NEWBURY.- Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions announced The Transport Sale which will take place on Wednesday 27th April, 12 noon, at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire 
 RG14 2JE.

With over 150 lots on offer, The Transport Sale will present buyers with the opportunity to acquire attractively priced fine model engineering and transport related items, with estimates ranging from £5,000£40,000. The auction has attracted a wealth of fine model locomotives in various gauges as well as a large collection of scale working model stationary steam engines from various UK locations.

Leading the transport related items is the original Baglan Hall Great Western Railways nameplate which was removed from the engine when the train, like so many others, fell victim to the Beechings’ cuts inflicted on the British rail system in 1963. Rescued from R. Hayes scrapyard, Bridgend, the nameplate was gifted to Sir Godfrey Llewellyn, whose childhood home was Baglan Hall, it then passed to his son Sir Michael Llewellyn. The nameplate hung over the fireplace in Sir Michael’s home until recently and is now being offered for sale by order of the executors of the estate of the late Lady Janet Llewellyn, it is estimated at £3,000 – 5,000.

There are several star lots in the sale, notably amongst the larger locomotives. A highlight is the 7 ¼ inch gauge model of a 4-6-2 Britannia Class 7MT Pacific Steam Locomotive No 70045 “Lord Rowallan”, (lot 28) built by Mr Alan Priest of Wokingham. Having taken fourteen years to construct, this exceptional locomotive is regarded by many in the model engineering world as the finest fully running and working example of its kind and has been seen out on the 7 ¼ inch tracks all over Great Britain (est. £40,000 – 50,000).

In addition, the 5 inch gauge section of the auction has some superb models including a rare model of an LNWR No.3020 tender locomotive ‘Cornwall’ (lot 20, est. £5,000 – 7,000), a wonderful Hunslet narrow gauge locomotive ‘Isabelle’, (lot 23, est. £5,000 – 7,000) and other fine Great Western and LNR tender locomotives.

The star lot in the stationary section must be an exhibition quality model of a 19th century paddle steamer engine based on the original full size HMS Princess Alice built in 1843 and fitted with a ‘Maudsley Annular’ engine, (lot 66). This piece is estimated at £5,000-£6,000.

Also on offer is an award winning example of an Ephraim American ‘Shay’ locomotive built by Mr Ron Etter of South Africa, (lot 12). The locomotive has both a Gold Medal and The Crebbin Memorial Cup for the best locomotive of the 2007 Model Engineering Exhibition to its name. This impressive locomotive of a 5 inch gauge has been steamed on only ten occasions and is finished in polished stainless steel plate work (est. £20,000 - £25,000).

The forthcoming auction is one of Dreweatts & Bloomsbury’s best in this particular field and a must for collectors who covet love live steam or fine engineered items. In anticipation of the sale event, enquiries have come in from as far afield as Australia and North America. The auctioneers anticipate that the sale will raise in excess of £250,000.