FROM STEAM RAILWAY NEWS

ISSUE No. 51 - JANUARY 1979

Over a century of railway history went under the auctioneer's hammer on Wednesday 4th October 1978, when under the instructions of the liquidator of the Isle of Man Railway Company, Messrs. Chrystal Bros., Stott & Kerruish, the well-known estate agents, valuers and auctioneers of Douglas, Ramsey and Port Erin held a public auction at the Railway Company's offices.

Items included a mahogany wheelbarrow with a brass wheel and shovel, reputedly used to dig the first sod of earth in 1871 at the start of construction of the railway, diaries dating back to the turn of the century, solid brass engine nameplates, silver pocket watches, engine staffs, tickets, books, stamps and office furniture and equipment.

One of the special lots included the desk used by the "father of the Railway Company" George Henry Wood, and which has been used to the present time by all Railway Company managers. G.H. Wood's original diaries have been preserved and handed to the Manx Museum, but copied extracts from his diaries were available for sale.

A large number of potential buyers were present in the Railway Company offices when the auction began at 2.15pm conducted by Major Keefe representing the auctioneering frim.  The original nameplate Derby was sold for £500.00 while the replica nameplates of Derby and Tynwald were sold for prices between £60/£90.  The engine staffs St. John's to Peel sold for £50.00 whilst the staff for St. John's to Foxdale fetched £45.00.  The complete staff box and staff for the section Douglas to Union Mills sold for £60.00.  The mahogany wheelbarrow and shovel eventually sold at £200.00.

A large number of railway tickets were also available, in lots of 18, and were sold to one private individual, for the total sum of £970.00.  Lots 97-110 included centenary flags, ticket clippers, railway measuring chains and notice boards whilst lots 117-132 mainly included documents.  Once very interesting item was lot 115 whcih was a bundle of naughty postcards and they sold at £7.00!

A number of philatelists were present at the auction to bid for lots 136-146 which included a quantity of envelopes circa 1920-19937 all Douglas I.o.M. postmarks as well as a number of envelopes with U.K. postmarks circa 1883-1931.  Lot 146 was four complete sheets of 50 mint I.M.R. centenary stamps, 2.5p, 3p, 7.5p, and 9p which as expected reached prices between £78/£120 per sheet.  One of the final lots included a lavatory chain from Ramsey Station which fetch £11.00!

Following the auction, the majority of items were removed by their purchasers with the larger items such as the safes, the following day or so.  It was then simply a job of tidying-up before moving the office of the company to the liquidators address at Hill Street, Douglas.  Mr A.H. Stewart left the Station Offices for the last time during the middle of the next week.  In a statement by Mr. John Garside, the liquidator of the Railway Company to all shareholders dated 27th December 1978, it was revealed that the auction sale of office furniture and memorabilia realised £7,049.00.