THE nameplate of Holyrood – the last A1 Pacific locomotive to be built in Darlington before the Tornado – will be auctioned next month.

The nameplate is one of more than 500 lots of railway memorabilia and enamel advertising signs to be sold by GW Railwayana Auctions in Pershore, Worcestershire, on Saturday, May 16.

GW Railwayana director Simon Turner said the cast brass nameplate measuring 50in by 7¾in could fetch about £10,000.

The locomotive number 60152 – under works number 2071 – was built in July 1949 and named in June 1951 and at the same time getting the British Rail (BR) blue livery.

Repainted to BR green livery in November 1952, it was allocated to Edinburgh Haymarket until 1963, but moved to Glasgow Polmadie periodically between 1951-53 to work the West Coast Main Line to Carlisle and even Crewe.

The locomotive moved to York in 1964 and in November 1965, it was towed to Cashmores, Great Bridge for cutting up.

Also for sale is the locomotive’s workplate – an engraved oval brass measuring 12in x 6in.

The modern Tornado was built at a cost of £3m by a team of volunteers based in Darlington and embarked on its first commercial main line trip in February.

Another lot with a North-East connection being sold at auction is the nameplate of the “University of Durham”, with an integral badge.

The High Speed Train (HST) Class 43 number 43153 built by British Rail Engineering Limited was named at Durham station on July 2 1983 by Dame Margot Fonteyn, then Chancellor of the University.

This cast Newton plate – removed in June 1991 and replaced with a reflective style plate – is expected to fetch up to £3,000. A small photograph of Dame Margot unveiling the plate accompanies the lot.

Mr Turner said a “stunning and rare survivor” of the bygone era was a North Eastern Railway early enamel sign “Book here for Morpeth Alnwick and the North”, which would start at £300.

For further details, contact 01684- 773487 or visit gwra.co.uk