The Mound reaches saleroom heights
STATION signs from either end of the country starred in an advertising and transport auction held by Tooveys of Washington, West Sussex, on June 9. The leader of the pack at £3600 was a BR(Sc) totem from The Mound, a station on the Inverness to Wick and Thurso far north line that opened in 1868, closed in 1960, and was the junction for the branch line of nearly eight miles to Dornoch.
More than 650 miles to the south is the Sussex town of St Leonards, and SR target signs from two of its stations, West Marina and Warrior Square, sold for £1900 and £1500 respectively. A BR(S) direction sign to Hampden Park – no, not the football stadium in Glasgow, but a station in the suburbs of Eastbourne – realised £1200.
Two SR locomotive smokebox numberplates also went under the hammer, comprising 31631 (£650) and 32525 (£460). The former was from a Class U 2-6-0 built at Ashford in March 1931 and withdrawn from Guildford (70C) in September 1963, and the latter from a C2X class 0-6-0 that gave more than six decades of service, having been outshopped by Vulcan Foundry in September 1900 and ending its days in February 1962 when allocated to Three Bridges (75E). Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 24½% (+ VAT).
Most of the railwayana in the 163-lot auction, which also included automobilia and advertising signs, came from the estate of a deceased Hastings collector, said auctioneer Will Rowsell. “His family attended the auction, and after the early success of the Hampden Park sign the excitement increased. We were all delighted with the results.”
➜ AN album of railway medallions took the top spot in a Thirsk Railwayana auction on June 11 with a realisation of £820, followed by two lots at £500 each, one of which was a BR(M) totem sign from the Cumbrian station of Aspatria, which opened in April 1841 and is still open 181 years later.
The second was a plan for Enthorpe station dated March 1890, a month before it was opened by Scarborough Bridlington & West Riding Junction Railway on the Market Weighton to Driffield line. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 12% (+ VAT).