In early February, Gildings Auctioneers is hosting a memorable auction themed around European and Japanese model trains. The impressive sale totals over 1,000 lots and will be sold over two days from 1-2 February.
The very large, single-owner collection was amassed by a former train designer for the London Underground. As a true train fanatic, he travelled all over Europe and Japan for his work. This travel encouraged his hobby and allowed him to build a remarkable collection of high quality, impressively detailed scale model trains. The enormous collection contains mostly HO gauge and N gauge trains, nearly all of which are unused and in mint condition. Most are still the original boxing dating from the 1970s to late 2010s.
Alongside the scale model railway items are an impressive number of Continental enamel railway signs and signage. Day One of the auction will focus on Continental Railway items while Day Two will focus on the Japanese Railways. Read on to explore some of the extraordinary highlights from this sale.
Day 1 will see this wonderful Roco set available for bidding. Roco has been producing quality European model trains since the early 1960s and this particular Roco set, still in its original packaging, features five train carriages. It even includes the train restaurant.
Another highlight from Day 1 is this scale model featuring a red and white design and black windows. The Electrotren company specialises in HO models of mostly Spanish and French origin. This particular train was especially used on the commuter railway networks in Spain. It is highly detailed and made in exactly 1:87 scale.
Day 2 of the sale focuses on the Japanese Railways. One of the highlights is the Tomix model of the Komachi commuter train. Tomix is one of the largest and most well-established producers of Japanese model trains. This lot is an N-gauge train, referring to the nine (N) millimeters between the two tops of the rails. It models a train servicing the Akita Shinkansen high speed railway, a route linking Tokyo and Akika. The Komachi Train has been operating on the line since 1997.
Another lot available on Day 2 is the Japanese J.R. Commuter Train on the Yamanote Line. Train enthusiasts might recognise the Yamanote Line as the famous loop service in Tokyo. This Tomix model has been preserved in its original box and is sure to be a firm favourite in the sale.
Kato is a Japanese company manufacturing railroad models in both the N and HO scales. The Tokyo-based firm produces models based on Japanese prototypes for the Japanese market, like this lot with the world-famous Shinkansen bullet train. The Shinkansen railway is one of the most trusted and respected lines in the world, carrying millions of passengers every year at incredibly high speeds. This J.R type model will surely be a top pick of the auction.