The overall market for Irish railwayana - some comments (1996-1999)

NCC lineside box. Source: SRA

For those collectors interested in Irish railway passes, linen, buttons (several now noted), posters (a start also made) etc., I am afraid I have not, as yet, provided any useful material. As noted on the home page, much of the data on signs comes from RCJ, since at the moment I only subscribe to the auction catalogues from SRA, BRA, KRA and recently MTN. BRA, produces a monumental monthly catalogue with many b/w photos of articles on offer, analysis of the results of other locations and articles on specific topics. The SRA auctions, which are quarterly, allow a longer lead time and contain 16 glossy pages of colour photos of items offered (+/- 24 items per page). In addition, regular or irregular auctions take place elsewhere. A comparison of prices would suggest that highest prices are achieved at SRA and BRA, with bargains often coming up at the less well known or specialised locations (probably some of the prices are quirks due to the absence of an underbidder e.g. the DNGR 'coa' in July 1996 for £75 (but £180 in SRA1296), a GSWR 'coa' for £34 at STN1196 (as opposed to £120 at SRA696, but maybe a different variety), or a BNCR brass cabside 57 at £85 in November 1995 (why wasn't I there?).

Speaking of coats of arms, some prices have recently been remarkable for what are essentially replicas. These are presumably the surplus of companies or Messrs. Tearne who, from memory, were the suppliers to most railway companies, nicely stuck on to painted boards by whoever was far sighted enough to anticipate a future market. I doubt if any were cut from coaches or tenders. They are, however, most attractive but the Irish versions seem to have sky rocketed recently in particular in comparison to their UK sisters (CVR £140 at SRA995 and £130 at SRA996, Sth. Clare £160 at SRA395, but a more realistic £85 in SRA995 - was it the same?, GSWR £120 at SRA696, GSR £95 at SRA396, CDRJC £95 at SRA995 and £80 at SRA397 (see below), and of course the recent DNGR at £180. An exception to the rule was the BCDR for only £10 -or was this a typo?- at ONS795).

Irish nameplates, although costly (thankfully I acquired my only example, NCC Glenaan, in the late sixties for £12) are still considerably cheaper than those from the UK (present record £25000, for a BoB nameplate and crest at SRA996). In comparison, the £2100 for NCC 'Slieve Bane' together with its matching cabside seems reasonable (Was it the Ulster Museum that bought it to add to its extensive collection I ask myself, as well as to what levels a determined underbidder would have had to go to acquire this desirable lot?). From Ian Wright's (of SRA fame) book "Nameplates on Display" it emerges that the RPSI has one Irish plate (SLNCR), Ulster Folk & Transport Museum has 28 (mostly NCC but 2 GNR, 1 GSR and 1 SLNCR), the Irish Railway Record Society 20 (6 GNR, 3 NCC, 3 GSR, 2 TCR, 2CLR, 2 MGWR, 1 SLNCR, 1 SSLR), York 5 (all DNGRs), Doncaster 2 (NCC and SLNCR) and Bournemouth 1 (SLNCR), while original nameplates are on preserved locos (Maeve, Blanche, Kathleen, Merlin, Slieve Gullion). So, on the supply side, there are not likely to be too many that will come on the auction market (just to prove me wrong GNR "Eagle" in SRA997 and CDRJC "Letterkenny" in SRA1297). On the demand side only a few bidders seem to be willing to go much over £2000 (the two NCCs last year being around this level with the added bonus of matching cabsides).

The Irish bread and butter sign would seem to be the GSWR Gate, coming up 36 times since 1990 which is generally pretty stable at around £50. In contrast to the seeming glut of GSWR signs out there (even the, to my mind, attractive 'Ormsby' trespass, although here too I have seen two varieties the only difference being weight) is the apparent rarity of GSR signs, with a fences going for £140 at BRA695, the WDLR gate (similar to the GSWR variety, but alot more expensive - £160 at BRA597), and the SLNCR gate at £250 (SRA1295). Other high prices paid recently were for the Strabane clock (£400 at CAL1195), an attractive CVR poster board heading (£290 at CAL1195 and £260 at SRA397). Of interest too was the £140 paid at SRA696 for a CIE enamel trespass, in my view a bit excessive for what was a pretty common sign. The only other categories which seem to crop up several times are NCC Accomodation crossings (see photo somewhere on these or companion pages) and GNR Trespasses (although here, having four different types myself, the early data does not allow me to distinguish between types) and bridges (+/-£30). A recent GNR footbridge, the first of its type to come to auction, made a respectable £380 at SRA1296. As far as brass is concerned, there seem to be many Dundalk plates out there. Some Beyer Peacock plates may also be GNR (e.g. a 1908 went at SRA696 for £150) and a documented BP 1947 from GNR 201 went for £175 (with a second GNR or BCDR unsold). The price of £460 at SRA996 realised for an NCC makers plate was truly astounding (see page 11).

The only niche available to the miserly would appear to be railchairs (generally under £10) but postage could be a problem! At the other extreme, DNGR Trespasses and gates are the stars of Irish cast iron with prices of £520 in 1991 and £630 in 1995 respectively. This is probably accounted for by their similarity to LNWR signs which would attract UK collectors. At one stage I had both DNGR signs, but they vanished two years ago in Ireland, together with a Waterford and Central Ireland trespass. All that remained was a DNGR bridge.

