The auction takes place from 11.00 on Saturday 5^th June as part of the railway's huge nine-day celebration of the 175^th Anniversary of the Great Western Railway, between 29^th May and 6^th June.

Over 350 items have entered into the Auction, and auctioneer Neil Booth, of Gloucestershire-based Railwayana Auctions, says there are some very rare items going under the hammer. What's more, there will be no buyer's premium on any of these lots. 

"Lots include some rare station totems such as Brighton and Birmingham Snow Hill, which are expected to fetch four-figure sums. We also have some remarkable locomotive name plates such as GWR Star class Prince John, and SR Lord Nelson class Sir Walter Raleigh.  Great Western cabside plates include 5031, off Totnes Castle and no. 2289, a Collet 0-6-0 which used to be based at Lydney. Bidding for these can be very brisk," he says.

"This is going to be a very exciting event and it's the first of its kind to be held at the railway."

Charity auction

The proceedings will stop at 2.00pm for a number of exceptional items that have been donated for the charity auction. The organisations to benefit are the official GWR175 charity, Railway Children which helps homeless children all over the world. It's so named because desperate youngsters often gather at railway stations for warmth and food.

Locally, benefiting charities are the County Air Ambulance  in Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire SANDS  - the charity that helps research into still-birth and infant death and supports parents who have suffered loss.

Some of the charity items up for grabs include:

• A ride on a main-line steam locomotive during a railtour, travelling at speeds up to 75mph, courtesy West Coast Trains
• A main-line ride in the cab of class 86 electric locomotive, courtesy of entertainer Les Ross
• Ride in the cab of an HST train from Paddington to Bristol at speeds up to 125mph, kindly arranged by First Great Western
• Limited-edition 00-gauge model of City of Truro (courtesy of The Railway Museum) and a Gauge 1 model of an LMS 'Black 5' locomotive (worth over £1,500 and donated by model maker Bachmann)
• Day out for two on the 'Shakespeare Express' steam-hauled train between Birmingham and Stratford (donated by Vintage Trains)
• Day-long footplate experience course on 'City of Truro' donated by the locomotive department of the Honeybourne Line
• Day-long Diesel Driver Experience course on the Honeybourne Line, donated by the Diesel Department
• Signed model railway books by railway enthusiast and pop impresario Pete Waterman
• Luxury weekend for two at a local hotel including Sunday Lunch on Elegant Excursions dining train on the Honeybourne Line, taxi transfer to and from the railway, donated by Elegant Excursions
• Framed limited-edition montage watercolour prints by Frederick Lea GRA, marking the 175^th Anniversary of the Great Western Railway (print 100 of 175) and the 100^th Anniversary of the Honeybourne Line (no. 75 of 100)
• Your very own painting commission by Frederick Lea GRA - a watercolour original of your choice of subject!
• The cast aluminium headboard 'Great Western 175' which will be carried on locomotives during the GWR175 celebrations
• An exclusive day out for up to 25 people in a luxury Inspection Saloon exclusively hauled by 'City of Truro' including buffet lunch and refreshments through the day
• Five year subscription to The Railway Magazine, the railway's media partner
• Station totem 'Gotherington' donated by Bryan Nicholls, owner of Gotherington station building

Other items may be added.  So don't miss this fantastic opportunity to may be, pick up a bargain and help some really worth while charities too.

The main Railwayna auction catalogue is now live online at the Railwayana website