Yorkshire railway owners plate?

[Mark_R]

I've just registered here to ask a question about a brass plate I found in my late fathers belongings.
(Although I did once borrow the Ffestiniog railway to move some building materials...)
Is this a genuine wagon plate and is it worth anything? I have no idea why he had it in his possession....

 

[Gloster]

I think that is a plate attached to the underframe of an old, almost certainly pre-World War II, wagon to indicate that it was owned by the Yorkshire Railway Waggon Company of Wakefield. The wagon would have been on hire or lease, short- or long-term, to an user which would (almost certainly) have the wagon painted up in their chosen colours. The number would be that recorded in the Yorkshire’s inventory.

It is very likely genuine. Did the family have a business, such as a coal merchant’s one, which might have used its own wagons?

 

[Mark_R]

I think that is a plate attached to the underframe of an old, almost certainly pre-World War II, wagon to indicate that it was owned by the Yorkshire Railway Waggon Company of Wakefield. The wagon would have been on hire or lease, short- or long-term, to an user which would (almost certainly) have the wagon painted up in their chosen colours. The number would be that recorded in the Yorkshire’s inventory.

It is very likely genuine. Did the family have a business, such as a coal merchant’s one, which might have used its own wagons?

Thanks. I was beginning to wonder if it was some sort of fake. Googling just brings up lots of cast iron plates.
I can't think of any such connection. We are in North Wales.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Have to say that the pic of the owners' plate posted upthread looks completely different to the one that Railwayana Auctions UK Ltd had on offer a couple of years ago (ostensibly from the same company) which incorporated a quite distinctive Yorkshire rose emblem.



(Pic of circular Yorkshire Railway Waggon Co. Limited - Wakefield - private owners plate.)

P.S. Anyone got any more information about the company in question? Presumably the business (incorporated 1863?) was one which owned and then hired or rented out railway wag(g)ons to businesses such as collieries?

 

[Gloster]

A search on Google seems to be full of references to an 1882 legal case between the company and one Maclure which has frequently been referred to in cases of sham transactions. I wonder if the diferent style of plate to the one in #4 suggests that the company hired out other equipment, which is why the plate is in a different style.

One reason for thinking it is genuine is that it looks as though a lot of work would be needed to make it. The amount of work wouldn’t really be worthwhile for what it could be sold for.

 

[Spartacus]

It certainly has more of a feel of something that would be fitted internally or indoors, perhaps to something stationary.

 

[John Webb]

I can't recall when the early removable 'containers' came in - the ones that could be carried on a flat-bed wagon and lifted onto a similar lorry. Possible this plate came off something similar?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Possibly a very early private owner wagon registration plate. The style of it with its hand engraved lettering certainly shouts pre WW1.

 

[Gloster]

The company was first registered on 8 June 1863 according to Grace’s Guide. This seems to be the period when a lot of wagon leasing companies started up and maybe they each went their own way with wagon plates.

 

[Mark_R]

Interesting stuff. Another possibility is that it could have made its way down via my Mothers family. My great grandfather lived in Merthyr Tydfil. He returned to North Wales in 1908 when my grandfather was born.
Who knows why he brought a wagon plate back with him though....