When still a schoolboy, I purchased a Great Western cabside plate from British Rail for the princely sum of £12-10s-0d. I tried to persuade my Dad to buy some nameplates, which were £25 each, but he said that it would be a waste of money. Thanks Dad! The plate arrived at Maidenhead station, wrapped in a piece of sacking. I carried it home, which was a struggle for a kid. The cabside I was allocated was from Castle Class number 4085, Berkeley Castle. I later found out that this was the locomotive which killed arguably the greatest ever railway chief engineer - George Jackson Churchward. Three years ago I decided that the genuine cabside would display better with a replica nameplate, and that I would make one. There is a market for replica plates. There must be thousands of committed GWR enthusiasts who simply cannot justify the expense of a genuine plate. And heritage railways and loco-owning groups often produce replica plates to allow their engines to masquerade as a different member of their class, giving anoraks like me the thrill of the unexpected. A replica plate will typically make between £500 and £750 at auction.
展开▼
