Fake Railwayana Rogues Gallery

Isambard · 28-01-2020 10:53am

depends what you want, I have a fake sign in my garden , cost €25 I think. It's an ornament that won't matter if it gets stolen. €45 too rich for me though although a genuine one will be at least twice that

Del.Monte · 28-01-2020 11:01am

Isambard wrote: »

depends what you want, I have a fake sign in my garden , cost €25 I think. It's an ornament that won't matter if it gets stolen. €45 too rich for me though although a genuine one will be at least twice that

A genuine DNGR sign will fetch in excess of €1,000 but more effort needed by the forgers if they want to achieve that.

whisky_galore · 28-01-2020 11:28am

Isambard wrote: »

depends what you want, I have a fake sign in my garden , cost €25 I think. It's an ornament that won't matter if it gets stolen. €45 too rich for me though although a genuine one will be at least twice that

€45, nearer to €55-60 with auctioneers fees included, is a lot for worthless scrap iron. What's more, it looks nothing like the genuine one, not even close, the text has one huge glaring error.

tabbey · 28-01-2020 2:01pm

Clearly a notice by the DNGR will not refer to a GSWR act of 1903 or any other year.

The craftsmen who produce these fakes seem to have no interest in making something that looks genuine. The purchasers of such rubbish should have more sense, especially those who buy them for pubs.

If somebody wants to manufacture fakes, let them at least make them appear genuine.

Del.Monte · 25-04-2020 2:06pm

There's a new variation of the DNGR fake available on DoneDeal today. A nicer job too with the finer lettering, and for die hard republicans, the addition of the date 1916 by the Secretary's name might be prove a big selling point.

However, priced at €65 it's still about €65 more than it's worth.

25-04-2020 2:38pm

Thanks for sharing.

I don't think you would have any problem when you explained to the guard the essentialness of you journey to collect such a historic piece.

The 1916 addition is simply lovely.

Hotblack Desiato · 25-04-2020 10:11pm

They sorted out some of the shockingly bad spacing, but by no means all!

I have a thing about bad typography, no sign-maker back in the day worth his salt would have allowed such a thing.

The headline fonts look a bit less modern than before but are still decades off.

tabbey · 26-04-2020 12:36pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

They sorted out some of the shockingly bad spacing, but by no means all!

I have a thing about bad typography, no sign-maker back in the day worth his salt would have allowed such a thing.

The headline fonts look a bit less modern than before but are still decades off.

More importantly, it still has ormsby and gswr mixed into a sign headed dngr.
The latter belonged lnwr / Lms / br until closure in 1951.

whisky_galore · 27-04-2020 8:48am

tabbey wrote: »

More importantly, it still has ormsby and gswr mixed into a sign headed dngr.
The latter belonged lnwr / Lms / br until closure in 1951.

It's still a dog's dinner, although they fool enough people to make it worthwhile making this ****.
Limerick based "travelling salesmen" frequently advertise these on DoneDeal with fake automobilia.

Isambard · 27-04-2020 9:18am

i once saw a fake trespass notice on the BBC, one of their many "antiques" programmes...they hadn't a clue.

tabbey · 27-04-2020 11:37am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Limerick based "travelling salesmen" frequently advertise these on DoneDeal with fake automobilia.

Would these be more specifically rathkeale based?

Lord Glentoran · 28-04-2020 10:42pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

There's a new variation of the DNGR fake available on DoneDeal today. A nicer job too with the finer lettering, and for die hard republicans, the addition of the date 1916 by the Secretary's name might be prove a big selling point.

However, priced at €65 it's still about €65 more than it's worth.

Fools and their money :rolleyes:

Del.Monte · 01-05-2020 8:19pm

This one is on Adverts.ie. I've not seen it before and the low price (€15) would indicate that the sellers is not passing it off as a genuine sign. I seem to remember GNR hand painted timber signs near Amiens Street station with similar warnings and this may have given the maker the idea. The GNR (I) would not have approved the sign with a typo either.

Isambard · 12-07-2020 7:13pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

This one is on Adverts.ie. I've not seen it before and the low price (€15) would indicate that the sellers is not passing it off as a genuine sign. I seem to remember GNR hand painted timber signs near Amiens Street station with similar warnings and this may have given the maker the idea. The GNR (I) would not have approved the sign with a typo either.

on donedeal currently https://www.donedeal.ie/collectibles-for-sale/cast-railway-sign/25228192

Del.Monte · 12-07-2020 7:43pm

I see the DoneDeal seller also has another fake gate sign - BC&ER - as well as some mighty fresh looking military cap badges.

