Class act as diesel makes its mark at Thirsk sale

ONE of the ubiquitous Class 37 diesels made its mark at a 920-lot Thirsk Railwayana timed internet auction that ran from January 21-24, when an English Electric Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns’ worksplate from D6865/37165 sold for £1020. The locomotive from the 309-strong class of Co-Co diesels was built at Darlington in August 1963 and spent its life allocated to western, eastern and north-eastern depots prior to withdrawal in June 2008.

Four albums of miscellaneous plates and signs, including ticket conditions enamels, went for £880, and three albums of badges and medallions, some of which were pre-Grouping, for £620.

Between these two sets of albums at £740 came a BR(M) totem sign from Littleborough, a station in Rochdale on the Calder Valley Line that was opened by the Manchester & Leeds Railway in July 1839 and is still open today, 183 years later. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 12% (VAT).