A rare model locomotive of superb quality sold for £16,000 (plus buyer’s premium) in Tennants Auctioneers’ Toys, Models and Collectables Sale on 27th July. The O Gauge 2-6-2T Class 3MT locomotive was made by James Stanley Beeson (1906-1990) of Ringwood, Hampshire, a model train maker of exceptional talent. Models by Beeson are much admired and sought-after amongst collectors, and this price is close to the world auction record for his work. This particular example was finished as BR 82007 and was once illustrated in the October 1960 issue of Railway Modeller magazine.
A good Private Collection of Hornby and Bachmann DCC (Digital Command Control) models, which include sound effects, sold well too; with the 60 lots selling for a total hammer price of £7,600. Highlights of the collection included a lot comprising Bachmann OO Gauge Coaches that sold for £250. Live steam models attracted strong interest during the sale, too, and the section was led by a very attractive scratchbuilt live steam model of a boat named ‘Dirk’, which sold for £950, and a Maxwell Hemmens Live Steam Traction Engine, ‘Messenger’, which sold for £850.