Building sites and BR with John Goodwin

The recent sale at John Goodwin carried plenty to entice the railwayana collector, with engine shed plaques, cast iron railway signs and even a framed railway timetable poster dated October 2 1944 appertaining to the GWR – this wartime nostalgia sold for £25. Alternatively, how about a brass tram control handle? That realised £30, while a long yellow cast iron plate embossed with Craven Brothers Manchester was bid to £90.

On the toy front, there were many lots relating to railways, with Hornby rolling stock and accessories predominant, in both HO and O gauges. An HO tinplate station with two ramps, together with a later goods shed, sold for just £35 and a O gauge selection, comprising two signal boxes, two sets of buffers, a crane, a hut and two water towers realised £50.

Elsewhere, a pair of wooden (albeit empty) Meccano No 9 boxes were snapped up for £50 while a good selection of Bayko, together with a wooden building block set, was a steal at a tenner. Rather more unusual was the tinplate British (Wells Brimtoy?) military motorcycle with rider, which featured a machine gun where the headlight would have been mounted. This clockwork creation sold for £80.