First quarter 1997

There were quite a few Irish items in this sale. I came home with a BP makers plate from GNRI "Kestrel" (£190), a GNRI 1937 tender plate (£75), a nice CDRJC coa (£80), and a substantial unsold GSWR 7 line trespass at the reserve of £80. Two original paintings by F. Moore went for £820 (MGWR 33) and £720 (WLWR 53), a WT 'Newcastle-Rathkeale' staff (a bit heavily restored) was £160, a 'Donabate' sign was £85, a documented (North Wall) pair (LMS & BR(M)) of 'Police' plates were £110, a framed enamel 'Fir/Gentlemen' was £75, a nice CVR enamel poster heading went for a predictable £260 (last time out £290). Perhaps the most unusual Irish item at Sheffield was a WLWR cast iron fender (£140). Thankfully I already have a similar Co. Donegal one (probably nobody needs two 50 kilo Irish fenders!) and was spared transporting it too on East Midlands and Eurostar. At the Solent auction in March, it is reported that an Irish MetroVick 1956 plate went for a pretty staggering £255 (but no more details). A number of posters from UK companies, advertising Irish delights, were sold by Onslows in March (results at end of page 4 under British Railways in Ireland).

Second quarter 1997

Several Irish items came up at other auctions. A GNRI Trespass, similar to that previously on this page (but with a weld), came up at BRA in April, but was apparently unsold, while a SLNCR Collooney signal box train register 1955-56 went for £20. Kiddlington in April had a Co. Donegal coa (£65) while a WT staff "Ballyhale" went for a reasonable £135. The May BRA auction had several interesting items. A GNRI bridge was £30, a GSWR gate £50, but the MRNCC accomodation gate was high at £105 (despite being painted both sides) and a rare WDLR gate (identical to the GSWR variety) was up, on its second ever appearance, from £120 to £160 (again it was restored - so there is still hope for my collection). An attractive GWR pictorial enamel 'To Ireland by new Fishguard Route' brought £560 at BRA597 (a consistently rising star to judge from the historical data). The BRA June auction had a GNRI black backed CoA, one lot of 40 CDRJC tickets, two previously unseen GSWR metal pay tokens at £33 each, and a number of railway stamps (2xMGWR, GSWR and a CMLR 2/-). For those interested in Railway philately, I would note that Whyte's Auction (email address) on 21 June has 9 lots of railway letter stamps (included are CLR, CDRJC, GNRI, MGWR, CBSCR, CMLR, GSWR, SLNCR, CIE). An estimate of £300 is placed on a GSWR 1895 cover. Clearly an area where collecting interests overlap and, consequently, prices get out of hand. Just back from Sheffield from my second auction there, with the car this time! Well attended as usual - bidding cards seemed to go into the late 400s. The monetary star of auction was a SR nameplate "Axminster" which reached £14200. Again several Irish items. Was not prepared to go high enough (past £170) for the attractive BCDR "no spitting..medical profession..etc" enamel or even to participate in bidding for the MGWR bridge which started with a commission bid of £55. Went far too high for a GSWR gate which I probably could have got at the previous BRA much lower, but having seen it and its back attachment, I realised that the GSWR I had was different. On return I found that my original was a fences rather than a gate - so that demolishes the theory of a heavy and a light variety. Went pretty high too for the monster Inchicore 1/2 mile post - see page 11 for a photo of - not something to take on the train or have mailed. The "Beware of the trains", which the catalogue said was "almost certainly Irish", was not, but apparently GER. UK posters were quite expensive (e.g. an Irish interest BR, "The Bann at Coleraine" was contested by two telephone bidders, going eventually for £250). I took the opportunity of my visit to Sheffield to pick up my BRA purchases from John Mander. Included among these were all the back issues of the Railway Collectors Journal from No. 1 (April 1991). All in all, an enjoyable, although expensive (when Le Shuttle ticket, hotel and petrol are added to auction frenzied purchases), weekend. The Malton auction of 21/6/97 had only two items of Irish interest - W. and S. Clare coats of arms which went for £120 and £85 respectively. The ORA auction of 5 July had an NIR poster £10, a miniature staff 'Kilmacow-Mullinavat' £110, a carriage warning in Irish £24 and a GSR ad. 'Ireland for Happy Holidays' £34.

Third quarter 1997

Results from Sheffield in September show that GNRI "Eagle" set an Irish nameplate record of £3050 (still reasonable in UK plate terms since these went as high as £19000 - "Seagull" - and £6900 for a Warship class diesel "Active" at the same event). Lucky I was not there or the new computer would be a "has been". The Oifig an Phoist two sided enamel went for £75! ORA997 had a 'Milford-Bagenalstown' miniature staff and an oval GSWR vegetable dish (£30). At BRA997 a 1900 GSWR Killarney cheap day trips folded page went for £8, a brass wax GNR 'Londonderry' seal £15, a small Greenore dinner plate £35, and a GNR soup plate £10. Although not on auction, I would mention the Loughborough nameplate display of 21/9/97 with six Irish nameplates included - "Binevenagh", "Slieve Bane", "Olderfleet Castle", "Chichester Castle", County Down" and "Lough Swilly". Items of Irish interest at BRA1097 were a GNR 3 aspect handlamp with burner and reservoir (£50), a City of Cork Steam Packet Co. 1936 timetable, a pair of TDLR 1909 waybills and a lot of 4 parcel stamps including 1 Ballycastle Railway (either unsold or no prices given).

Fourth quarter 1997

At Sheffield last week (14/12/97). 'Letterkenny' (with marks on nameplate as a result of accident) went for £2900. Suspect that it would have gone much further if the commission bid from afar (US?) was contested. The only other item of Irish interest was a small GNRI Trespass, which went for a quite incredible (given the nos. in circulation) £70. Items recorded on the dealers' stalls were a GNRI bridge no. 153 for a reasonable £35 (sold by the end of the auction) and a GSWR small trespass at £100 (unsold). At other auctions items noted included a linen BCDR antimacassar and a CVR polished wood notice referring to the arms of the CVR opened 2/5/1887 by Col. Knox at BRA1197 (both not sold). At the same BRA auction were single line miniature staffs, Strabane-Raphoe £225 (an obvious premium for CDRJC material), Armagh S.-Tyman £78, Pomeroy-Dungannon £65 (both incidentally steel), timetables GNR1895 £20, 1881 £20, BNCR1885 + other £20, GNR1893 £25, a BCDR enamel fences £84, a WD&LR share certificate £12, a framed and glazed CDRJC notice 'This roadway is private property and is for the sole use ... Curran 1957' £30, and 6 GCP&BR tickets £9. The only Irish items in BRA1297 were a MetroVick brass strip from a CIE A class (£20), a GNRI brass button 25mm F61/14 (£35), a DWWR nickel 17mm button (£58) and a BR 'Ireland for holidays' Killarney poster (£39).

