RAILWAYANA
SR and GWR set to pursue LNER in battle of the giants
ALTHOUGH nameplate Kingfisher from LNER A4 No. 60024 will fancy its chances of being top dog at GW Railwayana’s July 13 auction (Heritage Railway issue 253), it might not have everything its own way due to the Southern Railway and GWR hovering in the wings.
The former will provide strong opposition with Lamport & Holt Line and Lord Collingwood, and the latter with Stokesay Castle, whose cabside and smokebox numberplates will also be going as separate lots under Simon Turner’s hammer.
The first of these three is from Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35026, built by BR at Eastleigh in December 1948 and withdrawn in March 1967. The second is from No. 30862, a member of the Lord Nelson class built at Eastleigh in October 1929 and withdrawn in October 1962 – its 33 years of service contrasting with the 18 years and a few months of No. 35026.
The Castle, No. 5040, was outshopped by Swindon in June 1935 and pensioned off from Bristol St Philip’s Marsh (82B) in October 1963. It will be supported by three other GWR contenders – (No. 5952, built December 1935 and withdrawn from Cardiff (No. 5985, built October 1938 and withdrawn from Oxford (81F) in September 1963) and , from No. 6840, built in September 1937 and taken out of service in February 1965 when a Llanelli (87F) resident.
