Railway relics

A private collection of railway memorabilia came up for auction in Tennants’ sale of Toys, Models and Collectables as this issue went to press.

The collection focused on North Eastern railways in the years preceding the 1921 Railways Act, when the myriad independent railway companies were amalgamated into four national companies.

Up for sale were over thirty lots of railwayana – including various items relating to the very early days of "the permanent way". A unique item for sale with an estimate of £200-300, was a piece of the first sod turned in the construction of the Hull and Barnsley Railway (one of the last independent Victorian railway companies to be formed in 1881). The sod was presented by the Chairman of the Railway, Lieut. Col. Gerard Smith JP to John Fisher JP, Sherriff of Kingston upon Hull, who was one of the first directors of the company – and is housed within an inscribed presentation box.

However, perhaps the most fascinating lot up for sale was a set of 12 Glass Magic Lantern Slides by G. W. Wilson depicting schematics and photographs of the construction of the Forth Rail Bridge. The UNESCO World Heritage Site and iconic Scottish landmark was begun in 1882, and was at the time the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world.  Whilst many pictures exist of the completed work it is rare to find those of the bridge under construction, schematics of the ironwork and caisson supports and even including one of the engineers demonstrating the cantilever principle with the aid of two chairs, some timber and a hundredweight. The slides were being sold with an estimate of £500-700.

Find out how much both of these lots made in the next issue of Collectors Gazette.