‘Buy & Go' sale brings the curtain down on GWRA's 2021 season

A SINGLE collection of nameplates and cabside numberplates from southern Africa will be a feature of GW Railwayana's end-of-the-year ‘Buy & Go' live online auction of general railwayana on December 4.

There are two nameplates, both from Rhodesia Railways' Garratts, comprising Itsheme and Enxa. The former is a bird's name which translates as great bustard, and comes from 15A class No. 415, a 4-6-4+4-6-4 built by Société Franco-Belge in 1952 under contract from Beyer Peacock. The latter plate, which has defied all attempts to research its meaning, is from 20th class No. 717, a 4-8-2+2-8-4 outshopped by Beyer Peacock in 1957.

Among a selection of South African Railways' cabside numberplates is 4121, from a Class GMAM 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt that emerged from Beyer Peacock's Manchester works in 1958. Locomotives in this class weighed 242 tons, were 138ft long, and boasted a tractive effort of 60,700lb ft. Another cabside is from National Railways of Zimbabwe 15th class No. 376 Ingulungundu, a 4-6-4+4-6-4 Garratt built by Beyer Peacock in 1948, whose name translates into a rather more readily pronounceable bushpig.

The auction will comprise 550 lots that also include handlamps, signalling equipment, cast iron, enamel and wooden signs, silverware, carriage prints, wagonplates, pressure gauges and armbands. It starts at 10am and in addition to being live online will be open to commission and emailed bids.

➜ THREE O-gauge models made by Ace Trains of London completed a clean sweep in a Vectis of Thornaby railwayana and model trains auction on October 22, led at £640 by LNER A4 No. 2512 Silver Fox, followed by SR Battle of Britain No. 34066 Spitfire (£620) and Class 9F 2-10-0 No. 92098 (£540). Prices exclude buyer's premium of 25% (inc VAT).