London North Eastern Railway (LNER) nameplates from the retired InterCity 125 fleet have raised more than £12,000 for charity as enthusiasts bid for their own piece of East Coast history.
Three famous names from the iconic Intercity 125 High-Speed Train (HST) fleet, which was retired in 2019, went under the hammer, with proceeds from the sale going to LNER’s partner charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
The organisation works to prevent suicide, the single biggest killer in men under 45 in the UK. It says it has seen an unprecedented demand for its helpline services since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The nameplates raised £12,300 with 43274 Spirit of Sunderland proving most popular, fetching £4,600. 43208 Lincolnshire Echo sold for £4,000 and 43257 Bounds Green for £3,700.
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David Horne, LNER Managing Director, said: “We know these pieces of railway history are sought-after and we’re delighted that they have raised so much money at auction. CALM’s helpline services have seen unprecedented levels of demand over the past 16 months and we are aware of just how important their work is.
“Money raised from this auction means CALM will be able to offer support to even more people who need it.”
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The auction comes after seven HST nameplates and a crest celebrating the heritage of the East Coast route raised £41,000 for CALM in 2020. Auctioneers say record prices were reached for Class 43 HST nameplates last November, with 43308 Highland Chieftain proving most popular selling for £13,900.
The proceeds of the sale will be added to more than £300,000 LNER has already raised for CALM since the start of the pioneering partnership in October 2018.
Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said: “We’ve been bowled over by LNER’s generosity”