Totem first past the post in TRA single collection sale

A totem station sign was first past the post at £5500 in a single collection auction of Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties memorabilia held by Talisman Railwayana at Navenby, south of Lincoln, on July 2, although a 12in dial wall clock provided stern opposition by selling for £5300.

The totem, from Woodhall Junction, headed a line-up of other

Eastern Region signs that included Lincoln St Marks, which went for £3600, Spalding Town (£3100), Peterborough North (£2700), Sleaford (£2100), and at £2000 each, Wainfleet and Peterborough East, while the clock was a Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway exWisbech example (LNER No. 11634) from circa 1890 that featured on the front cover of an authoritative book on railway clocks.

Signalbox nameboards that also spent time under the spotlight included Sutton Bridge in its original wooden frame, Cowbit Bank, and Bourne East at £3100, £2300 and £2200 respectively, while a selection of more than 100 handlamps was led by a Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway exGrimsby example (£3000), supported by another from the same railway plated Moortown (£1750) and an MGNJR ex-Sutton Bridge lamp that fetched £1700. An LNER Skegness station direction sign went under the hammer for £1950, a selection of seatbacks was headed by Boston (£1650) and Grantham (£1550), and worksplates by a 1922 Great Central Railway Gorton plate from D11 class 4-4-0 No. 62669 Ypres (£1650) that on Nationalisation on 1948 was allocated to the Lincolnshire shed of Immingham (40B). Second in this category at £1500 was an LNER Stratford plate from Wisbech & Upwell Tramway Class J70 No. 68223.

In addition to the signalbox nameboards, signalling included an MGNJR single line wooden staff engraved Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge that went to a new home for £1550, and from the same railway at just below four figures was a booking office opening times enamel notice (£920). Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 15% (+ VAT).

Talisman’s Roger Phipps said: “The prices were buoyant, and were topped off by the Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flying over us. We have had many good wishes, as everyone is grateful that we have gone back live.”