SR and Southern Region make their mark in TAL sale

ALTHOUGH they didn't achieve top spot in the Transport Auctions of London sale on January 30 – that honour went to a collection of 1932 Green Line Coaches' timetable leaflets which sold for £2600 – both BR Southern Region and the Southern Railway made their mark.

BR(S) totem sign Bramber from the Adur Valley Line station in West Sussex ran the timetables close by going under the hammer for £2200, while an SR target sign from Plumpton, in East Sussex, fetched £950.

Another target, from Faygate, also in West Sussex, went for £500, this being spelt by the SR in two words, whereas the station and the village are spelt as one. Still in southern pastures, a selection of approximately 800 black and white negatives of SR and BR(S) steam taken by the late Geoffrey Bloxam in the 1940s and 1950s sold in eight lots at prices from £500 up to £800.

From the GWR came an 8in dial clock that realised £1500, and cabside numberplate 1144, from an 0-4-0ST that entered service in 1909 and was withdrawn by BR from Swansea East Dock (87D) in 1960, that went for £1400. A 1952 BR(W) poster by Claude Buckle (1905-73) featuring Clifton suspension bridge sold for £950.

Railway memorabilia from London played a major part in the auction – the clue is in the auction house's name – and central to this was a selection of Underground platform roundels, led at £1200 by Earl's Court and including two from Bank, each making £800, and Tower Hill (£600).

A Harry Beck 1933 first edition Underground diagrammatic pocket map went for £1200. Two District Railway maps of London, one an 1880 second edition and the other a third edition from 1882, fetched £650 and £600 respectively. An Underground Metropolitan Line A-stock King's Cross destination box realised £650, and a 38-stock doublesided enamel destination plate that included Watford (LMS) sold for £500.

TAL boss Michael Wickham described prices as being strong across all categories, and gave his clearest indication yet that he may not return to holding auctions in front of a live saleroom audience even when restrictions were lifted.

“There is little evidence that either lockdown or the lack of room bidding is putting anyone off,” he said.

“In fact, the opposite, as customers seem to enjoy following the auctioneer on their home screens, and to be mastering the art of ‘click to bid.'

“Whether we return to room auctions must be open to doubt, although I would never say never at this stage.”

Prices quoted in this live online, email, telephone and commission auction, exclude buyer's premium of 15% (+ VAT).