The famed works at Crewe will be a dominating force in Great Northern’s sale at Poynton on April 7, when nameplates from three locomotives built there will be jostling for collectors’ attention. They are Duchess of Kent and Leinster (LMS Nos. 46212 and 45741), and William Wordsworth from Britannia No. 70030.
The Princess Royal was built in October 1935 and withdrawn from Crewe North (5A) in October 1961, the year six of the class were taken out of service. The plate in the auction was carried by the Stanier-designed Pacific from new until it was stolen from the loco in about 1953 and found some years later when the Regent’s Canal near Camden shed was dredged, after which it was put on display in offices at Crewe works.
No. 45741 was the penultimate Jubilee built, in December 1936, and ended its career at Carlisle Kingmoor (12A) in February 1964, while No. 70030 was of rather more modern design, emerging to traffic in November 1952 and being retired from another Carlisle shed, Upperby (12B), in the summer of 1966.
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Other contenders in the nameplate stakes are Loch Lomond (LNER K2 class 2-6-0 No. 61790, built by Kitson & Co in August 1921 and withdrawn from the Aberdeen shed of Kittybrewster 61A in November 1959), and Ellen Douglas, a flamecut from D11 4-4-0 No. 62688, an Armstrong Whitworth product of November 1924 that was pensioned off in July 1961 when based at Eastfield, Glasgow (65A).
Among the smokebox numberplates are two from locomotives of contrasting function and age – 58084 from a Class 1P 0-4-4T built by Dubs & Co for the Midland Railway in April 1900 and withdrawn by BR in February 1955, and 92200 from a 9F 2-10-0 built at Swindon in November 1958 and taken out of service just seven years later, in October 1965. An auction debutante is a GWR cabside numberplate from 6877 Llanfair Grange.
Another named locomotive to feature is LNER D49 class 4-4-0 No. 62723 Nottinghamshire, whose Darlington 1928 works numberplate will be going under the hammer. The auction, at Poynton Leisure Centre, starts at 10.30am.
Read more News and Features in Issue 239 of HR – on sale now!
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