African nameplates and Longmoor worksplates added to GWRA line-up
NAMEPLATES from east and west Africa, Longmoor Military Railway steam locomotive worksplates, and a GWR Castle class smokebox numberplate are among the late arrivals at GW Railwayana’s auction on July 9. As reported in last month’s column, the live online sale will feature 13 Big Four and BR nameplates, and these have now been joined by Mount Eburu and River Mungo from a pair of UK-built engines.
The former, which will be sold with its numberplate and tender brass lettering, is from East African Railways’ 59 class 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt No. 5924, built by Beyer Peacock of Manchester in 1955, and the latter is from Nigerian Railways’ River class No. 129, a 2-8-2 that was outshopped by North British of Glasgow in 1949. The Longmoor worksplates are 1945 Vulcan Foundry works No. 5193 from WD 2-8-0 No. 401 Major General McMullen, one of whose nameplates was sold by GWRA in March, and 1944 American Locomotive Co works No. 71512 from USATC S160 class 2-8-0 No. 700 Maj-Gen Carl R Gray Jr, while the GWR smokebox numberplate comes from No. 4090 Dorchester Castle.
In addition to the Longmoor worksplates, there are heritage modern traction and Class 50 duo D415/50015 and D421/50021 , the first built at Derby in 1959 and the Class 50s by English Electric in 1967.
