Ian Wright: a founding father of the railwayana scene
IAN Wright, a founding father of the country’s successful railwayana movementandovermanyyearsone of its most influential members, has diedattheageof81.
As an auctioneer he will be long-remembered for his favourite catchphrases as he wielded the gavel from his dais, his schoolmasterly admonishments to the audience if someone interrupted his flow, and his astonishment if a piece of memorabilia that he considered ‘choice’ failed to attract the level of bids he believed it deserved.
He will also be remembered for his enthusiasm, and his knowledge of virtually any item of railwayana and his willingness to impart that wisdom to whoever asked him for advice. He didn’t suffer fools, gladly or otherwise, but he would be warm and supportive of anyone he thought warranted his attention.
Ian, a keen pool player, started his auctioneering career in the late 1980s when deputy head of Myers Grove School in his home town of Sheffield – the alma mater of Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester United goalkeeper Chris Turner – and after leaving the education sector founded Sheffield Railwayana Auctions in 1990, holding its sales at the school.
Beginnings
These auctions, and thus Ian’s influence, grew from these modest beginnings and became the core of the burgeoning railwayana collecting scene. Prices, particularly for nameplates, soared to unprecedented levels, an example being Golden Fleece from Gresley A4 Pacific No. 60030, which BR sold for £11 in 1963, that went under Ian’s hammer at his December 2004 auction for a then world-record £60,000. It was not a scenario that was welcomed by all, for some within the movement felt a hobby had become big business, leading to prices way beyond the reach of many. Characteristically though, Ian would have none of it, and firmly and genuinely believed that nameplates were a good investment. “You’ll never find another” he would declare from the rostrum, “I’ve been telling you for years to buy a nameplate” or “oh, what a rare bird.”
Adrenalin rush
The year after Golden Fleece’s success, Ian decided the time had come to sell his auction house. In a rare moment of reflection, after announcing the sale, he told me that, at the age of 62, it was time to retire “to travel and play golf,” although he admitted he felt sad in some ways. “Nothing lasts for ever,” he mused. “The whole thing has been an adrenalin rush. Í organised fundraising auctions for three years before founding SRA, so I’ve been at it for 18 years. Now is the time to do other things.”
The buyers were Brian Moakes and the late Chris Dickerson, who had been handling the postal auction side of Ian’s auctions for the previous four years and also ran Paddington Ticket Auctions, which they jointly founded in 1991.
At the time, Chris, who took early retirement in 1998 after a 30-year railway career and was a long-time railwayana collector, said: “Taking over Sheffield will be a challenge as Ian will be a hard act to follow,” while Brian said: “It will be both exciting and daunting.” Ian was not to be lost to the movement, however, for he continued as auctioneer at the sales but, as he put it, “with Chris and Brian doing all the work.”
Chris and Brian sold SRA to Great Central Railwayana in 2012, and in October the following year Ian was persuaded by Great Northern Railwayana boss Dave Robinson to front his auctions, which he continued to do until October 2022, so ending a 32-year career as a railwayana auctioneer.
Good friends
Long-time auctioneer Mike Soden, who held his first railwayana sale a year before Ian and remains an auctioneer with Great Central Railwayana, knew Ian for 50 years.
“We were rivals, but at the same time good friends,” he said. “He had a considerable influence on the railwayana scene and built up a network of responsible and knowledgeable experts.”
Mike said one of the highlights of his career was a major railwayana auction he and Ian jointly organised in June 2016 at the home of Sir William McAlpine at Fawley Hill, near Henleyon-Thames. The sale included 17 main line nameplates and was hailed as an enormous success that is still talked about today.
Simon Turner, of GW Railwayana, is another auction house boss who recognises Ian’s peerless contribution to the world of railwayana. “Without his drive, passion and enthusiasm, the collecting scene would not be what it is today, and I certainly wouldn’t have a business,” he said. “He bought it to the masses, and lived and breathed it.”
Long-time friend Trevor Dale, who started collecting railwayana in 1975, said: “You could call him the godfather of the auction scene,” and recalled the Nameplate Club that Ian founded in the 1990s.
David Dippie, another friend over many years, also remembers the club with affection. “It gave enthusiasts the opportunity to meet at railway centres around the UK and as far afield as Switzerland, and included footplate rides,” he said. “Ian’s reputation and determination opened many doors for us.”
Ian, who died on June 3, was unmarried, and is survived by his sister Kathleen and brother Graham. A private family cremation was held on June 18, and on June 30 Kathleen hosted an open day at his former home in Sheffield.
A final thought from David: “Ian gave an awful lot of pleasure to more people than we will ever know.”