Real rail and the model variety

Hornby Dublo collectors fought spirited battles for clockwork rarities at Duggleby Stephenson’s (18.75% buyer’s premium) York sale.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Terence Ryle

The sought-after items on October 30 included two of the coveted pre-war sets based around the Class A4 4-6-2 LNER locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley.

The loco with a goods brake van, main line station, double-arm signal, tunnel and sections of track sold at £2300, more than 10-times top expectations (above right).

The same online buyer went to a double-estimate £1000 for a passenger train set with Sir Nigel Gresley tender, coaches and a quantity of two-rail track. The boxed set came with key and paperwork including a 1933 receipt.

Ticket collection

Moving into real-world railwayana, Berkshire ephemera specialist Loddon Auctions (15% buyer’s premium) offered a remarkable album of train tickets dating from 1919 to the 1970s at its Arborfield rooms on October 31.

Part of an album of railway tickets sold for £1900 at Loddon Auctions.

Consigned by a collector, the album contained more than 550 tickets (example left) issued by most major and many minor railway companies and were of all classes travelling to a variety of UK destinations.

Scanning every page of the album for the online catalogue helped to attract bidding online, on the phone and in the room as, no doubt, did the £150-250 estimate. It went to a UK collector in the room at £1900.