Model Railway & Railway Memorabilia / Collectables
Until the 1960s the railway was the primary transport in Britain. My village’s station was closed in 1968, but now there is no sign of it having ever existed. It seems that every black and white film and novel from the middle of the last century featured railway travel. In many classics, it seems the railway played a supporting role; see, Brief Encounter, The Railway Children, Goodnight Mr. Tom, Doctor Zhivago, From Russia with Love, St Trinians and of course Murder on the Orient Express! The railway was romantic, exciting, the only way to travel to a different world, even if it was only four stops!
You would have to pay good money to experience the romance and excitement of a train journey now, certainly you will not get it on the scheduled service from Cardiff to Shrewsbury.
Or you can experience it another way – at home.
While I do not have the time or space (presently) I do understand those who have a room in their house set-aside for a railway theme - with their expansive model lay-out and related antiques. I have over the years seen many clients who have an enviable space where they can immerse in a pre-Dr Beeching past and where they can be the creator and designer of their own nostalgic dream.
The fantasy railway room will include a huge layout, with engines and rolling-stock in period livery, old stations, and lots and lots of detail… platform signs, figures, trees, fences, landscape and sheep….on the walls of my railway room there are British Rail signs, genuine antique platform posters (advertising the nostalgic traditional British seaside holidays with buckets and spades), there are carriage-lamps on the shelves and….in aah…pride of place…the piece de resistance - a genuine engine plate from a locomotive…oh…and a conductor’s hat for my head and a whistle, definitely need a whistle….
Oh damn, that stupid whistle – I am awake now!
With auctions we can fulfil our nostalgic railway dreams. However, those that think that looking back affectionately at the past is but a British trait, I can warn you that there is competition across Europe and America for those extra special nostalgic railway items.
But many items are affordable and certainly the fantasy can start with a few pounds. The layout and track can be bought quite cheaply and some of the posters too can be affordable. But engine-plates with famous names and good platform signs for popular stations are at a premium. Engines and rolling stock can be bought reasonably cheaply unless you want to buy the rarest and the best.
The most memorable train we have sold so far was a rare Marklin locomotive which steamed off its £40 to £70 estimate and eventually pulled-up at a staggering £8000. Yes, we got the estimate wrong! But the power of the internet ensured that the rare prototype (as it turned out) broke records, with two bidders in Europe battling it out for the honours.
Watch the video of Charles Hampshire selling this little gem on our You Tube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db5jZ1rYk0U
If you search our website with the word ‘railway’ you will see that we have a long and fruitful history in this category. We regularly sell all the pre-eminent model manufacturers including Hornby, Hornby-Triang, Wrenn, Bachmann, Lima and Marklin. We have also sold a superb collection of Basset Lowke some years ago – considered the Rolls Royce of modelling. We have auctioned numerous signs, platform posters and lots of hardware such as lamps.
Shown below is but a small selection with hammer prices included.
Before I get to the end of the line, if you have any railway items including artwork, model railway or memorabilia then I am confident that we are your best platform.
We really would love to hear from you with any train enquiries or even if you just want to let off steam. We can appraise, value and chat to you and without obligation and without any cost we can put you on the right track.
