If you have railway treasures from yesteryear in the loft, or tucked away under boxes in the garage, then an upcoming event will be a must visit.
You'll be able to head for Avon Valley Railway's headquarters in Bitton on Sunday 1 Sep 2013 and find out how much they're worth.
Previous years have unearthed a number of valuable artefacts including Edwardian signaling equipment which later sold at auction for £2,000.
Paul Baulch, AVR's Museum Curator, said, "It's wonderful when you find something like that, untouched by hand and no one's tried to clean it!"
Other finds have included carriage destination boards, hand lamps, and posters.
Visitors to the station from 10:00 and 16:00 can have a free valuation from Paul, who is looking forward to seeing new Railwayana treasures this weekend.
"In the past there have been some very interesting pieces brought along" said Paul, "including a number of hand lamps and several old carbide inspection lamps. There was a collection of old GWR and British Rail posters, some GWR sleeping car blankets, and of great local interest, one person had a Mangotsfield Station sign, whilst another had a collection of 100-year-old Midland Railway paperwork, also from Mangotsfield."
Paul caught the collecting bug more than 50 years ago and says, "Like so many young lads, I was an ardent trainspotter" he told us.
"Then I bought a railway lamp for seven shillings and sixpence (£37.5p in today's money), and the collecting bug bit.
"It's amazing what people still have tucked away, and it's rewarding to be able to give them an idea of the value, to save anyone being deceived by unscrupulous dealers although sometimes it can be disappointing for people when I have to tell them they have a replica. Luckily railway enthusiasts are natural hoarders and have kept lots which would have been thrown away normally."
Without the volunteers at Avon Valley Railway, the locomotives wouldn't operate or be restored, tickets wouldn't be sold, and the site wouldn't be maintained, but thanks to them and those that visit, the railway is being restored for the delight of current and future generations.
Author unknown.