First quarter 1998

Results only now in for MKA1297. Noted items of Irish interest were GNRI Bridge No.69 at £36, GSWR Gate £36, BR poster 'Cambria' £22, NCC coa on board (?) £28, Dublin/Cork headboard £100. Two lots of Irish tickets at ONS1197 went for £70 (1700 items) and £50 (11 items).
Only some of the over 50 items of railway interest in Whyte's (email address) auction on 10/1/98 will be included in the data pages, since, up to now, I have been reluctant to expand more generally to paper items. However, in this section a description of most lots will be attempted.
Approximately 21 Acts of Parliament were in the auction, with about half being sold (generally between £20 and £30, but GNRI Howth tramway went for £65, DWWR Shillelagh Extension £46, Kilkenny, Castlecomer and Athy £42, Collooney, Ballina and Belmullet £42). Among unsold items, the only one at a reserve above the range noted was FRRHC 'Cork to Fermoy and Waterford to Rosslare' £70. Others unsold include 1879 Finn Valley, 1873 Limerick and Kerry, 1872 Limerick and Casleconnell, 1873 DNGR, 1887 Kingstown and Kingsbridge, 1898 abandonment, 1900 Mitchelstown and Fermoy, 1903 Kingscourt-Castleblaney, and 1909 Hen Valley to CBSCR. 1500 CDRJC tickets £of@350 were unsold. I managed to get the 3 GSWR pewter tokens for £42, having missed the two that came up at BRA in June (I wonder did other Irish companies use tokens). Other non-paper items were 7 linen items (napkins, anti-macassars) from MRNCC, LMSNCC, GNRI, GNRB, UTA, Royal Mail Lines for £60, and a CMDR 1900 'tunic' and fare tables for £80. The highlight in posters was a GSR 1930 "Connemara - old bog road" 62x125cm which reached £440. Other posters included were GNRI 1882 "Great Reduction of Fares.." £of@30, 1884 "Cheap trips on Sunday Aug 3.." £80, 1885 "Dublin Met. Baldoyle Races.." £55, 2 GSWR Parknasilla £28, GSR red and blue on white April 1939 "All in Tours" £90, LLSR "Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1888.." £30, LLSR 1935 Timetable poster £30, SLNCR 1956 Enniskillen and Sligo football specials £42, 1905 By Laws and Regulations £30, Explosives Act 1875 £30, WDLR 1878 Timetable Poster £120, CBPR 1910 Steamers Timetable b/w with red and green £130 and a BR(WR) "Motorists take your car to .. Ireland.." £100. A most interesting general lot of 11 items, going for £32, included Share Cerificates from Dublin and Belfast Jct. (1845), Dundalk and Enniskillen (1859), 1939 and 1947 GNRI notices, 1958 GNRB menu and a 1930 Penn Railroad share certificate. A second mixed lot of 50, going for £50, included a mint block of 4 WCR 2d stamps, a range of GNRI labels, LLSR tickets, a DNGR staff ticket, GNRI Pilotman's ticket, GNRI 'seat reserved', GNRB 1953 football timetable and 1952 and 1955 excursion flyers. There was a Railway Clearing House 1920 Irish map at £55, some modern Northern prints of earlier photos £28, a Carlow and Wicklow 1866 printed letter with GSR 1943 permanent way notices £28, a GSR 1925 Report to Directors £of@18, and 1853 printed receipts of Ulster Railway and Belfast and Ballymena at £30. Postcards of railway interest generally worked out around £5 each although grouped in broad lots (individual companies noted included GSWR, GSR, CDRJC, DSER, WCI, CMDR, WTR, CMLR, DBST, CBSCR, CBPR). A lot of 84 photos of rolling stock 1920-1930 went for £70. There were two UK auctions in January. Cundalls (among 1146 lots) on 17/1/98 had: a framed and glazed Fishguard and Rosslare 1904 share cert, 13 1900 BCDR photos, a 1928 LMS handbill 'To Ireland', an early 'Irish Commercial and Railway Gazetteer', a GNR 1893 TT and a silver plated GNRI gravy boat by Walker and Hall. At Kidlington on 24/1/98 three items were of interest: the single line staff (most likely miniature) 'Gort-Ardrahan'(£100), previous examples of which came up at ORA192 and SRA492, a framed and glazed SLNCR poster "Table of Offences and Penalties" and LMSNCC "Conditions of Admission to Glenariff Glen" (results unrecorded). A LLSR nickel 23mm button made £15. At Whytes on 20/2/98, among the coins, there are two lots of railway interest both estimated in the range £15-20. The first is two 1940s GNRI 4% bond certs, the second a WDLR 1898 share cert.
At Christies on 5/2/98 a UTA poster (gr) of a Northern Ireland landscape was sold for an impressive £550. A number of Irish items were on offer at Sheffield in March. Highlight was an NCC nameplate "Queen Elizabeth" and matching 100 cabside which went for £2500 (not seemingly as popular as GNR or CDRJC examples). A GNR cast iron footbridge notice went for £190 and an MGWR 598 bridgeplate for £40. There were three Irish enamels sold, a GNRI billposters (£160), an MGWR 1909 trespass (£180) and a GSR abbreviated title bilingual trespass (£250). The three items have already been illustrated on these pages and can be found on the geocities data companion pages. Other items sold were a GSWR milk jug (£70), a MRNCC monogram (£25), a BCDR coa (£80), a MRNCC wagon plate (£50), postcards of 24 Irish stations (£210) and an LMS (dr) Donegal poster (£100). BRA in March sold a BCDR armband (£35) and a BCDR fork (£16).

