JULY 5: Rare German ‘Rocket’ unearthed

Rails of Sheffield is offering an extremely rare Maerklin live steam model of railway pioneer ‘Rocket’ for sale through its eBay shop. The German tinplate model dates from 1902 and is thought to be one of only a few of its type in the world. The record price for a Maerklin ‘Rocket’ was raised at auction in New York in May 1984 when a model sold for $39,270. This more careworn model is unlikely to reach those heights, but as this posting was made bidding had already reached £1,700. The eBay auction ends at 2000 on July 8. For more information and images see www.railssheffield.co.uk and click through via the eBay shop link on the home page.