RAILWAY memorabilia estimated to be worth almost £20,000 is being auctioned off by the family of an enthusiast who bought a steam train "instead of a sports car".
Richard Shaw, of Ashbourne, died in April this year, aged 60, but was well known for restoring a locomotive steam engine after buying it in 1976.
Born and bred in Derby, Mr Shaw was fascinated by the magnificent steam locomotives he saw working every day as a small boy and he grew up with a particular interest in the history and workings of the Midland Railway.
By the 1970s and 1980s, his interests had widened to include railway literature from the days of the Stockton and Darlington Railway up to the early 20th century and he acquired books and memorabilia from leading antiquarian book dealers and specialist auction houses, including Sotheby's.
His vast collection of memorabilia will go under the hammer at Mellors and Kirk, Auction House, in Gregory Street, Nottingham, next Thursday at 10am and his family hope the items will be bought by a fellow enthusiast.
His wife, June, said: "We very much hope others will be able to derive as much pleasure from Richard's collection as he did.
"He had friends all over the country with a shared interest in steam engines and mechanics and we hope that some of these people will bid for items that bring back happy memories of time spent with Richard.
"Not all the pieces are expensive but they all represent a little bit of Richard."
The collection includes some of the best railway books of the 19th century, including Bourne's Great Western Railway of 1846, which is described by auctioneer Nigel Kirk as "the 'holy grail' for collectors".
It is beautifully illustrated with lithograph plates and is expected to sell for about £2,000.
Other items include a Great Eastern Railway platform bench from 1900, expected to sell for about £250, and a London and North Western Railway station wall clock which could sell for £350.
The highlight of Mr Shaw's collection was his purchase of the SR 4-6-2 West Country Class locomotive 'Hartland', which is now being overhauled on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