Second quarter 1998

BRA had a shortened GSWR 1/2 Inchicore milepost in their April sale that was, seemingly, unsold. The April sale at Kiddlington had a GSWR gate notice (£85) and an Arklow-Woodenbridge miniature staff (£70). The price achieved by the gate, nearly reaching the excessive £90 I paid at SRA last June, went some way to restoring my wounded pride. Cundall's sale at Malton only seemed to have a LLSR 1914 cheque of Irish interest (results n.a.), although descriptions of lots for this auction can often hide other gems (reported results show an 'Irish gate' realising £16). GWR in May had 1933 Road Traffic Act white on black enamels (Gaelic - 15 lines, tonnage plate missing, and English - 14 lines in separate lots, which went for £14 and £18 - not sure which language at a premium), a pair of GSWR gates (£55), an MRNCC '4 line'? trespass (£50) and an NCC script initials on dark brown board (£ns). Matlock on 9/5/98 sold a 'GSW' (Glasgow or GSW?) plate (£32), a GSWR gate (£34), a 'CIE carriage board' (£85), and a LMSNCC wagon plate (£36). The May telephone sale at BRA had a GSWR small 7 line trespass (£105), a BCDR large script brass button F61/02 (£ns), GNRI bridge no.87 (£45), and a lot comprising a 45 page GNRI Timetable 1884 and CDRJC Caution and Pilotman's tickets (£15). The SRA Auction of 13 June had another CDRJC nameplate 'Eske' appearing (£1600), after the more desirable 'Letterkenny' in December, as well as a magnificent DNGR cabside No.1 (£3500: shown on the index page, but the colours seemed a bit far-fetched, even for the DNGR!), a Belfast Steamship Co. double royal poster (£210), the GNRI 13 line enamel bridge restriction (£ns: shown at the head of this page) which I had not seen before, a GNRI 8.3cm high sherry glass with full crest (£110), a BCDR small enamel 'interference with fences' notice (£45), a carriage print 'Blarney Castle' (£30), and an LMSNCC Accomodation gate (£95). The postal sale at SRA (lower catalogue estimate shown - since prices are not published, these items will not be included in the data pages) had a GSR 11/9/1939 book (£30+), MRNCC Valentine post cards (£25+), LMSNCC 2 pocket timetables 1923 and 1924 (£25+), LMS 32 timetable booklets (£30+), 65 GSWR IG32, 33, 34 luggage labels (£20+), a lot containing CDRJC Pilotman's ticket (red on white), Caution ticket (green card), Banking engine pass (blue) and ticket (red tie on) (£15+), a lot containing SLNCR train staff tickets - down Florencourt-Belcoo (pale blue), down Belcoo-Glenfarne (pale pink), CDR caution ticket (red) and DNGR staff ticket Greenore-Carlingford (white paper ERO46453) (£20+), GSWR 1914 programme of tours (£40+), 1960 Ireland via Fishguard double royal poster (£15+). BRA in June had another DNGR item, a 23x13cm oval boundary plate, which, despite my final bid 5 minutes from closing, went elsewhere for £165. Other items of interest were two miniature staffs 'Hill of Down-Enfield' (£54) and 'Ballymote-Boyle' (£140), an NCC monogram on maroon board (£30), a BCDR 1905 Rule Book (£16), an LMSNCC 1938 68 page book 'NI tours and excursions by train' (£ns), a GSWR 1902 320 page book 'The sunny side of Ireland' with fold out maps and photos of hotels (£42) and, finally, a 'Princess Maud' dinner fork (£14 : memories of drawing the short straw in the late fifties and getting her, rather than the 'Cambria' or 'Hibernia').

Third quarter 1998

The Kiddlington auction in July sold two GSWR gate notices at £42 and £46 and a 'Naas-Sallins' miniature staff for £110. Items of Irish interest at Sheffield on 12/9/1998 were 3 Webb and Thompson staffs (Ballyhaise/Belturbet £130, Armagh/Rickhill £200, Tuam/Sugar Factory £410), one aluminium miniature staff B config. Boyle/Ballymote £100, 2 pairs of grape scissors (one MRNCC £42, pair of LMSNCC £40), a GSWR marked brown stoneware landmine inkwell £ns, GNRI arched 'poster board' heading £500 (the straight and arched varieties are illustrated on the companion site, but not sure if these were poster board headings), GNRI bridge No. 35 £40, Ulster Railway brass handbell stamped URC £70, and a BCDR 'Please do not spit etc.' £110. The Solent Railwayana auction on 19/9/98 had two miniature staffs, 'Sligo/Ballymote' £60 and 'Ballymote/Boyle' £60 and a CIE cap badge £9. BRA, in September, had a Gaelic £5 'penalty for pulling chain' red enamel £na, a small GNRI trespass £ns, a GNRI 3 aspect hand lamp £ns, an alloy staff 'Legarrow G.F. Special Key' (between Athlone and Claremorris) £230, two CIE alloy carriage plates - No.1360 from 1953 Inchicore and No. 1443 from 1956 Inchicore, both £15, LLSR brass 23mm £ns, GNRI brass 25mm and 19mm and nickel 19mm buttons £ns, a DWWR 17mm nickel F38-5 button £ns, a Giants Causeway 1934 TT £10, a 1910 Cork and Macroom Report to Directors £15, a LNWR Holyhead-Kingstown Paddle Steamer carriage print £30 and two BCDR tickets £8. Cundall's Malton auction on 26/9/98 had a BCDR Slieve Donard soup bowl £24, a CIE cast iron wagon plate '27220' £22, a 'Ballygeary-Rosslare Strand' miniature staff £40, two MV Cambria 'Buckle' carriage prints £10 each, and an LMS guide 'Ireland for Holidays' £14.

