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Beeching cuts station sign collection goes for £93,000 | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A collection of memorabilia that included signs from "lost" railway stations that closed in the 1960s and 70s has fetched £93,000 at auction. | |
The collection, which was discovered in a rail enthusiast's garage in Wiltshire, beat the auctioneers' initial valuation of £60,000. | |
The "lost" stations included Chilvers Coton, Nuneaton, St Ann's Park, Bristol, and North Tawton, Devon. | |
Richard Edmonds, auctioneer, said the sale had "captured the imagination". | |
Mr Edmonds, owner of The Chippenham Auction Rooms, said many of the items came from stations that were closed during the so-called "Beeching cuts" of the 1960s. | |
"Because of that, the sale generated huge interest," he said. | |
What were the Beeching cuts? | What were the Beeching cuts? |
Also included in the lots were historical items from London Underground and London Transport. | |
Mr Edmonds said the late collector's wife had "no idea" her husband owned so many signs. | Mr Edmonds said the late collector's wife had "no idea" her husband owned so many signs. |
"They are hugely in demand," he said. "There is a lot of nostalgia about railway memorabilia and some people even have memories of these signs in place on railway stations." | "They are hugely in demand," he said. "There is a lot of nostalgia about railway memorabilia and some people even have memories of these signs in place on railway stations." |
Mr Edmonds added it would be almost impossible to put together a similar collection today. | Mr Edmonds added it would be almost impossible to put together a similar collection today. |
"We believe this collection was put together in the 1960s, as the signs were just being taken down," he said. | "We believe this collection was put together in the 1960s, as the signs were just being taken down," he said. |