old chubb single skin safe

davenutt

Recently been handed a single skin chubb safe, no internal lining, compartments or divisions. Its in a sorry state although all intact and lock works.
Was told that it once belonged to British Rail Llanelli Station.
Anyone have any information on single skin safes?

Chubby

All stations used to have a safe. Of course in the heyday of rail travel they handled a lot of cash. Some safes were good, others were not! That looks to be one of the better plate safes.

I like the base fixing hole and wonder whether that is original.

davenutt

Thanks chubby.
Would I be correct in thinking that single skin safes would have been an early form of construction, leading to the twin wall/lined safes.
I am trying to get some idea- approx dating on the safe.

Syd Waterman

The Serial number stamped on the face of the moving bolt will provide an indication of the date of manufacture.
Cannot read the number clearly from your posted photos.
Patent

Huw Eastwood

davenutt the earliest Chubb’s bear the 57 St Paul’s Churchyard address. Yours has the 128 Queen Vic St address so it must be after 1877 when they moved. Like Patent says the serial number is the way to narrow it down.

It does look an early pattern though- very similar to the oddball I posted that had the wheeled base, although that one did have double walled body. Can’t remember seeing a single skin Chubb- used to come across a lot of Ratners and most of them had their early form of crude relocker, suggesting much later manufacture than their design and appearance suggested. It might be down to their application which meant they carried on making certain types when requested.

Nice little Chubb with an interesting past- hope your going to give it a good home and can sort it out!

davenutt

Thanks lads for the input, safe does have serial numbers on bolt ends and other numbers on top edge of door, I will post them asap. I intend renovating it, I have done a few before, I am currently sourcing suitable livery colours.
All the brassware is in excellent condition, door hinges and hangingare as good as the day it was made, lock, keys and boltwork all A1, so no real heavy refurb work required., just descaling and nice paint job, not sure what then 🙁think):

Paul Prescott

It’s quite simple - the single skinned safes were offered as theft resistant only, the double skinned could offer both theft and fire (or fire only) protection.

This is detailed in a number of catalogues from the period.

davenutt

The serial number on the bolt is-
29815 can it be approx dated from this number?

Chubby

The number struck into the top of the door should be the weight of the safe in cwt, quarters and pounds. It is probably not a serial number.

Syd Waterman

davenutt wrote
The serial number on the bolt is-
29815 can it be approx dated from this number?

The serial number 29815 indicates a manufacturing date between 1885 / 1889.
Hope this helps.
Patent

[unknown]

davenutt

Thats great, many thanks.
All I need now is to try suss out the original colour, from cleaning down it looks to have originaly been a deep red livery, but has been overpainted since in green, then later in an orangy brown.
Once again,thanks for the information.

Ian D. Lewis

This would have more likely have been designated as a Strongbox rather than a Safe.

Ian D. Lewis

And was probably used in something like this

davenutt

Ian I know safe/strongbox was in the ticket hall at Llanelli railway station in the late 1800s. By any standards it is heavy, far more so than anything of comparable size, I would imagine a bit heavy for wagon mounting but who knows. Many thanks for info.

Ian D. Lewis

Now that rings a bell I remember back in the 70’s when I was based at Chubb in Salford we removed a lot of these and they were just referred to as Railways Safes. We replaced them with Leamingtons usually. But those old Post Office wagons could easily have coped with the weight.

davenutt

That fits into the picture Ian, we were told that an employer aquired (???) the safe when Llanelli station was refurbed in the late 60s. The employee kept it until recently when their old house was demolished, it was bolted down under the stairs, a real s*d to get out. We got it real cheap, its lovely old box and refurb is coming along nicely, if only these old gals could talk.

Chubby

I wonder how many sovereigns have been in that over the decades…