Worksplate from GWR veteran set to be No. 1 attraction

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By Geoff Courtney

While nostalgia and memories are at the very heart of the ever-popular railwayana movement, there are many different strands that pull collectors to its core. Geography is one of them, albeit not the sort that was taught at school, but instead where one lived, where the   only ‘uncopped’ locomotive of a large class was at last spotted, or where sunny holidays were spent.

Favourite sheds are important too, be they one’s local depot or a faraway shed that was visited just once and was thus a treasure trove of locomotives to be underlined in the Ian Allan ABC when back home.

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No. 1 star: Cardiff Railway No. 1 awaits its next turn of duty in 1914. A worksplate from the 0-6-2T, built by Kitson & Co in 1894, will be going under the hammer at a Great Northern Railwayana auction on April 7. The locomotive became No. 156 when absorbed into GWR stock in 1922 and then No. 56 when sold to Lambton Hetton & Joicey Collieries in 1931 for operating on its extensive system. GWR 813 COLLECTION/GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAYANA

Many collectors enjoy a particular theme, perhaps based on one of the Big Four, or nameplates of countries, historical personalities, or fictional characters. On the nameplate theme, others may search for long names – more bang for your bucks, of which The Snapper, The East Yorkshire Regiment, The Duke of York’s Own, from LNER V2 No. 60809, springs to mind – or two-liners, such as Lord Rutherford of Nelson from LMS Jubilee No. 45665.

Another category could be hardware from low-numbered engines, and at the risk of stating the glaringly obvious, No. 1 would be hard to beat. And it’s for that reason that Great Northern Railwayana boss Dave Robinson has high hopes for one of the lots in his auction at Poynton on April 7.

Read more in Issue 240 of HR – on sale now!

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