LNER will auction off historic nameplates for charity

Nameplates from seven of LNER's HST trains will be auctioned to benefit CALM - the Campaign Against Living Miserably.

Enthusiasts and collectors are being offered the chance to own a piece of London North Eastern Railway (LNER) history as the train operator auctions off nameplates in aid of charity partner, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

The nameplates are from the iconic Intercity 125 High Speed Trains that were retired from the East Coast route last year. The onesup for auction are:

43308 Highland Chieftain
43300 Craigentinny and one Crest
43238 National Railway Museum
43208 Lincolnshire Echo
43257 Bounds Green
43274 Spirit of Sunderland
43290 MTU Fascination of Power.

Theses sought-after collectors’ items will be auctioned on 14 November 2020, with the nameplates being previewed on the GW Railwayana Auctions website from 26 July 2020.

LNER managing director David Horne said: “LNER has a proud history and has had some truly famous trains serve our customers over the years. Names such as the Highland Chieftain and Spirit of Sunderland are synonymous with the railway and have helped celebrate the regions along the East Coast route.

“The auction provides people with a chance to own a piece of railway history while supporting an important cause.”

Money raised from the auction will go towards funds LNER has raised to support CALM, already totalling more than £200,000. The charity works to prevent suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK and the cause of 18 deaths a day.

Funds raised to date have come from LNER employees taking part in fundraising activities, as well as customers donating their ‘Delay Repay’ claims.

CALM chief executive officer Simon Gunning said: “We’re incredibly grateful for LNER’s continued amazing support, and for auctioning these iconic pieces of train history.

“Since lockdown, we’ve experienced record levels of demand for our helpline services, and thanks to LNER’s generosity we’ll continue to save lives and be there for those who need us.”

CALM was first launched as a pilot by the Dept of Health in Manchester on 15 December 1997, and rolled out to Merseyside and Cumbria in 2000, and later Luton and Bedfordshire. It launched as a national charity in March 2006.