Fourth quarter 1998

ORA on 10/10/98 had a copper LMSNCC lamp £60, miniature staff 'Boyle-Ballymote' £80 and, again, a 'Ballygeary-Rosslare Strand' £36, a NCC locoplate 'Carra Castle' £1550, an alloy destination board 'Dublin-Cork' £100, a GSWR 48x36cm Trespass with both lugs £100 and a GWR 'Mountains of Killarney' jigsaw £90. BRA in November, strangely enough, has no Irish items, apart from one lot of 40 mixed labels, including 13 Armagh-Skerries GNRI (£10) and two UK bookmarks - 'Ireland...Scotland' and 'Holiday Guide..Ireland' at £20 each. Onslows on 30.9.98 had a GSWR Parknasilla Hotel poster which sold for £860 - I ask myself was this a similar poster to that sold at Whytes for £28? SRA in December had an Ulster Imperial Line 'Liverpool-Belfast' poster (£na), a BR(M) 'To Ireland Holyhead for Dublin' poster (£100), an SLNCR gate (£220), a DNGR coa (£140), a replated GNRI coffee pot (£na), an 'Athymon Jct.-Loughrea' W &T staff (£220), a 'GS&WR 100' whistle (£na), a SCR (South Clare) coa (£90), an LMSNCC wooden lineside cupboard with telephone and Tyers gangers instrument from Larne (£320), a W &T 'Drimoleague Jct.-Dunmanway' staff (£140) and an aluminium 'Sligo-Ballymote' staff (£60). BRA, in December, had an MGWR enamel 1909 trespass(£155), a GNRI 5 line 22x112 trespass with weld on back (seems like a previously offered item)(£ns), a CDRJC small poster 'Races' black on pink 2/9/1935 (£28), UK menus include 'The Irish Mail' (£35), 'Ulster Express' (£20) and 'The Shamrock' (£23). Buttons included a CIE 'snail' gilt 25mm and 16mm, plus a GSWR 24mm nickel (£20 given for miscellaneous lot). There were 2 lots of LMSNCC Timetables, one X 4 pocket TTs from 1945 to 1948 (£20), the other lot of 7 from 1938 to 1944 (£29).

First quarter 1999

Malton on 9/1/99 had a Fishguard & Rosslare share cert £11, a framed 1917 cheque from the same company £na, a CIE 30 ton brake van 272A plate £32 with a BR plate, a LNWR pamphlet 'To Ireland by LNWR Routes' 1912 £18, 4 Irish buttons (GSR, GNR + 2 CIE) £ns, a Caledonian SPC (Irish Services) small china diamond dish £na, 13 handbills incl. LNER and Irish £70, 2 LMSNCC WTT 1940 and 1949 £10 and a GSWR (probably Glasgow) lead and brass paperweight £16. ORA, on 30/1/99, has a previously unseen MGWR bridge restriction of 7/5/1891 £150, a NIR dr poster showing a 6 car diesel at Downhill £50 and a BR dr 'Travel to Ireland by rail and sea' (ferry + 4-6-0) £80, a Failte alloy carriage board, a GSWR Gate £50, and several staffs - miniature 'Athy-Cherryville Jct' £40, 'Boyle-Carrick on Shannon' £80, and a W&T 'Wicklow-Glenealy' £ns. Only some of the many items of railway interest in Whyte's (email address, or website) auction on 6/2/99 will not be included in the data pages since I have been always reluctant to expand more generally to paper items. These included 70 items (with catalogue upper price range estimates given here) - SLNCR waybills £40, 1840 prospectus for Dublin to Kilkenny Railway £200, 8 letters re. Dublin and Drogheda some with letterhead £40, 1845 share application Cork and Youghal + 1929 GSR delivery note £60, Acts: 1872 Limerick & Castleconnel + 1895 Waterford & Limerick £30, 1873 Dundalk & Greenore £25, 1886 MGWR £25, 1887 Kingstown & Kingsbridge Jct. £30, 1898 same £20, 1898 Fishguard & Rosslare - Cork to Fermoy & Waterford to Rosslare plus 5 other related £80, 1903 MGWR Kingscourt to Castleblaney £25, blank and used, mainly GSR, forms etc., incl. West & South Clare 1912, sleeping car brass tag, LLSR tickets billheads - LLSR, GNRI + UK and foreign (50 items) £70, 35 Fishguard & RRHC dividend warrants 1899-1938 £100, 5 CDRJC handbills 1925-35 14x22cm £25, 1867 Waterford Kilkenny & Maryborough broadsheet 'Railway traffic obstructions at Maryborough' + printed correspondence on dispute with GSWR £70, LLSR 1/11/1903 TT poster 50x75cm repaired £60, similar 1/2/1903 £50, 1905 GSWR 'Sunny side of Ireland' guide + 1925 GNRI 'Health, Golfing, Angling & Tourist resorts' + 1950 White Star Line Irish tourist map £50, original watercolour of GSWR J15 No.200 with coaches at Valentia Harbour G.S.Cooper £40, GSWR cast iron engine plate (comment: wagon plate) 15077 Inchicore Works £100, GSR 'Ireland, gem of the sea' 1925 4 booklets + 1915 Superannuation Funds Acts £80, 4 GSRI handbills incl. 'St Kevin's Parish Excursion to Cork 1932' + 2 CDRJC £25, GSR 1935 Appendix to WTT + 1942 Mutual Aid Society card + 38 CIE Dublin & Provincial TT £40, LMS guard's bulleye lamp, stated Tyrone LMSNCC, £80, 2 GNRI 1930 handbills, 1952 WTT, 1956 public TT + railway related books, tickets, NI Guinness and Republican labels (25 items) £50, ASLEF 1932 election Co. Leitrim with postcard £25, SLNCR stock 'B' and 'C' Debenture, issued To Sir J. Gore Booth £100, CIE 1960 WTT + 1955 Motor coach tours + 1957 public TT + 1950s Radio train + 1925 CBSCR consignment note £40, Tram and bus tickets mounted DUTC, DUT Bus, Howth ET, GSR bus, GNRI bus, Belfast City Tramway + some rail GSR, CIE (250 items) £90, 'GSR motor bus stops here' white on red enamel shield 55x55cm £200, CIE c1950 silvered cu(?a)p badge 'flying snail' £20, GSWR 'The Sunny side of Ireland', No.1 Killarney, No.2 Waterford and Cork, No.3 Dublin and Limerick, rebound in one, also GSWR 'The Sunny side..' original cloth + 1940 GSR Motor Tours + Fraser's Travelling map + 3 others £80, 1896 MGWR 'A practical handbook to Galway, Connemara, Achill and the West of Ireland' original green cloth and gilt, very good £50. BRA in February has a 1CDRJC+3LMSNCC 1945-1948 TT lot £26 and a CIE driver's cap badge (described as blue enamel with white top square and nickel edges) £25 plus, for postal fans, another Oifig on Phoist enamel £99. The BRA postal auction in March had a CIE porter badge (dark blue and white enamel) £23, a GSR Gaelic communication cord enamel £28, a small 10x5cm nickel over brass builder's plate, reputedly from B106, "Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Ltd., Smethwick 1955" £104, a GSWR landmine inkwell 11.7 cm diameter by 7 high marked on side, a DWWR 17mm nickel button F62.7 £ns, BCDR "Regulations for.. train examiners etc." November 1940 hardback and two lots of Irish videos £28, Belfast harbour button £15 and a LNWR Greenore Vesta. SRA on 13/3/98 has a pair of MGWR square signal lamp interiors one bearing clover leaf brass plate "W.Curtis & Sons Manuf. Dublin" both complete with fore and aft reservoirs (one stamped MGWR) and burners £170, SLNCR "Leitrim" nameplate face polished and repainted only £2500, GSWR full title cast iron trespass 48x36 both lugs intact £65, 4 miniature staffs: Boyle-Carrick on Shannon A £90, Boyle-Ballymote C, Dromod-Carrick C £75, and aluminium Ballymote-Sligo C £50 and a W & T staff Claremorris(cast)-Milltown(engraved) 2+2+1 and Annetts key £140, a pair of 18cm grape scissors made Mappin & Webb with LMSNCC motif on on arm £30, a GNRI small trespass 20x14 £60 and a DWWR 84x28 enamel Ladies Waiting Room 1st & 2nd class, white on royal blue substantial edge chipping £40. GWR internet auction (realised prices given) on 28 March has a GNRI 26 page visit of Queen 1953 £2, Luggage labels - 5 DWWR, 3 GSR, 2 UR, 1 W & LT, 5 GSWR and 115 GNRI £15 and Pilotmans tickets - 3GNRI, SLNCR, CDRJC, 4 GNRI coal cards and 6 goods cards £3. GWR could also have an Armagh cast iron seat name up soon. SHM in 299 had an NCC coa £15 and a GSWR Inchicore wagon plate £90.

