GWRA nameplate selection swells to 10 as collectors prepare for online live bidding
THEnameplateranksofGWRailwayana’s rescheduledJulyauctionhasbeenswollen to10bythelateadditionof ViscountHorne fromGWRCastleclassNo. 5086.
This4- 6- 0, arebuildofStarclass
No. 4066, enteredtraffic inDecember 1937andwaswithdrawnfromSwindon ( 82C), itsbirthplace21yearsearlier, in November1958.
No. 4066hadbeenbuilt inDecember 1922andinitiallycarriedthename MalvernAbbey, butthiswassubsequently changedtoSirRobertHorneandthen ViscountHorne.
Thelastnamecouldhavebeencarried forjustafewweeks, becauseScottish businessman, barristerandMPSirRobert wasn’traisedtothepeerageuntilJune 1937, andtheStarenteredSwindon shortlyaftertoberebuiltasNo. 5086. TheGWRhierarchycertainlykeptthe membersofitsnamingcommitteeon theirtoes.
ThenameplatefromNo. 5086carriesa ‘ CastleClass’appendage, anditisbelieved thiswouldhavebeenaddedtotheStar plateratherthananewplatebeingcast.
Oneof the locomotive’scabside numberplateswill alsobegoingunder thehammer, sold separately, while other GWRcabsides include4084and5067 fromAberystwythCastle andSt. Fagans
Castle respectively, andfromPatriot No. 45524 Blackpool comesa1933LMS tenderplatenumbered4496.
Worksplates fromsteam, dieseland electric will feature, the steamincluding a1925RobertStephenson& Coof Darlingtonexample ( worksNo. 3896) fromSomerset& Dorset JointRailway Class 7F 2- 8- 0No. 53810, anda1910 Brightonplate fromLBSCRI3class 4- 4- 2T No. 80thatwas allocatedBRNo. 32080 butwaswithdrawninMarch 1950 before it couldbeapplied.
Dieselworksplate representatives includea1959English Electric fromClass 40D230 Scythia, andforelectric traction collectors thereisa1952Gorton( works No. 1064) fromEM1/ Class 76No. 26057 Ulysses, thelast in the classtobebuilt.
Amongthesmokeboxnumberplates is 209 fromaTaffValeRailway04class 0- 6- 2T, whichstartedlifeinOctober 1910 asNo. 114 andwas withdrawnbyBRin August 1952.
Amongthe totemstationsigns is BR( E) Northumberland Pk., whichGW Railwayana’sSimonTurner understands wastheonly totemtocarry such an abbreviation– there’salsoanLNER SudburyHill direction sign, Taynuiltand Northolt Jc East signalboxnameboards, andapreviouslyunknownBirkenhead ParkLMShawkeye.
TheauctionisonJuly 25andstarts at 9.30am, withnoaudienceinthehall but with livebidding availableoneither oftwoonline platformsaccessible by laptop, smart ’ phoneor tablet, which will enablecollectors to view Simonholding the auction.
Telephonebiddingwillalsobeaccepted onitemsthatareestimatedtosellfora minimumof£ 500, andcommissionbids maybesentinadvancebypostoremail.