Southern spectacular provides a platform for GCRA nameplate line-up

GREAT Central’s

September 3 quarterly auction has become something of a

Southern nameplate spectacular following the late addition of King Arthur, Merchant Navy and Southern Region Britannia nameplates to the previously announced Isle of Wight, School and West Country plates.

The newcomers are Camelot from No. 30742, Blue Star from No. 35010, and Iron Duke from No. 70014. Nos. 30742 and 35010 were built at Eastleigh, the former in June 1919 and the latter in August 1942, and both were withdrawn from Bournemouth (71B, subsequently 70F), the King Arthur 4-6-0 in February 1957 and the Merchant Navy Pacific, which was saved for preservation, in September 1966.

No. 70014 was a June 1951 Crewe product allocated to Stewarts Lane (73A) in its early days for working the prestigious London Victoria-Dover ‘Golden Arrow’ express. It ended its days in December 1967 when allocated to Carlisle Kingmoor (12A).

This trio of new arrivals joins previously announced Shanklin, Malvern and Bude (with town badge and West Country Class scroll), from SR Nos. W20, 30929 and 34006, as reported in last month’s column, so reinforcing the southern platform on which the auction will be based.

Other recent nameplate additions are East Anglian (LNER B17 class 4-6-0 No. 61659, built at Darlington in June 1936 and withdrawn from Lowestoft (32C) in March 1960), Bulwark from D441/50041, a Co-Co Class 50 diesel built by English Electric in October 1968 for operating on the WCML, and Nandi from East African Railways’ 29 Class 2-8-2 No. 2924, built at the North British Glasgow works in 1955 (works No. 27439).

The smokebox numberplates from both Nos. 70014 and 2924 will also be going under the hammer, while another in this category is 52429 from a Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 11/LMS Class 3F 0-6-0 that emerged from Horwich in April 1901 and was withdrawn by BR from the Preston shed of Lostock Hall (24C) in October 1960.

Among the cabside numberplates are GWR 357 from a Taff Vale Railway Class A 0-6-2T, Southern Railway 119 from an LSWR Class T9 ‘Greyhound’ 4-4-0 (BR No. 30119), and South African Railways 1893 from a Class 14CRB 4-8-2.

Finally, the selection of worksplates include three Victorian representatives: an 1893 Neilson & Co Glasgow plate from LSWR A12 class 0-4-2 No. 646, a Dübs & Co of 1897 from another LSWR locomotive, 700 class No. 689 /BR No. 30689, and a Neilson Reid & Co from 1900-built SECR Class C 0-6-0 No. 688/BR

No. 31688.

Also reported in last month’s column, the live online auction includes nameplates Corfe Castle, Harrington Hall and Hopton Grange

from GWR Nos. 5034, 5982 and 6865 respectively, and pre-Grouping pair Cornubia (GWR No. 3255, later 3254 and finally 9054), and Saddleback

(LNWR No. 845/LMS No. 5391).

Proceedings start at 10am.