ALL EYES ON NELSON AS PLATE SELLS FOR £17K

there was a definite maritime feel at the stafford auction on september 17 when the ‘Jubilee’ nameplate from Nelson appeared. It sold for twice what others from its class have gone for in recent times. auctioneer neil Booth donned an eye patch, but did not tuck his right arm inside his jacket, as he needed to bang the gavel. and bang it he did when the nameplate from no. 45664 made its auction debut and sold for the hammer price of £17,000 (to which 10% buyer’s premium is payable, now plus Vat with this auction house). still showing bits of lMs maroon and Br green paint, and with original nuts and bolts intact, this was a great example of how an ex-locomotive condition nameplate should look. there were mixed fortunes for ex-Gwr nameplates with Headbourne Grange (no. 6852) finding a new home for £7,300, while Underley Hall did not find a buyer on the day. the cabside from the latter, no. 6928, was subsequently withdrawn as the vendor wanted the two items to be kept together. High-scoring cabsides were Gwr no. 2851 at £2,050, no. 4252 at £1,500, and no. 4110 for £1,200. a rarity was the cast iron Gsr 7c from ex-west clare railway Hunslet w/no. 1433 of 1922, which sold for £1,800. there was a great choice of station targets and totems on offer, and a southern railway target took the prize for rarity and price - Bournemouth west realised £5,400. Haywards Heath was another four-figure target at £2,700, while worthing central reached £1,400. leicester area totems were also popular with leicester london road at £2,050 and leicester central at £1,800, but both were pipped by wigston Magna, sold for £2,750. there were a number of shedcode plates on offer too, with 50f reaching £600 and 15c £680. among the smokebox numberplates, no. 7000 (Viscount Portal) made £3,300, no. 31629 reached £1,900, no. 75022 went for £1,550, and no. 92209 at £1,220. Mr Booth has removed the eye patch and is already busy gathering lots for the next stafford railwayana auction on January 14.