O gauge heaven at SAS

Part Two of the Glorious Trains auction at Special Auction Services was all about, well, trains. Almost 650 lots passed over the rostrum, proving yet again that model railways isn’t just big business: it’s huge business, especially when the subject is O gauge. There was cheap stuff (like the Hornby O gauge M series clockwork engine and tender, four coaches and track, together with a LNER green No 501 locomotive, all for £50), to the £210 paid for a pair of Hornby engine sheds in O gauge, these the No 1 with three rail track. This auction was an O gauge devotee’s delight, for there was enough rolling stock on sale to whet the appetite of the collector with extremely dep pockets. Lots were often three items at a time and much sold around the £100-140 mark. A Wembley station (4e) with signals and buffers (£90), a selection of lineside accessories (£210) and tinplate platform accessories (£100) were typical of the goodies sold. A restored Hornby 0 Gauge No E220 L1 class 4-4-0 locomotive and tender, re-finished in SR green as No A759, captured the attention: this ended on £500. Some lots seemed bonkers, though. Two identical sets of Hornby “loofah” trees, with boxes, together with fencing, sold for £200 and £270; while just £60 secured French Hornby 0 Gauge PLM and other freight stock, OAG-based wagons, and the like: in all, there were eight units, including a small crane. A Hornby 0 Gauge Constructional Footbridge, dismantled, was an interesting item (it sold for £130) and somebody wanted the boxed Hornby 0 gauge clockwork Double Track, comprising two boxes of DC2 curved rails, each containing six pieces, badly enough to fork out £190. ■