Dave--Thanks for showing us how that would have looked....very interesting. What is your guess on how this came to be, and why would Meccano apparently continue to hand paint that area, instead of incorporating it with the other finishes? I am assuming that they first finished the model, then has workers go back and hand brush these areas, then it would have to dry, then completed and boxed. That would not have been very efficient. Do you think those original stripe areas were sprayed with a mask, stamped, or rolled somehow.
It sure would be nice to have the factory drawing to see if any of this is referenced, or shown as a change.

Terry