Totem Question

[Mickey]

Currently on ebay a KINGS CROSS blue enamel totem sign is going for £245.00p. Maybe it was the sign I had at one time??.

Definitely not, Mickey, because it was me you sold it to along with some other stuff you wanted to clear from your shed (if I remember rightly) many years ago. It is safe and not going anywhere.

Ha ha ha... evening John yes I remember you buying it off me along with a M.R. 'pegging' block instrument and a block bell but I didn't want to openly name drop you without obtaining your permission first. From memory that was around 1989 or 1990 I believe?. Well John I am very glad you still have that B.R. enamel totem name of KINGS CROSS and as I previously posted on this thread the person who gave it to me a railwayman at the time back in the very early 1970s told me that it had come from the 'hotel curve' platform no.16 and I can't recall if I mentioned that to you when I gave it to you?. Anyway John as I said I am glad it's still around and you have it in your possession.

[PinzaC55]

The Kings Cross totem on Ebay for £245 will be a repro. Much of the stuff listed there is overpriced tat so they will have a BR distant arm listed for £150 or similar. You might find a bargain but it's unlikely. I had a friend nearly 30 years ago who went to Skegness and got to rooting around in the old excursion platforms and pulled out a Skegness totem.

[Mickey]

Funny I did use to have a upper quadrant distant signal arm at one stage back around 1969-71 but items like that are actually quite big to store away and I forget now how I came about acquiring it but I believe I eventually dumped it somewhere just to get rid of it?.

As previously mentioned a few years ago on here a few of the old cast iron LNER trespass notice boards were still knocking around in the late 1960s which I presume are collectors items these days?.

[PinzaC55]

Funny I did use to have a upper quadrant distant signal arm at one stage back around 1969-71 but items like that are actually quite big to store away and I forget now how I came about acquiring it but I believe I eventually dumped it somewhere just to get rid of it?.

As previously mentioned a few years ago on here a few of the old cast iron LNER trespass notice boards were still knocking around in the late 1960s which I presume are collectors items these days?.

NER and LNER trespass signs are very common except for a few variants like the NER Wedgwood trespass sign (he was only secretary for a year or two).
The rarest LNER cast iron signs are ones like the Warehouse and the LNER Electrified Lines notice, the latter extremely rare. I used to own the NER Electrified Lines notice which was only used on the Shildon - Newport line till 1935. I think I bought it for £800 and sold it for £400 profit.
A renowned collector many years ago went to the Newark antique fair and saw a wooden sign "Silver Jubilee No Unreserved Third Class Seats" which other railwayana collectors had ignored. He bought it for £50 and sold it in auction for £2000.

[strang steel]

Funny I did use to have a upper quadrant distant signal arm at one stage back around 1969-71 but items like that are actually quite big to store away and I forget now how I came about acquiring it but I believe I eventually dumped it somewhere just to get rid of it?.

As previously mentioned a few years ago on here a few of the old cast iron LNER trespass notice boards were still knocking around in the late 1960s which I presume are collectors items these days?.

I have an upper quadrant distant arm in my utility room. It is stored behind a freezer, and so does not worry the wife. I also have a cast iron trespass notice back there, but both of mine came from my great uncle who in the late 1960s bought the trackbed of the old M&GN where it crossed his farm after the line closed completely.

He knew I was a railway enthusiast and kindly allowed me to take away any bits and pieces, but there was not much after the track removal train had been by; and anything removable had to be small enough to get into my Dad's Morris 1100.

[PinzaC55]

About 18 years ago I went to the Swinderby Antiques Fair. I had to get a taxi from Newark station and on the way there, the driver and I got to chatting about railwayana. He said "I've got a steam engine nameplate in the garage. It used to shunt coal trains near where I lived and for my 15th birthday my dad went down there and took the nameplate". "What was the name of the engine ?" I replied, and was stunned when he replied "PRETTY POLLY". "was.....was it a little shunting engine ?" I said "No . it was a big express loco like the Flying Scotsman" he said. "Did you put it over the fireplace ? I asked and he replied that it was too big and heavy so it was still in the potato sack his dad brought it home in ! I gave him my phone number and said I would buy it if he wanted to sell but I never heard from him.
The upshot was that I made enquiries among nameplate experts and it turned out that only one nameplate from Pretty Polly was known to exist, the other one was missing.

[Mickey]

A slight deviation from the station totem signs is that I acquired four out of six BRITISH RAILWAYS drivers & firemen regional enamel cap badges for grease top hats.

Already own-
1.London Midland region
2.Southern region
3.Western region
4.Scottish region

Waiting to acquire-
5.Eastern region
6.North Eastern region

[PinzaC55]

A slight deviation from the station totem signs is that I acquired four out of six BRITISH RAILWAYS drivers & firemen regional enamel cap badges for grease top hats.

Already own-
1.London Midland region
2.Southern region
3.Western region
4.Scottish region

Waiting to acquire-
5.Eastern region
6.North Eastern region

The last two wouldn't be hard to pick up at an auction or the Quorn swapmeet if it is still on. I used to have a set of 6 North Eastern Region cap badges including Ticket Collector which is incredibly rare, probably worth £500 now at a guess.

[Mickey]

Yeah no doubt Pinza genuine B.R. drivers enamel cap badges are worth a few quid these days but I acquired mine through the Ian Allen shop at Waterloo in London and are reproduction badges BUT they are identical to the original B.R. badges and I must admit I like looking at them although I just need to acquire a B.R. grease top drivers hat to go with them.

Many years ago about 50 to be precise they were selling cardboard boxes full of old but unissued drivers & firemen's grease top hats for a few old shillings at Collectors Corner opposite Euston station I remember it well and wish I had bought a few back then.

The Eastern region dark blue is nice and also the North Eastern tangerine orange is a nice colour as well.

[speach]

There's a book on Totems by Dave Brennand which is the bible if you are looking for information. For some reason it is priced at a staggering 90 quid so I suggest looking for it in a library or the NRM Search Engine if possible.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-British-R ... oks&sr=1-2

That's Amazon for you,just looked for a book about derby GNR amazon wanted $560 !!!!!

[richard]

Silly prices (100s of dollars/pounds for a $5 book) on Amazon are usually due to third party robots. It is valid pricing strategy, but it doesn't mean we're going to buy it!

Although Amazon does work as a third party clearing house, I find it tends not to work very well for specialist books. There are other places online that work better. And when it comes to specialist books, that shop with the book you want at a reasonable price will usually be a small bookshop...

[STAFFORDA4]

I'm afraid this Totem book does indeed sell for MORE than £90 "in the flesh" and is frequently sought after, so much so, that it appears regularly in railwayana auctions.
£90 isn't that bad considering this
Market forces .. Supply and Demand etc...