SR bandwagon rolls on as GCRA spans two centuries

THE relentless march of Southern Railway locomotive nameplates has become an auction tour de force that is showing no sign of abating. No fewer than 18 have featured in three recent sales in successive months – Great Central on September 3, Talisman Railwayana on October 15, and GW Railwayana on November 12 – and Great Central will make it four successive months in its quarterly auction on December 3, with a trio comprising West Country, Battle of Britain, and King Arthur plates.

From the WC class comes Seaton with West Country Class scroll, the BoB representative is

222 Squadron and badge, and the King Arthur Sir Meliagrance, carried respectively by Nos. 34020, 34078, and 30452.

The two Pacifics were built at Brighton, No. 34020 in December 1945 and the BoB in July 1948, and each was pensioned off in September 1964 when allocated to Exmouth Junction (72A). The King Arthur, whose smokebox numberplate is also in the sale, was outshopped by Eastleigh in July 1925 and withdrawn from Salisbury (72B) in August 1959, its 34 years in service for the SR and BR eclipsing the near 19 years of the WC and the 16 years of the BoB.

Also representing the 1920s is Huntingdonshire from Gresley D49 class 4-4-0 No. 62722, built at Darlington in July 1928 and withdrawn from Hull Dairycoates (53A) in October 1959, while from the 1930s comes Cranbourne Grange from GWR No. 6811, a November 1936 Swindon 4-6-0 that was withdrawn from the Wolverhampton shed of Oxley (2B) in July 1964.

Plates from two other BR-built locomotives are Bronzino from A2 Pacific No. 60539, which was outshopped by Doncaster in August 1948 and taken out of service in November 1962 when allocated to Tweedmouth (52D), and Shooting Star from another Pacific, ‘Brit’ No. 70029, built at Crewe in November 1952 and withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor (12A) in October 1967 after a lengthy spell at Cardiff Canton (86C). This locomotive’s smokebox numberplate will also be going under the hammer. Completing the main line steam line-up is a Victorian veteran, Mabel, carried by LNWR Precedent 2-4-0 No. 619, which emerged from Crewe in October 1880, was ‘renewed’ at the same works as an Improved Precedent in February 1896, and withdrawn by the LMS in May 1926, which allocated it as No. 5060 but never applied it.

Heritage modern traction will also play a part with Sir Joshua Reynolds from Class 47 D1605/47559, a Co-Co diesel that emerged from Crewe in July 1964 and was withdrawn in January 2003, and electric traction too with Benjamin Disraeli, from Metropolitan Railway No. 14, built by MetropolitanVickers in 1923 and withdrawn in 1962.

This Bo-Bo became part of the London Transport fleet in July 1933, and the nameplate going under the hammer is one of the aluminium plates fitted in 1953 after the brass originals were removed to aid the war effort.

A variety of smokebox numberplates from named locomotives, in addition to 30452 and 70029, will be on offer, including 4900 from GWR Hall class pioneer Saint Martin, 5044 from Castle class Earl of Dunraven, and 60150 from Peppercorn A1 class Willbrook. Of humbler origins are 5800 from a GWR 0-4-2T and 73008 from a Standard class 5MT 4-6-0. The cabside numberplate line-up also includes two 19th century old-timers, the oldest being from London Chatham & Dover Railway B class 0-6-0 No. 139, built by Dübs & Co (works No. 890) in February 1876. The engine was renumbered 598 in January 1899 by the then newly-formed South Eastern & Chatham Railway, was reboilered at Battersea’s Longhedge Works in June the same year, and withdrawn in June 1912. The plate carries SECR and work’s identifications, and the new number.

The second cabside is SR B194, from LBSCR B1 class 0-4-2 Bickersteth, which emerged from Brighton in June 1888 and was withdrawn in July 1931. These locomotives, the last express pasenger design of William Stroudley, were nicknamed ‘Gladstones’ after the first member of the class, No. 214, which is preserved as part of the National Collection and is on display at the NRM.

Within the worksplate selection is LNER Doncaster 1946 (works No. 2006) from A2 No. 60515 Sun Stream, and there are also plates from three first-generation railbuses that entered BR service in 1958, comprising a Park Royal Vehicles example (lot no. 30480) from a 50seat railbus, Wickham Ware (lot no. 30481) from a 48-seater, and a Waggon & Maschinenbau Donauworth Germany (lot no. 30482) plate from a 56-seater.

Station totem signs include Scottish Region trio Spey Bay, Grantown-on-Spey East and Grantownon-Spey West, and also going under the hammer are a ‘Cambrian Coast Express’ headboard and SR West Country class Devon and Battle of Britain class RAF badges. The auction is live online and starts at 10am.