1950s Scarborough headboard flies to the top

MEMORIES of holidays in Britain before overseas destinations became de rigueur were evoked by a `Scarborough Flyer' headboard in Railwayana Sales' internet and telephone 60-lot auction that ran from September 27 to October 3.

The board, from a King's Cross to Scarborough and Whitby express that ran from 1950-63, featured brass sunbursts in the top corners and sold for £4700.

Station totem signs inevitably made their presence felt, led by BR(M) Burnley Manchester Road at £3350, BR(NE) Slaithwaite (£2000), and BR(S) Sheerness-onSea at £1750, and a Tyer's single-line tablet from the Newport South to Shide section of the Isle of Wight's Newport Junction Railway also got in on the act with a realisation of £2050.

At £1800 came a Glenfinnan signalbox nameboard, and at £1250 each, a Reading (Southern) running-in board and a SR Clapham

Junction station target sign. Prices exclude buyer's premium of 10%. The sale marked the re-entry into the railwayana auction scene of Chris France, who until 2015 ran internet auction house Railwayana.net.

Of his return to running a railwayana auction, Chris said: “For a first effort after all this time I am happy. As a sign of how things are changing, I found it interesting that 98% of the bids were online.” He added that its success meant he would continue charging no vendor's commission throughout 2022 rather than, as originally planned, start charging it from the beginning of the new year.