Caldwell firing shovel

Can anyone tell me about the history of Caldwell shovels. I have seen one but have never heard of the make. It was made in Stockton Heath Warrington and has the serial number 2770-.

It is a big wide blade shovel similar to a western. Did the company supply the GWR or LMS?

 

After 65 views of this post and no replies, am I to take it I am the owner of something rare?

Surely someone has come across one of these before?

Alternatively, it was made for a foreign railway and our rail operating companies didn't use them?

 

I know nothing about Caldwell shovels but there were plenty of other users of what we would term firing shovels outside the railways. Many works Lancashire boilers would be hand fired, for example. Some form of shovel would be necessary, as distinct from a spade.

Just a thought.

 

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I have researched the manufacturer further. The marking on the shovel is not a serial number, but the date Calwell was incorporated. It actually reads 1770 and is part of the company crest stamped on the shaft.

Caldwells only made forged shovels and claim to have supplied most of the shovels that were used to build the canals and the railways in the late 18th and 19th Centuries. A later claim was it supplied the army with the shovels that dug the trenches in WW1.

As per my question, the part it played in supplying the railways with firing shovels is not well documented. But given the age and standing of the company, it must have supplied the GWR at least in the early 20th Century.

Caldwells - often trading as Stockton Heath Forge - went into administration in 2009 after Wickes cancelled a major order for builders shovels. Its assets were bought by Bulldog, who just happened to be one of BR's suppliers of firing shovels.

My shovel is very Western. Long wide blade with a long handle - what you want to reach the front of a hungry King or Castle's firbox. It would be equally at home on a Duchess or Jubilee footplate. Hopefully someone can pin all this down.

 

Thanks Steve, you make a very valid point. My only thought is looking at a US website of a shovel collector, his industrial boiler stoking shovels are a completely different shape to a loco firing shovel and they call them scoops. When I first saw a pic of it I thought it was a SR Lucas. In the flesh it was much bigger. My mate has a Southern Lucas so I knew immediately.

 

Only just come across this thread by chance, but it has cleared up a mystery for me. A few years ago I bought what appeared to be a Western type shovel blade at a car boot sale. Very similar in general shape and size to Lucas and Bulldog western firing shovels, but if anything slightly bigger. The only marking which made any sense to me was BR (W). Above that is the maker's name but it has corroded so only the end of the words are visible: ...LDWELL, ...CKTON, ...ATH and also a number which I thought was 20 but must be 70 (ie. the end of 1770). So it would appear yours is not unique, but sounds to be in better condition than mine. To add to your research, mine is definately stamped BR (W) 1958, so unless this has been added later, it would appear the company were still supplying shovels to the (then) Western Region well into BR days.

HTH!

Ben.

 

Hi , I too have just discovered this thread by chance. I have a Caldwell Shovel model 1770. It has an SR stamp on it which I have always assumed to stand for Southern Railways. It also has a 1946 date stamp ! It is not in great condition but is still good enough to be used on a daily basis and some days this summer it was being used all day. Perhaps I should retire it ???

 

Get speyed?

I'll get me coat.......

 

Old Shovels never retire they just............ fly off the handle?

I've kept me coat on...........