Whether the superb autumn day was in any way a contributing factor, I know not; but the attendance at this sale must have been close to a record-breaker for this venue. The car park was full by 7.30, with only the lawn left for later-comers such as myself, with all of 37 miles to travel! The "classification" system I have chosen to use for this sale is based on that given in the subject index within the catalogue, readers will note that it differs a bit from that normally used in these columns, but it seems to be adequate. An increasing number of Bus & Tram items has resulted in some quite respectable prices for a few of these pieces, particularly the London United enamel map. Cabside Numberplates, all but two of them of GWR type, prove that the differentiation between brass and cast iron is lessening ("namers" apart, of course) - with two of the cast iron ones out-pricing two of the brass ones. Carriage Prints continue to move to greater heights, with Claude Buckle's enigmatic "Salisbury Cathedral" at £290. I still think that the GWR's little Photochrom prints are much undervalued, as with lot 356 at £75. This sale was a Cast Iron vendor's dream, although it tended to be a bit dispiriting to a seasoned collector of this material! Seldom has such a selection been seen at an auction in recent years. A few of the highlights were the GC & North Staffordshire trespass - one of very few, the one and only remaining milepost from the South Staffordshire, the MR "Bathing", the Vale of Towy trespass and the L&SWR/S&DJR "47" milepost, wrongly described as a bridge plate. The poor little GS&WR gate notice, right at the end of the sale, struggled to reach £30. Surely such a pretty plate deserves better? Clocks and Watches provided 5 of the former and 1 latter. The L&SWR 12" was a very fine piece indeed, even with its BR(W) face. I felt that the sole LNER watch should have done better than £55. Of Single Line Tokens there were many, with some of the aluminium keys reaching extraordinary prices. Of particular interest to me was the fibre tablet "Ashwater-Tower Hill". Two and a half years ago I hummed and ha'ed and finally bought one from this section for £60, wondering the while if I had been entirely wise. Brass-faced tablets now seem to have overtaken their contemporaries, the Webb & Thompson staffs. The GWR platform Lamp with the "Baptist End" tablet was a gem, as was the L&NWR splitting lamp, a most unusual survivor. The one shining star amongst the Locomotive Fittings etc. was the L&NWR nameplate appendage engraved "F W Webb's System", fitted to Webb's compound locomotives and removed when the locomotives were rebuilt as simples. Happily, this is to be reunited to the nameplate "Alfred the Great". Of Nameplates, neither of the two "Halls", nor the LNER "B-17" managed to creep into five figures, nice plates that they are. The star of this section was the L&NWR "Queen Empress", though how strangely fickle is a market that will command two, three or more times the selling price of this for those horrible nameplates from "Pacifics" of the LNER and LMS! (Waits with bated breath for the response!)

Highlights in Office Equipment etc. which caught my eye were the NSR Roll of Honour (though I do question the morals of such items changing hands for "pieces of silver"), the small wooden sign, ex-Horwich, threatening purgatory to anyone filling the fire buckets with drinking water, the GWR white china water pot and the Rhymney hand saw. The GW&GC "ticket stamper" was surely a seal embosser. There were some nice Posters, although nothing too outstanding. Shep's LNER "West Riding Limited", despite a small amount of damage was the best seller at £750. Lot 359, the BR Enamel "To Kodak Limited" with arrow, ex Hemel Hempstead was a most extraordinary discovery. BR doorplates still maintain their huge popularity, I suppose because they are small, colourful and they come in an infinite variety. Other Enamel yielded some unusual material in the form of the GWR brown/red/yellow poster head, the M&GN "Ladies Waiting Room" and one of very few Rother Valley trespass notices. (Happily the latter two are now at Winchcombe!) It is most unusual to see a Shedplate reach a four-figure sum, but I guess that this will become less common before we get much older. In fact several of the shedplates caused some very spirited bidding. Signalling Equipment included some interesting block instruments from SE&CR, L&NWR, Caledonian and a rather nice SR example plated "Okehampton". The GWR/Westinghouse "clown's hat" signal finial is seldom seen on the market. BR enamel Boxboards from Wyre Dock Station, Prestwich and Fairfield Junction (all LMR) and a green one from Glastonbury all did remarkably well. The GWR "Rhigos" was most unusual in bearing no other wording at all. BR enamel Station Signs which give station names - or directions to stations - in the regional colours, are certainly popular at present. The "lamp-post" mounted sign for Guiseley station (NE Reg.) and the similar LMR one for Nuneaton Abbey Street, together with the larger Crewkerne and the Thorney & Kingsbury Halt from the Southern are good cases in point. There were three LNER cast iron seat backs - "Charing Cross", "Largo" and "East Fortune" - all did tolerably well. The one-off GWR wooden "To Porthcawl Trains" was particularly attractive. We saw a good array of SR Targets, mostly below the four-figure point, but "Andover Town" and, predictably, "Shanklin" breached that figure. An amazing 44 Totems were sold, representing all but the North Eastern Region. Prices are now well established in four-figures for these items, a whole host of reasons drive different collectors to acquire totems according to their fancy. Top seller was "Ingatestone" (M) at £3,200. The second Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway Uniform button was sold within the month, this one at £360 against the Sheffield one at £440. An amazing "LY&LNW Station Master" cap badge sold for £300 and an "Underground Railway" service badge for £170. Neither is by any means common. The only Wagon Plate worth special mention was a perfectly ordinary GWR "D" plate, but it was blessed with the number "100001", which happy accident saw it bring in £500 for its astonished vendor. It is interesting to observe that Worksplates from diesels and electrics are catching up fast with those from steam locomotives. Best selling worksplate was a Hawthorn Leslie of 1920 at £2,000, second best was Gorton 1022 1951 from a Class 76 not far behind at £1,700.

The whole affair was conducted with the usual good humour, except when the Auctioneer blankly refused to announce the station name whilst auctioning the totem from Troedyrhiw. He claimed that the letters must have been put in the wrong order, as "nowhere could be called that". Perhaps some of the regulars to the KRA sales could club together to send Mike for a holiday to Ystradgynlais to help him overcome his phobia.