Cast Iron

Cast Iron - Lineside signs

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Cast iron was a favourite material of the railway companies, being relatively cheap, corrosion resistant, and easy to cast. It is a low performance material but its mass is often an advantage and light weight was generally not an advantage on the railways.

Apart from lineside signs, collectible cast iron includes axlebox covers, coach and wagon plates (locoplates are generally dealt with separately), doorplates, seatback names, bridge numbers, tunnel names, to name but a few.

Lineside Signs

Cast iron signs offer a number of advantages to the collector. They are relatively cheap, they are great fun to restore and they have some appeal to non-enthusiasts, as it is generally obvious what they are - compare say with a loco name or numberplate which would be meaningless to many people. Many collectors concentrate on particular lines. I just go for signs that look nice, at least in my eyes. Prices range from around £50-£2,000, generally depending on rarity.

Being cast iron, they break very easily, so handle with care.

Obviously, a number of themes are common e.g. "Beware of the Trains", "Trespassers will be prosecuted" etc. Other things being equal, collectors prefer the sign to have the railway's title spelled out.

	Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway ("L&Y") untitled BoT sign. Some railways abbreviated this to "Beware of Trains".
	Although it was the largest railway company, the LMS cast iron signage was rather disappointing in variety and design.
	The L&Y had third rail electrification.
	The Cambrian was a Welsh railway company. This is the simple and pleasing trespass sign. The example I have is in very good condition, so much so that I thought it might be a fake. However, I have been assured by those who know such things that this is their normal condition.
	Those railway companies which operated in Wales had English and Welsh versions of their signs or, in some cases, bilingual signs. This was not so much political correctness as a necessity in the era when they were erected. This is an LNWR sign.
	Midland Railway trespass sign.

Mileposts

Caledonian Railway milepost.

Boundary posts

A forest of boundary posts.

Restoration

Although the usual rule of don't applies, it is difficult to resist turning a rusty specimen into something more presentable and, unlike loco plates, there are likely to be numerous examples. Evidence of pitting on the rear, where the sign was attached to a post is desirable although one would normally want to at least prime the back to make it cleaner to handle.

LNWR Beware of the Trains before, during and after restoration. This is a relatively common sign but, to my mind, one of the most attractive.