Isambard · 12-07-2020 9:49pm

yeah I reported him

Del.Monte · 16-09-2020 12:46pm

Up for Auction in Armagh shortly.

BC%2526DR%2BNOTICE.jpg

tabbey · 16-09-2020 1:54pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Up for Auction in Armagh shortly.

Presumably B & CDR.
Fraudsters don't care.

Del.Monte · 12-10-2020 10:41am

Another that I haven't seen before - currently available in a NI auction.

Isambard · 12-10-2020 11:42am

you'd think an auction house would know of these fakes.

Del.Monte · 12-10-2020 1:08pm

Isambard wrote: »

you'd think an auction house would know of these fakes.

Not really as railwayana is a very specialist area. I post them here to draw attention to them lest novices to the collecting hobby get caught.

whisky_galore · 12-10-2020 7:56pm

Isambard wrote: »

you'd think an auction house would know of these fakes.

A goodly proportion of what appears at common or garden antique auctions here are fake, reproduction and outright junk, and I'd go so far as to say they do know. Let the mug, I mean buyer beware.

Board Walker · 20-01-2021 5:48pm

I wonder is there anywhere one might pick up an old orange signal? Obviously just the tilting part with the glass, not the entire pole structure....

TheBoyConor · 08-02-2021 1:12pm

Whos is making all these reproductions and rip offs anyway? Casting cast iron is a fairly serious industrial process. Where is it taking place? Are there really Irish foundries involved in this or are people sending their orders over to China and India and having the plaques shipped back by the crate?

Or what is the story with em?

08-02-2021 1:25pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Whos is making all these reproductions and rip offs anyway? Casting cast iron is a fairly serious industrial process. Where is it taking place? Are there really Irish foundries involved in this or are people sending their orders over to China and India and having the plaques shipped back by the crate?

Or what is the story with em?

Not really, it is possible to do it in your backyard, one of many youtube videos found on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnN22pMpt4o

TheBoyConor · 08-02-2021 1:44pm

Christ. Would you be bothered with the hassle of that plus painting them for the sake of €25 at a car boot sale?

whisky_galore · 17-02-2021 11:45am

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Whos is making all these reproductions and rip offs anyway? Casting cast iron is a fairly serious industrial process. Where is it taking place? Are there really Irish foundries involved in this or are people sending their orders over to China and India and having the plaques shipped back by the crate?

Or what is the story with em?

Mao encouraged the Chinese to set up backyard furnaces to help the steel industry. The quality was awful but it can be done.

Wrt the fake stuff, I guess it's india and China churning them out by the container load. There's heaps upon heaps of fake Guinness, fake automobila and beer related items too. The same ones are turning up here, the UK, US, Australia etc.

Working class heroes · 17-02-2021 1:23pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

Mao encouraged the Chinese to set up backyard furnaces to help the steel industry. The quality was awful but it can be done.

Wrt the fake stuff, I guess it's india and China churning them out by the container load. There's heaps upon heaps of fake Guinness, fake automobila and beer related items too. The same ones are turning up here, the UK, US, Australia etc.

indeed, it's where we get the phrase "pig iron" from...

Isambard · 17-02-2021 1:27pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

Mao encouraged the Chinese to set up backyard furnaces to help the steel industry. The quality was awful but it can be done.

Wrt the fake stuff, I guess it's india and China churning them out by the container load. There's heaps upon heaps of fake Guinness, fake automobila and beer related items too. The same ones are turning up here, the UK, US, Australia etc.

yes I'd say they have the same distribution system as the imported cigarettes etc.

Del.Monte · 17-02-2021 1:57pm

Working class heroes wrote: »

indeed, it's where we get the phrase "pig iron" from...

The phrase "pig iron" has it origins way before Mao was a twinkle in his Mammy's eye.

Isambard · 17-02-2021 2:40pm

"pig iron" relates to casting iron into ingots in sand on the foundry floor with several ingots either side of a central channel resembling a sow and piglets.

Del.Monte · 25-02-2021 11:25am

Here's one from Adverts today https://www.adverts.ie/memorabilia/1921-railway-tie/22134780 and while not a fake it's an outrageous try on for something that anyone with half a brain could find lying about at their local railway station. Incorrectly described and priced at €350 i.e. about 350 times what it's worth.

Rail%2BChair.png

Del.Monte · 05-03-2021 9:39am

Another MGWR fake recently sold at auction. Interesting how the 'damage' on these fakes never affects important parts of the signs. Nice sheen off the enamel too.

