London and Dover railway clock

Really?

http://www.donedeal.ie/antiques-for-sale/clock-sold/9567377?offset=21

 

That has got to be rare. Must br the only thing that ever existed on the London & Dover Railway.

 

Waterloo to Dover would be an unusual route ...

 

Some while ago I investigated buying a railway clock with the idea of a present for the house.

From which I learnt:

- Genuine pre-grouping clocks still labelled as such are very rare (the later companies quite often gave new dials to original clocks). Pre-grouping clocks from non-existent companies must be even rarer!
- Faking the identity is rife, particularly with pre-grouping clocks from popular companies. Turning an ordinary clock to a "railway" clock increases the value - if you get away with it.
- The Indian Railway system had thousands of British-made clocks, many of which are now being re-imported cheaply and rebranded as supposedly coming from British companies.

From which I concluded - caveat emptor!

By the way, the house still doesn't have a hall clock...

Tom

 

€50 was the give away I guess

 

Yes, I think a couple of extra zeroes would be nearer the mark!

Tom

 

Very good advice, Tom!

Apart from the Indian fakes which currently infest Ebay, there are plenty of the home-grown variety around to catch the unwary. The railways used the same clocks as were available commercially for use in offices, schools, etc. It only takes someone skilled with a paint-brush and with some knowledge of railway history, to treble or quadruple the value of a nondescript office clock. Watch out also for "constructive restoration". By the time most "traditional" railway clocks were withdrawn from service in the 198os and 90s, the dials were marked BR, usually with the regional suffix. The clocks themselves probably originated with pre-nationalisation or pre-grouping companies, so a good many were expertly restored back to their previous identities. Even clocks bought from Collectors Corner, marked "LNER", "LMS", etc, were often found to have the "ghosted" letters BR(E) or BR(M) on the dial! As well as the obvious amateurish repaints, avoid those with apparently pre-nationalisation or, particularly, pre-grouping lettering, which appears too pristine. All genuine British railway clocks carry a serial number, either on the dial, on an ivorine plate on the case, stamped on the movement, or sometimes, all three.
Be suspicious of clocks marked with the name of a station or other railway location. Genuine examples of these exist, but are very rare indeed.

The best place to look for a railway clock is at one of the railwayana auctions. Although prices at the top-end of the market, for long-case or the even rarer "regulator" clocks, can be in the £- several thousands, and a decent English-made fusee from any of a variety of companies will set you back around £1-2k, at the other end of the scale an ex-GER 8" dial spring-drive signal-box clock, probably with an American "Seth Thomas" or Smith's Empire movement can be bought for £500 or less. Not, perhaps, the most exciting clock, but at least the case will be branded GER.

 

Just come across this rather elderly thread. There is an interesting website of a professional clock repairer/dealer on www.railwayclocks.net which gives guidance on identifying fakes.
PH

 

That is Simon Turner who is 100% expert and honest.