Second quarter 1999

There is a GSWR gate advertised in RCJ0499 £of@50. At BRA0499, nothing Irish, apart from a BR MV Cambria carriage print £29. KRA on 17/4 has a GNRI 4 aspect handlamp, correct vessel lacks burner and green glass £ns, an SLNCR timetable posters railway 1950 and omnibus 1949 black on white £20, a miniature staff Ballyduff/Lismore £180, an Oifig an Phoist phone enamel £60, and an unrestored GSWR gate £48. Malton on 24 April has an Ulster Steamship Co. side plate £n.a., a lot (No.1069) of tickets - with some Irish £n.a., a lot (No.1031) of various loco and carriage blueprints - mainly Irish £n.a., a GNRI small cast iron trespass notice ex. Castlederg (lot No. 412) £44, a Northern Ireland poster (unspecified) £39, but nothing else obvious in this auction of 1336 lots. Christies poster sale on 27 May had an LMS 1930 "Ireland for Holidays - Kingstown" with an estimate of £800-£1200 and a GSRys 'Ireland Land of Romance - Blarney Castle' with an estimate of £350-£450. There is an advert in RCJ0699 for a NCC loco whistle ex "Chichester Castle" no price given. BRA0699 has only a LLSR Freight WT dated 15/10/1949 £ns. SRA on 19/6/99 has a BR(LMR) 'Northern Ireland' D.Cobb dr poster £280, an alloy miniature 'Enfield/Hill of Down' staff £65, a GWR large enamel 'To Ireland by New Fishguard' (134x99) £300, a CDRJC coa £120, a W&T Listowel-Abbeyfeale staff with Annets key £340, an LMS(LNWR?) curved brass pillar plate engraved 'Irish Traffic Manager' from Holyhead (50x38) £75, and an aluminium miniature staff 'Boyle-Ballymote' £65. Phillips of Solihull had an GSWR gate at £32 and RCJ0799 has an advertisement for a similar gate £of@60. Solent in June had a CDRJC on panel at £15. Malton in June had a GNRI ticket dating machine at £22, a Buckle 'MV Cambria' poster at £12 and a CIE Wagon plate at £22.

