Carron Co in 1938

Note: This is a sub-section of Carron Co

The Carron Company published a booklet on the company and its history on the occasion of the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow in 1938. The history from this booklet has been in included in the Carron Co entry. This page deals with the state of the company in 1938 as outlined in the second section of the booklet

The Collieries

• The company owns 35 acres of land with four collieries. These are the Bridgeness, Carronhall, Pirnhall and Bannockburn collieries. 'The principal railway companies, many well-known shipping companies, large industrial concerns, gas companies and electric light and power companies, as well as many thousands of domestic households draw their supplies of coal from the many suitable kinds and grades which originate in Carron Company's collieries'

Limestone Mine

• 'The company owns its own Limestone Mine at Burntisland for the production of the necessary stone for the blast furnaces and cupolas. It has also in its hands further resources of limestone as yet undeveloped'

Carron Coke Ovens

• The company has its own coke ovens to supply the blast furnaces and foundries

Blast Furnaces

• There are four blast furnaces, two of which are in constant use and the other two in reserve

The Three Foundries

• Low Foundry: This foundry dates from the earliest days of the company. The foundry is self-contained from having its own pattern shop to the latest cupolas, moulding machines, sand mixing and testing machines. It produces baths, ranges, stoves, grates, fireplaces, lavatory basins and cisterns. Also produces London Police Boxes and the 'Vesper' heating stove.

• High Foundry: This foundry is devoted to the making of heavy castings up to sixty tons in weight. . The work is for machine toolmakers, general engineering firms and shipbuilders.

• Mungal Foundry: This foundry was opened when the work for the Low foundry became too great. It specialises in unfitted type of work where a lower finish is required. Its products include rain-water pipes and gutters, soil pipes and connections, manholes, lamp-posts, hollow-ware, furnace pans, portable boilers and similar castings.

Enamelling Departments

• Some of the newest departments in the company. Includes both a wet and dry processing departments

Galvanising Department

• This department has been established for many years. It does the work required by the company and undertakes work for outside firms.

Cooking Apparatus Department

• Responsible for the installations of the Dorchester Hotel in London and the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland among many others.

Electric Cooking and Heating Appliances Department

• One of the pioneers in electric cooking and heating appliances.

Structural Department

• A building assembling department. Deals in the outside metalwork on buildings like shops, offices and cinemas. Police boxes and Post Office phone boxes are built here.

Engineering Department

• Opened in 1902. Complete with drawing office, pattern shops, stockyard, foundry for non-ferrous metals, forge and machine shop. Has drop hammers and forging machines. The department is the largest producer of sidelights and windows for ships including those on the 'Queen Mary' and 'Normandie'. Also produce steel eye plates, ring plates, cargo hooks, hooks for boat slings, gangway hinges, horn cleats, hatch cleats, eye bolts, swivel eyes, mitre wheels, valve bodies, spanners, golf club heads and drop stampings.

Railways

• The company has more than forty miles of track, sixteen locomotives and more than 400 wagons for internal use in the Carron Works and over 400 wagons at Bannockburn Colliery

The Laboratory

Dispatch Department

• Includes the Carron Line and a fleet of motor vehicles

Generating Station

• Four high-pressure turbo alternators having a total output of 3,250 kW A.C. at 500 volts. At Bannockburn Colliery they have one 1,000 kW turbo generator and one 500 kW inverted type rotary converter

Maintenance Services

House Property

• The company owns more than 1,400 hoses at Bannockburn, West and East Carron, Carronshore, Letham, Bridgeness, Maddiston, Larbert and Falkirk

Carron Steamship Line

• Twice weekly its two steamers, the 'Carron' (1,017 tons) and the 'Forth' (1,058 tons) sail from Grangemouth to London and vice versa. They handle all types of cargo including paper, whiskey, beer, ropes, twines, oils, glues, fats, pianos, furniture, motor cars, tractors, lorries, Post Office vans, teas, wines stationery, fruit, vegetables and their own castings.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Carron Company 1759-1938. Published by the Carron Company