A Pictorial Guide to some of our Railwayana

Here we present the "hard" physical items which were once part of our great railway infrastructure. For paper-based railwayana, please click this link:

Printed matter

Signage

The classic enamelled railway sign, often in distinctive regional colours, would be what most people associate with railwayana collecting.

Signs from the front of stations, signal boxes,platforms, the doors and the rolling stock themselves are all collectable today.

London Bridge and Axminster were one of several satations that had wooden totems, others included Appledore, which was also one of only a few to be unlined.

This shows the patio wall, resplendent with the Sutton Common RIB that started it all and a large Weymouth RIB at the bottom. Our first green metal Toten is West Grinstead, this has now been joined by Byfleet & New Haw, from the LSWR mainline (right).

London Bridge and Axminster were one of several satations that had wooden totems.

A lovely sign from the Isle of Wight indicating the nearest station.

Cast iron SR tresspass notice, once very common at the lineside.

Below is a Stop Look Listen sign which is also from the Southern Railway and used to guard a pedestrian crossing.

The Southern sign is a repro from Okehampton Station. It was made for the restoration project there but found to be surplus. The Conductor Rails sign exists in BTC and BR versions as well as Southern.

Another refugee from Okehampton was the long timetable header; seen here fixed to a bench of the same pattern as those used by the LSWR.

This Adlake lamp once adorned an SR Level Crossing gate, whilst the disc signal behind it is of typical BR design and locally controlled a set of points..

Exton is screen printed, Berkeswell and Canley Halt are enamel and date from the 1965 WCML Electrification Programme. The Putney target is a rare one dating from the war and has a white ring around it to aid in the blackout. The white tailamp is of BR pattern. We also have a black one from a Guards Van.

Various odd bits of signalling are on site, including a Distant lever from Ely North Jnc signalbox. Most of this will be going to the S&D Trust at Midsomer Norton.

Fresh water was at a premium on steam locomotives as that carried in the tender had been chemically treated to soften it. The SR provide galvanised water carriers such as this for it's crews.

A rather nice SR doorplate which would have been fitted to an office door in a public area. These can be found with all sorts of interesting titles, such as Asst. Area Manager, Station Master etc..

A pre-nationalisation Timetable Board header. This is for a small timetable, double royal size. Quad royal headers were much bigger.

An early eighties sign using viny lettering, withdrawn as part of a rebranding exercise.

Something a little different - this British Railways timetable header is in the pale blue enamel favoured by Scottish Region.

Pic to follow

Harwich Parkeston Quay is vinyl labelling on plastic and was removed in the late 1990s during a corporate image makeover. It is rather large at 10 foot long!

A real telegraph head fitted with four insulators - one each of SR, LMS, LNER, GWR. Below it is a replica LYR Do Not Throw stomes plate from Procast. Below that is a genuine cast iron MR Beware of Trains sign. In the background is a newly arrived 15" diameter pole.