AN auction of locomotive nameplates is taking place this weekend in a bid to raise thousands of pounds.

The money is needed to save one of the world's most important railway treasures - Queen Victoria's last surviving royal carriage. After her death 101 years ago, Britain's longest reigning monarch would be less than amused by its present condition.

The National Railway Museum, York, will be putting many sought-after nameplates under the hammer to preserve this national icon, the cost of which is estimated at £100,000.

The centrepiece of the auction will be an extremely rare collection of plates provided by English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS), including County of Mid Glamorgan and Fort William.

Sue Evens, EWS head of corporate communications, said: "Ensuring the future of the carriage will ultimately give pleasure to thousands of visitors to the museum.

"We hope the donation of these particular nameplates will generate some very competitive bidding and in turn raise a substantial amount of money to go towards the project."

Leasing company Porterbrook has also donated some contemporary nameplates. Its head of corporate communications, Rupert Brennan-Brown, said: "Nameplates are highly collectable artefacts and we're hoping that Thomas Telford and XIII Commonwealth Games Scotland 1986 will create a buzz in the auction room."

Sheffield Railwayana Auctions is conducting the auction and there will also be a magnificent array of objects and events to bid for.

Richard Gibbon, the museum's curator of collections, said: "We will also be auctioning off driver training on Rocket, a behind the scenes guided tour of the museum and two tickets to our annual dinner."

The auction takes place at the museum on Sunday. Viewing starts at 10am and bidding begins at 1pm.

For further information call (01904) 686271.