Third quarter 1999

Kidlington in July had a full title GSWR Ormsby at £50, a GSWR Gate at £30, 430 negatives of Irish origin £55, and a Ballygeary-Rosslare Strand miniature staff at £40. GWR Auctions on 10/7/99 had a Ballygeary-Rosslare Strand miniature staff at £95, a BCDR Hotels (Slieve Donard) muffin dish at £75, a GNRI 1/2 mile post at £15, and a GNRI 'Armagh' lampsign £50 and a GSWR gate at £45. SRA on 18/9/99 has a GNRI tenderplate 117 B2 1923 Dundalk £50, a CDRJC circular metal coa cut from side £80, a GSR white china gravy boat £40, an Inniskeen-Dundalk W&T £140, and BR(W) qr Southern Ireland £850, UTA dr Dunluce Castle £1150 and B&I Liverpool-Dublin dr overnight passenger service £240 posters. SRA Postal Auction (closes 25/9/99) has 11 LMSNCC WTT 1944-8 est@£50, LMSNCC platform arrangements Belfast 1938 est@£25, 25 CDRJC PTT 1932-59 est@ £50, GNRI PTT 1938 + Holidays in Ireland est@ £35, GNRI PTT 1939, LLS bus TT 1939, 2 CDRJC PTT 1945-65 est@ £25, 55 Irish postcards est@£30, CDRJC posters 43X56cm Regatta Killybegs 1931 + Withdrawal of services 1959 est@ £35, CDRJC 43X56cm Excursion to Bundoran est@£na and three GNRI loco photos in a frame est@ £5. BRA, from 7-9/9/99, had a small oval (13cm across) LMS rebuilt Ballymena 1945 rusty wagon plate £15, a similar UTA rebuilt Ballymena 1949 £64, a green beer bottle LMSNCC Hotels 23cm high £20, a Boyle-Ballymote miniature staff £94, an LMSNCC 1688 18X36cm wagonplate £28, a LNWR 'Ireland via Holyhead' b/w Killaloe photo reverse side bookmark, another Killarney photo reverse, and a third Sugar Loaf Glengariff photo as well as a 1929 joint brochure of Irish T. Assoc., Bacon's maps & £25; LMS Road/rail map front "Travel by Irish Mail Route via Holyhead LMS". Cundalls at Malton on 25/9 had a dr "Ireland for Holidays" poster, a Ballygeary/Rosslare Strand miniature staff, a 1915 GNRI Appendix to WTT and 4 LMSNCC passenger timetables.

Fourth quarter 1999

Kiddlington on 9/10/99 had a GNRI Dundalk makers' plate at £110 and NCC 57 Cabside £310 a Holyhead-DL carriage print £55, a BNCR '201' bridge (wagon plate?) £25, a MRNCC wagon plate '185' £60 and two miniature staffs - Boyle-Ballymote £20 and Kilmacow-Mullinvat £40. Solent had a GSWR gate £n.a. with BRA1099 having a Boyle/Ballymote (alloy) miniature staff (seem to see these coming up, along with Rosslare ones, quite frequently) £n.a., a GNRI glass fruit bowl with top wavy edge acid etched full coa logo on side 18cm x 15 x 5 £68, a DUT nickel button 25 mm (Comyns & Son, Dublin) £5 - pretty good deal for whoever bought, 2 LNWR bookmarks Lough Gill £25 and Killaloe/Ireland for Holiday £25 and a 1902 book "The Sunny Side of Ireland, how to see it by the GSWR" by John O'Mahoney 2nd Ed. £8 and a Killarney BR(W) picture at £50. Cundalls in September had a 'Holidays in Ireland' dr poster at £24. There was also a advert in the RCJ No. 93 for a qr LMS 'Irish Mail' Brian de Grineau poster at £1200. I have also seen reference to a recent Christies' sale of posters, including Irish, but do not have details. But given prices noted above (apart from Killarney), I think prices on the poster market are well beyond me. Incidentally, GWR has an album of 500 (was 400) tickets covering all Irish Railways in its 4 December auction (£210), a GSWR gate (£30), an MV Cambia (Buckle) poster (£36), a GWR 'Mountains of Killarney' jigsaw (£44) and a dr poster 'to Irelan, Dublin, Belafast (£10) - their GSWR longcase clock is undoubtedly GlasgowSWR. RCJ notes that a KRA lot (384), classified LSWR, was actually a BNCR bridgeplate (no better authority than Tim Petchey). Advertisements in RCJ1198 included 3 cast iron wagon plates BNCR 1565, MRNCC 539 and LMSNCC 2614 offered at £200, an LMSNCCNCC Hotels 9" clear glass bottle at £30, with offers invited for 6 LMSNCC Hotels dessert spoons by W & H, 5 LMSNCC Soup spoons by W & H 'Oruba' pattern, 4 Soup spoons UTA by W & H 'Oruba' pattern, and 1 dinner fork. Another add has a grubby Giants Causeway 1935 TT offered at £6. BRA1199 (telephone auction 8/11 - 10/11) has nothing obvious. SRA in December has several interesting items. These are a DNGR circular staff half wood, half brass with knobs with cast brass plate embossed "Greenore. Carlingford", 44.5 cms (went for £520), a MRNCC Accomodation crossing gates sign 7 lines of text (£90), a BR (LMR) Ireland 1958 Vale of Clara, Lampitt, qr poster with folds (£550), a miniature staff 4 brass rings "Rosslare Strand-Ballygeary" £90), a BCDR silver plated condiment holder 'Slieve Donard Hotel' (£60), a MRNCC cast iron "Bill Posting Prohibited" 51 x 28 cm repainted (went for £360), a W & T brass plated "Clones (cast) - Ballyhaise Jct or Cavan (stamped)" (£130) ; 5 brass rings with Annetts key unrestored, a W & T staff with 'early brass plates' "Glenbeigh-Mountain Stage" (£520); 4 brass rings no key end. The two items of interest to me (the DNGR staff and NCC Billposters - £360) started above my final price, so no additions to the collection! There was also a GWR jigsaw 'Mountains of Killarney' at £50. The SRA Postal Auction (with guide prices - upper given) has a GNRI PTT 2/10/1932 + an LMS NCC folding card timetable for Belfast, Carrickfergus, Whitehead and Larne 1/10/1927 grubby £35, a collection of 150 UK railway newpaper letter and parcel stamps including CVR, Donegal, Cork & Macroom, Ballycastle, BNCR, MGWR, GSWR, WDLR £300, 150 Irish whole Edmondsons include DNGR, LLSR, GSR, GNRI, LMSNCC with approx. 50 halves and a few paper £35. A GNRI transfer went at a Chorley auction on 23/10/99 for £20. BRA in December had a lot including one with CVR postcards regarding "Goods/price/from" unused "Committee of Management 1928", plus luggage label "GNRI to Brookeboro on CVR" with small tear, plus "CVR Booklet" liquidation 14/4/1942, another lot comprising a SLNCR 1912 1st class free pass issued to A.Kerrison LYR, blue leather (£17) , a GSWR cast iron gate restored face only (£50), an LMSR Irish brochure (£20) and a lot of 106 buttons, including 3 medium and 10 small LMSNCC (£35). A GNRI transfer went for £20 at Chorley on 23/10/99. Whytes on 11/12/1999 had a number of items of railway interest. As noted below, a GSWR gate was unsold and available later at its £30 reserve. Other hardware items were Cork-Crossbarry E miniature staff (£110) and a GNRI large (51 x 51 cms) crest on board slightly warped (£120). Posters were a GSR "Land of Romance - Blarney" (£220), GSR 1939 "Excursion tickets to and from Dublin", black on pale orange 57 x 90 cms (£50), CIE "Ireland Circular Tours by CIE" Melai (£220) and 4 LMS Paul Henry 64 x 100cms: Sheephaven (£1400), Connemara (£1200), Lough Derg (£1000) and Dingle (£1700). Other paper items were WL&WR handbills "Man of War HMS Collingwood at Foynes 1899" and "Great Munster Fair Limerick 1899" with part missing at top (£40), a Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow & Dublin £20 share cert of 30/1/1847 to Sir John Doveton (£60), and a CMDR 1899 booklet incl. map "The Tourist route to Glengariff and Killarney" £100). Tickets lots included one comprising a Dublin & Meath Railway 1868 First Class green leather pass No. 19 to J. Penteny, signed John Dowd, a similar Dublin & Lucan Electric Railway 1915 to T.B.Jobson and 2 First Class DWWR 1875 subscriber tickets (£190), a D&KR subscriber's ticket 1844 Dublin-Rock for Thos Pickering, signed Pim plus an 1874 DWWR subscriber's ticket (£200), a WCR Free Pass No. 4 1921 to John J. Dudley (£220). Several of the items mentioned are shown on the Whytes web site. Onslows in November had two UK framed and glazed carriage prints by Buckle of Irish interest, MV Cambria - Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire (£20) and TSS Duke of Lancaster - Heysham-Belfast (£20). In the same auction posters included LMS Donegal for Holidays, Sheephaven by Wilkinson (£500), LMR NI the Amphitheatre Giant's Causeway by Lander (£400), GSR by Till (£600) and LMS NI by Hubbard (£650). The auction also included miniature alloy staffs 'Leixlip-Clonsilla' + 'Kilcock-Enfield' (£55 for both) and Irish tickets, including 16 whole (£10). GWRA on line in December had 500 Irish tickets (£210) and a GSWR gate notice (£30).