05-03-2021 10:02am

The lack of damage around the mounting holes should be a red flag to anyone remotely interested in a genuine one.

Hotblack Desiato · 05-03-2021 1:57pm

How much did that go for?

Del.Monte · 05-03-2021 2:46pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

How much did that go for?

It and another cardboard sign only fetched €30 but that was more due to the auction that it was in - i.e. probably not noticed by railway enthusiasts.

Hotblack Desiato · 05-03-2021 5:44pm

Well hopefully the people who are actually looking for genuine stuff not just something to stick on the wall would spot a fake like that pretty easily.

L1011 · 05-03-2021 5:56pm

If it's going cheap it'll end up as greebling on the walls of a pub at least and likely not sold again

Losty Dublin · 05-03-2021 6:22pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Here's one from Adverts today https://www.adverts.ie/memorabilia/1921-railway-tie/22134780 and while not a fake it's an outrageous try on for something that anyone with half a brain could find lying about at their local railway station. Incorrectly described and priced at €350 i.e. about 350 times what it's worth.

I've seen similarly mounted fishplates retailing for almost a tenth of the price of this. Even then they'll have some sort of a fundraising purpose for a preservation project or a museum or whatever. It's beyond disgusting to ask this much for something that could literally be picked up off of the ground, as you've correctly stated.

The Continental Op · 05-03-2021 6:27pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I've seen similarly mounted fishplates retailing for almost a tenth of the price of this. Even then they'll have some sort of a fundraising purpose for a preservation project or a museum or whatever. It's beyond disgusting to ask this much for something that could literally be picked up off of the ground, as you've correctly stated.

I've seen them used a boat anchors and strapped to the back of ploughs to give a bit more weight

Isambard · 05-03-2021 9:45pm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I've seen similarly mounted fishplates retailing for almost a tenth of the price of this. Even then they'll have some sort of a fundraising purpose for a preservation project or a museum or whatever. It's beyond disgusting to ask this much for something that could literally be picked up off of the ground, as you've correctly stated.

it's a rail chair, fishplate is what joins two rails with bolts.

Losty Dublin · 05-03-2021 10:52pm

Isambard wrote: »

it's a rail chair, fishplate is what joins two rails with bolts.

No, I was thinking explicitly of plates. Chairs sounds good in theory but when mounted like this they are way too big and heavy when it happens. Oh and still way cheaper than this one :pac:

I have seen small sections of rail turned into paperweights; even these are pushing it

Isambard · 06-03-2021 10:43am

Losty Dublin wrote: »

No, I was thinking explicitly of plates. Chairs sounds good in theory but when mounted like this they are way too big and heavy when it happens. Oh and still way cheaper than this one :pac:

I have seen small sections of rail turned into paperweights; even these are pushing it

that seems pointless to me, the chair has DSER on it which I assumed to be the attraction. I wouldn't expect a fishplate to have that

91wx763 · 06-03-2021 4:56pm

Somebody on twitter about to get sucked in..... Someone's tried to put them right by linking to here https://twitter.com/JohnMaryKeane/status/1368125457837813762

whisky_galore · 12-03-2021 4:47pm

91wx763 wrote: »

Somebody on twitter about to get sucked in..... Someone's tried to put them right by linking to here https://twitter.com/JohnMaryKeane/status/1368125457837813762

Its history can be traced back to late 20th/ early 21st century Far East.

General Toilet · 12-03-2021 4:55pm

Was Francis B Ormsby only on one sign?

seagoebox · 12-03-2021 5:18pm

These are two examples from my collection with Mr Ormsby connections, he was Secretary of the GS&WR from 1880 until 1910

Del.Monte · 12-03-2021 5:20pm

seagoebox wrote: »

These are two examples from my collection with Mr Ormsby connections, he was Secretary of the GS&WR from 1880 until 1910

Nice enamel - never saw that one before!

Working class heroes · 12-03-2021 10:07pm

seagoebox wrote: »

These are two examples from my collection with Mr Ormsby connections, he was Secretary of the GS&WR from 1880 until 1910

Yep, that enamel is indeed a cracker!

tabbey · 13-03-2021 3:01pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Nice enamel - never saw that one before!

The enamel sign is a bridge safety notice. Rather than attaching a cast iron sign to the bridge, a lightweight enamel one was easier.
I have seen a similar sign on a GNR bridge some time ago, possibly Portmarnock, not sure.

Fake Railwayana Rogues Gallery

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