Democracy in action as GWRA lines up eight nameplates from the Big Four
ALTHOUGH GW Railwayana's July 24 auction has a distinct Western flavour, as reported in last month's issue, there are still signs of democracy in action in the nameplate selection, where all four of the post-Grouping companies have at least one representative.
The GWR and Southern Railway lead the way with three each, followed by single entrants from both the LMS and LNER in a line-up that comprises plates from six 4-6-0s, a Pacific, and an Atlantic 4-4-2.
The Great Western weighs in with Gladiator from Castle No. 5076, Blackwell Grange (No. 6806) and Hart Hall from No. 7907, the SR with Portland Bill, Robert Blake and Taw Valley from respectively Nos. 32038, 30855 and 34027, the LMS with Cornwallis from No. 45666, and the LNER with Lambton Castle from No. 61623.
Biplane fighter
Originally named Drysllwyn Castle but becoming Gladiator after a Second World War biplane fighter in January 1941, No. 5076 was withdrawn from Southall (81C) in September 1964, bringing an end to a busy life that saw it moving home 14 times after being delivered new to Exeter in August 1938. Its first name was allocated to classmate No. 7018 in May 1949.
No. 6806 was built in September 1936 and withdrawn from Worcester (85A) in October 1964, while No. 7907 was a BR product, entering traffic in January 1950 and being taken out of service in December 1965 when allocated to Bristol Barrow Road (82E). The cabside numberplates from each of this pair will also be going under the hammer.
Unlike the GWR representatives, all of which were built at Swindon, the Southern Railway representatives came from three different Works,
No. 32038 from Kitson & Co of Leeds, No. 30855 from Eastleigh, and No. 34027 from Brighton.
The first was an LBSCR H1 Class 4-4-2 built in December 1905 and withdrawn by BR from Bricklayers Arms (73B) in July 1951, Lord Nelson class No. 30855 was outshopped in November 1928 and retired in September 1961 when allocated to its birthplace (71A), and April 1946-built West Country class Pacific No. 34027 was saved for preservation after withdrawal from Salisbury (70E) in August 1964.
Finally come the LMS and LNER nameplate contenders from
Nos. 45666 and 61623.
The Jubilee was built at Crewe in
November 1935 and withdrawn from Warrington
Dallam (8B) in April
1965 after a roving life similar to that of
No. 5076 that included moving no fewer than 10 times between 1953 and 1963, while No. 61623 was a Gresley-designed B17 that emerged from Darlington Works in February 1931 and was withdrawn from Cambridge (31A) in July 1959.
Diesel offerings
Heritage modern traction collectors will be offered Western Monarch with cabside numberplate from 1962-built Class 52 diesel-hydraulic D1049, and Ivernia from Class 40 D221/40021, built by English Electric in July 1959. This pair are supported by a North British 1962 worksplate (works No. 27990) from Class 43 ‘Warship' diesel-hydraulic D861 Vigilant, and a badge from Class 55 Deltic D9004/55004 Queen’s Own Highlander.
Returning to steam, in addition to 6806 and 7907, the cabside numberplate selection includes GWR Hall 4946 and four Castles, 5002/04/09/45, while among smokebox numberplates are another Castle, 5069, and Southern Region Schools Class 30935 and Merchant Navy 35013.
Joining D861 in the worksplate selection is a plate from a steam loco built nearly 90 years earlier. It is an 1873 Black Hawthorn & Co of Gateshead example (works No. 225) from one of four 4-4-0Ts built by the company for shipping across the Atlantic to Canada's 3ft 6in gauge Prince Edward Island Railway.
The auction starts at 9.30am, and will be live online and also include emailed, telephone and commission bids. It will be preceded the previous day, July 23, by a 350-lot sale of posters, paintings, shedplates, carriage prints and clocks, the last category including a GWR 12in drop dial trunk clock that was supplied to the Neath & Brecon Railway in about 1863, and an 1889 LBSCR ex-Queens Road Peckham platform regulator clock.