Model trains to fetch £150,000

Cover of The Antony Adler Model Train Collection auction brochure

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A COLLECTION of more than 4,000 model trains and carriages acquired by one Oldham collector is expected to raise around £150,000 for charity when the rare items are sold at auction next week.

Owned by the late Antony John Adler, a former Oldham solicitor and model train collector, the incredible collection features rare and varied items in mint condition with the majority never having being removed from their original packaging.

Bids from around the globe are expected when the auction, one of the UK's largest with over 1,350 different lots, is opened at Wright Marshall Fine Arts on January 11 and 12.

Wright Marshall's Specialist Toy Valuer Peter Ashburner said : "It's incredible to be able to work with such an astoundingly vast and varied collection of trains from around the world.

"It has been fascinating cataloguing the collection and learning about a number of makes that I have never come across before and has been extremely educational."

He added that many of the items contained in the collection are rarely seen on the market, including model trains from Italy, Austria, Japan and America.

Mr Ashburner added that it took three vans to deliver the collection to the saleroom ready for sorting and cataloguing.

"I have never seen a collection of this type and size before," he said

"I am expecting that some lots will receive bids from collectors around the world as well as those in the UK."

Particular trains of note include a Golden Age Model Ltd 00 gauge, a Fulgrex H0 gauge and Bassett Lowke 0 gauge

The collection has been valued between £150,000 and £200,000, with individual lots expected to reach bids of several hundred pounds, with all the proceeds from the collection going towards charity.

The auction, in conjunction with Ryder & Dutton, will be open to bids in person at the auction house Beeston Castle Salerooms, Tarporley, Cheshire, and over the phone as well as online during the two-day event.

Mr Adler, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 81, served as a councillor in Oldham during the 1960s and 1970s for the Liberal Party and was Oldham Council's first-ever chairman for community relations.

He was also Oldham's District Health Authority chairman for over six years, ending in March, 1986, and chairman of the Oldham Amateurs after being involved with the theatrical group for 28 years.

He was inspired to begin collecting model trains whilst sheltering from the rain near a model train store and thought the hobby may help relaxation.

His incredible collection took more than 35 years to accumulate and Wright Marshall are hoping that the auction of the trains will provide joy to other collectors.