Posted 9 years ago
RansomDye88
(1 item)
hello all i was in Front Royal Va last week at a local flea market when i came across this particular looking steam shovel siting there all by its lonesome i said to my self that has great character and i can restore it to its former glory for my collection picked it up brought it home and tried to do dome research on it but came up with nothing !!! it appears to be a Stafford steam shovel but that's all i know about it :( if any one know any information that would be great! I can not find one like it, the closest thing i can find to it is the streamlined Stafford train. But cant link them to the steam shovel i have acquired though the decal is identical! pictures or links to parts would be great the measurements are 12 inches tall to the top of boom and sits about 15 inches long it is black and red and has white rubber wheels where the tracks are Thank you for your time :)
You have a Stafford Corp made pressed steel toy steam shovel. It was advertised at New York Convention/trade show in 1948; so manufacture was mid to late 40s.
Here's a link to the ad: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1948-PAPER-AD-Stafford-Toy-Bulldozer-Diesel-Bus-Steam-Shovel-Train-Set-/153113001582
Stafford Corp was owned by James Stafford McGlaughlin, and went out of business around 1954 - 56. They were sued by a former employ for breach of employment contract. Old address was 1800 E. Atwater St, Detroit 7, Michigan. So it pre-dates use of zipcodes in U.S. A. which started in 1963.
You can find more info at a blog site: http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2012/01/stafford-liners.html. (Blog was from 2012)
This guy has several Stafford Streamliner toy trains and some decent company info. Not much out there on Stafford Corp. Possibility that J.S.McGlaughlin had some relationship(s) with Wyanadotte toys in Michigan after Stafford Corp stopped operating. Corporation was dissolved in earlier 1970s. Hope this helps.