First quarter 2000

Malton on 8/1/00 had a CIE Brake Van plate 289A (£ns), a framed Fishguard & Rosslare Certificate (£ns), a BCDR 1927 framed and glazed map showing competition with buses (£10), and miniature 'Kilcock-Enfield' (£30) and 'Clonsilla-Leixlip' C (£28) staffs in its 1186 lots! Kidlington in January had two bridge plates, MGWR 582 (£45) and GNRI 47 (£20) an alloy carriageboard 'Failte' (£55) and an Irish Post Office two sided sign (£75). BRA in February had an LMS Ireland poster (£21) and 130 Irish labels (£43). Sheffield on 11/3/00 had a SLNCR copper platform lamp case from Sligo (£200), three glazed sides, 56cm tall (see photo below), a MGWR cast iron fender with "MGWR" initials, 103 cm wide unrestored (£100), a W&T staff 'Float-Ballywilliam' (£n.a.) with large triangular brass end (photo also below), a GNRI 30.5 cm dial non-fusee (photo on index page), pendulum roundface wall clock polished wood case, original face lettered 'Dobbin & Son Dublin. Milford GNR(I)', seems working order, complete with pendulum and key (£360), a BR(M) Ireland Overnight (Buckle) qr. at £380, and a BR(M) "The Ulster Express" (£100). The RCJ of March had an advert for a DNGR cashbag Omeath with padlock engraved (£75). BRA in March had a CIE 1967 Rule Book (£n.a.), a GSWR official postcard of GS Hotel Carragh Lake (£n.a.) and an Ireland map folder published by the Irish Tourist Association "connections from principle stations on LNER etc." (£10). Solent in March had a GSWR gate notice. BRA in April has a Tyers round No. 6 tablet "Ballymena-2-Cullybackey", unrestored, an alloy modified No. 6 tablet "Ballymoney-Coleraine 55", an LMS paper pamphlet "Attractive 7 day tour N.I." 1938, 4 pages, bus scene on front, and a lot of several items including a BCDR wagon for repairs label, blue. Malton on 8/4/00 has a cast iron Irish 1/4 mile post top (unspecified), a CIE wagon plate 20 tons 27516, a Fishguard & Rosslare share certificate, railway tickets - Belfast-Heysham, and an Ulster Steamship Co. blue design teaplate with garter crest.

Reminders on "some fake GSWR gate notices that have turned up on sale in Cork city, recently cast". Having attempted to create a fibreglass version of my DNGR Trespass, since stolen, and now with regrets that I haven't even that copy (thrown out at some stage), I may not be as focussed on the authentic (although perhaps this position is irrelevant, since I don't think I have any repos in my collection) as I should be. But, I ask myself, why forge a GSWR gate when an original can be purchased for as little as £32 (as recently as December 1999 the Whytes GSWR gate, estimated at £40-50, was withdrawn and may still be available at the £30 reserve). Anyway, you have been warned. Also the RPSI is about to cast some LMSNCC Derby makers' plates. I have ordered one, but perhaps one should be careful in the future of these turning up as the real thing.

GNR nameplate. (Source: SRA)

CDRJC nameplate. (Source: SRA)

DNGR staff. (Source: SRA 12/99)

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