COMET – A NAMEPLATE WITH A DOUBLE SLICE OF HISTORY

WHILE MOST locomotive nameplates reflect a fascinating piece of railway history, few have led more interesting lives than one of the former LMS ’plates carried by Comet.

It is one of the few names to have been carried by two different locomotives from two classes. When names were transferred to another locomotive, new plates and fittings were often required.

Lot number 574 in GW Railwayana’s July 8‑9 sale is the curved cast brass nameplate Comet

(illustrated) as carried by ex‑LMS Stanier‑designed

‘Jubilee’ No. (4)5735. This is one of only two ‘Jubilees’ that were rebuilt with LMS 2A boilers – but the nameplate had already been carried previously by ‘Royal Scot’ No. 6129.

The face of this ’plate has been restored, and the rear carries a single punch mark indicating that it is from the left‑hand side of the locomotive.

The following lot in this sale reveals a bit more history about the Comet name. It is the brass engraved oval nameplate badge from Comet (illustrated) with the wording: “Comet built for the Liverpool & Manchester Ry in 1830”, with a side elevation of the original locomotive, that was carried by No. 6129 until 1936.

The ‘Big Four’ companies are well represented in further nameplates on offer in this sale.

These include a straight cast brass LNER nameplate from Peppercorn ‘A1’ class ‘Pacific’

Kittiwake, representing a locomotive built at Doncaster in 1948 that carried the LNER number 120 before being renumbered as

BR No. 60120. Representing the Southern Railway ‘King Arthur’ class 4‑6‑0 locomotive is Sir Geraint from

No. 766, later BR 30766 (the rear is clearly stamped ‘766’).

From the BR Standard era is

Lord Roberts from ‘Britannia’ class ‘Pacific’ No. 70042.

The Great Western Railway is naturally well represented with options including a ‘Bulldog’, ‘Castles’, a ‘Grange’ and a ‘Hall’.

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