){kind=link}
, Nickel-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',300,265,'white')){kind=link}
, Zinc-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',288,252,'white')){kind=link}
, Zinc-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',288,233,'white')){kind=link}
, Zinc-plated steel disc, not chamfered.',400,258,'white')){kind=link}
, Black fibre insulated face, Electrikit part †.',360,256,'white')){kind=link}
, Black fibre insulated face, Electrikit part †.',360,234,'white')){kind=link}
, Brown fibre insulated face, 4EL part †.',500,394,'white')){kind=link}
, Brown fibre insulated face, 4EL part †.',400,301,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel with matt brass finish.',300,290,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel with matt brass finish.',198,203,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel with matt brass finish.',300,291,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel with matt brass finish.',288,243,'white')){kind=link}
, Steel with matt brass finish.',300,284,'white')){kind=link}
, Iridescent.',300,285,'white')){kind=link}
, Iridescent.',300,296,'white')){kind=link}
, Iridescent.',300,294,'white')){kind=link}
, Iridescent.',215,216,'white')){kind=link}
, Iridescent.',300,288,'white')){kind=link}
Please send us pictures of missing parts! Hints and tips for pictures
Take a picture of the part in very good light, preferably on a plain yellow background, without a flash but with a tripod.
Ideally, trim the picture to about 150 pixels per inch of the Meccano part (unless the part is particularly big or small), save it as a reasonably good quality jpg file with a filename of exactly the part number, for example 19b.ni1.jpg, and email it to us by clicking on 'Contact us' at the top of the page. Thanks!
- A greyed-out box shows that no part exists for that colour combination.
- Part number codes with a green background have an attached picture of the part, just click once on the code to show a photograph of that part in a separate window.
- Parts marked "†" were temporary or economy parts, or existed only within specific themed outfits. The previous part continued throughout or afterwards.
Further information
Total number of messages on this page: 24. This is page 3 of 4. 
Bill Watt-Smyrk (at 8:38am, Mon 26th Nov, 12) |
Thanks Richard, that's very helpful. Contents of outfits have been amended accordingly! Does your encyclopaedic knowledge extend to set screws? (see second part of my original query) |
Richard Payn (at 2:30pm, Sat 17th Nov, 12) |
Hi Bill, |
billwattsmyrk (at 12:42pm, Sat 17th Nov, 12) |
Thanks for info, Richard. Does the same apply to 24 and 24b, the bush wheels? The chart above says matt brass for all 24 series parts from '71, not '77. If that's wrong, presumably the bush wheels were shiny brass from introduction all the way through to '77 |
Richard Payn (at 6:51pm, Tue 13th Nov, 12) |
The steel with matt brass finish wheel discs, parts 24a and 24c, are 1978, not 1971. Wheel discs from 1970 to 1977 were all zinc. |
Bill Watt-Smyrk (at 4:39pm, Tue 13th Nov, 12) |
I'm a bit puzzled about wheel discs; a recent purchase of several post-1970 (zinc/yellow/blue)No 10 outfits contained in post-73 cabinets (long alloy handles on drawers)contained only zinc-plated 24a and 24c; the wisdom contained in the Parts Listings suggests they should be matt brass-finished steel to match the bush wheels and 21/22 pulleys post-1971. It is of course highly possible that earlier parts have been put into later cabinets, but in my entire collection of several hundred wheel discs there are only 3 matt brass 24c and no such 24a; I would expect to have found more if they were standard outfit contents post-1971. |
Mick Burgess (at 11:34am, Wed 15th Feb, 12) |
Hi all |