This is a primer for first series of elektron sets introduced in the spring of 1933. Being pressured by their rivals in the toy industry, Meccano went head-long into other lines of toys including aero and auto sets, chemistry and the like. Electrical parts were not unknown in the meccano line as they had them since 1920 but for a comprehensive electrical set, in line with the ones by BGL, Kay, Lotts and others, they came out with the Elektron sets in 1933. Originally envisioned as a complete static and current electrical experimentation outfit, the #2 was the complete outfit. As a start, they carved out the static portion and called it set #1 and, of course, linked it with an accessory set called #1a. The 1st outfits came out in May of 1933( manual date) and by Nov 1933, changes were already afoot in the contents, etc. By early 1934, they decided to un-link the sets and have them stand a lone making the #1a set obsolete inside of 2 years! But one can think of it as the large #2 becoming extinct as the #1a was really the current electrical experiment set that was to be presented as the smaller #2 set in/around late 1934 for the 1935 season. These early elektron sets are very rare and very few exist today. The large #2 and the 1a accessory set are the rarest of the series. I was fortunate to collect one of each in the last couple of years. The 1933 #1 and early 1934 #1a came to me from the same civilian owner so is barn fresh! It was owned in the family since new, put away in the mid 60's until offered for sale last year. They were even wrapped in a British newspaper dated from the mid 60's! The 1933 large #2 also came via Ebay last year and was nearly complete. Herein is a look at these rare sets and the associated paper for the era. Not many have seen these sets and I find it interesting....hope some of you do too.... If you want to continue the reading of the history of these sets, look up Roger Marriott's CQ articles from Mar and Dec 1999. There are also some nice sets in the galleries from other collectors. When I get a minty example of a post 1935 smaller #2 set and a late 30's #1 set, I will do a follow up primer on the second series......