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Class 46 box?
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Gloster
Veteran Member
It is not necessarily railway and may have nothing to do with the Class 46 locos.
It’s a puzzling one, I thought it looked older than the class 46s but I was told by the seller it was something to do with British Rail.
Thank You for the thoughts, much appreciated. I can’t make head nor tail of it, researched online but every avenue conflicts the other.
Thank You for the thoughts, much appreciated. I can’t make head nor tail of it, researched online but every avenue conflicts the other.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Could be off one of these, but then I'd query why the writing is in English...
( Link is a Google Images search result for "BM Class 46 steam locomotive" )
...and here's the Wikipedia ( yeah, yeah, I know.... Wikipedia... ) bit about the same:
en.wikipedia.org
( Link is a Google Images search result for "BM Class 46 steam locomotive" )
...and here's the Wikipedia ( yeah, yeah, I know.... Wikipedia... ) bit about the same:
2-12-4T - Wikipedia
DelW
Established Member
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It looks like it has three separate locks, with three separate (different?) keys? if so, that implies it perhaps held something that could only be accessed with three relevant people present. Thinking maybe legal documents or something similar, though I can't see how "class 46" would fit with that.
I can't think of anything on a loco that would need that sort of security though. By the era of class 46 diesels, I think lettering would more likely have been stencilled not signwritten.
I can't think of anything on a loco that would need that sort of security though. By the era of class 46 diesels, I think lettering would more likely have been stencilled not signwritten.
Ashley Hill
Established Member
It looks like a Deed Box. Used for storing valuable documents etc.
Yes it has three different locks, two smaller keys with one slightly larger key for the middle lock. I am starting to feel it’s more document related but I don’t really have any other information other than what the seller told me.
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It does indeed, but the class 46 wouldn’t really make sense in that case nor would the three locks. Most deed boxes have one central lock. You wouldn’t need three locks for a deed box surely.
Could be a safety deposit box from a bank maybe? The bank would hold one of the keys and the box owner would have the other 2......so one party can't open the box without the other party present.
Not sure about the Class 46 though.....perhaps a storage reference......but the lettering and the apparent age of the box certainly predates the class 46 of the peak variety.
Not sure about the Class 46 though.....perhaps a storage reference......but the lettering and the apparent age of the box certainly predates the class 46 of the peak variety.
A parish chest, for storing parish registers, was required to have three locks (held usually by the priest and two church wardens). That was much bigger than this one, of course, but the idea of triple locking was well known. So what might need to be secured, but in a box small enough to be easily walked off with if not itself guarded?
WesternLancer
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Maybe seller wasn’t sure what it was so did a google search on ‘class 46’ and found out that was a type of BR loco.
Then made a big mental leap…
Perhaps an organisation in the care of three partners or trustees might find these security arrangements attractive. Who or what "BM" was is anyone's guess. I can't believe that the "Class 46" has anything to do with locomotives. There's nothing to suggest a close railway connection, but the box may have contained railway share certificates amongst other valuables once upon a time.
Quite possibly.
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The lettering would be Monotype modern? According to google gives a date anywhere from 1890s to 1970. ♂️
I think it may be a mystery never to be solved, but I am grateful for everyone’s opinions.
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WesternLancer
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It’s more the method of application of the lettering that looks too old. Not the type face.
IIRC a tontine featured in Agatha Christie's novel "4.50 from Paddington"
Gloster
Veteran Member
I don’t think that the arrangement of the will in 4.50 is actually a tontine, although it is wrongly described as such. A tontine is the basis of the plot in Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne’s The Wrong Box, which also has an important railway episode.
Though I must agree that something in the legal sphere seems to be a more likely use for the box. Are the three keys all different or can just two, e.g. the middle one and one of the outside ones, open the box? This so that no one person can have access to the contents.
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I think you are quite correct, but it would be a shame to allow accurate insurance policy wording to get in the way of a good story! In the 18th century real tontines were sometimes used to fund projects and public works. The Tontine Hotel in Ironbridge was funded in this way. Tontines have long been out of favour in the UK, though some are suggesting a revival. Anyone feel like contributing towards HS2?!
So the middle lock is slightly larger and therefore the key is slightly bigger. The lock either side of the central lock are the same size but they only unlock one lock each. Therefore all three keys are needed to open the box.
Gloster
Veteran Member
I would therefore guess that three different people would hold the keys so that the box could only be opened in the presence of all of them. Which makes me think it is something to do with legal or trust matters. Could Class have something to do with bonds, shares or the like?
I have found a newspaper report of a meeting of the Ancient Order of Foresters in Folkestone in 1910. It is mainly about money, and includes "A new deed box has now been obtained with three different locks and sets of keys, each trustee being supplied with a set." And there are a few advertisements for retail and auction sales that include deed boxes with three locks. Note that a box like that might be used for placing property in safe deposit. In which place the "class" might be anything - so you know which box is which but others seeing it don't.
I think you could be onto something here….
The "Class 46" is a specific designation of these Antique Deed Boxes used by local branches (known as "Courts") in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [1, 2, 3]
again it appears you could well be correct; Design: These boxes are heavy-duty, usually constructed with black japanned tin or cast iron, and feature a hinged lid and the original key-lock system to restrict unauthorized access to fraternal secrets.
It also says these boxes were often custom made to have 2 to 4 locks with keys being entrusted to elected members.
What "B.M. Class 46" Means
- The "B.M." Mark: This most likely stands for the Board of Marine (often linked to the Board of Trade in historical British shipping) or British Manufactured / British Standard Marine.
- Class 46: In British industrial history, "Class" designations on security equipment often referred to specific manufacturing standards, fire resistance ratings, or contents classifications mandated by maritime and insurance authorities.
- The Connection to the Foresters: Friendly societies like the Ancient Order of Foresters had hundreds of offshore "Seafaring Courts" established on merchant ships, in major naval ports, and across British colonies. If this box belonged to an administrative or seafaring branch of the Foresters, they were legally required to store their cash reserves, ledgers, and official seals in a metal strongbox that met strict maritime safety standards (such as Class 46) to survive shipwrecks, fires, or water damage. [1]
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