Vintage sign - is it real?

[beepboop]

Hi all, new to the forum. My sister is a huge rail fan and it’s a big birthday for her soon. I thought something like this would be cool to get her, I just wanted to check it’s a genuine old sign before I spend that much! Does it look legit?

Rare Vintage British Railways Electric Advertising Sign - Etsy UK

This Displays item by NewsfromnowherByMark has 13 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United Kingdom. Listed on 21 Nov, 2023

www.etsy.com

 

[takno]

Looks very cool, and the technology was certainly viable in the 1960s. I've never seen anything like that though, and honestly I can't see why they would have done the dot-matrix style rather than just having a scrolling back-lit message written in normal text. Seems more like a 21st century homage thing tbh.

That said I wasn't around in the 60s, and things were much more bespoke and regional back then, so may well have been a thing. Either way it looks like a tolerable price for a cool toy, if maybe twice what I'd want to pay

 

[Ashley Hill]

Doesn’t look railway to me. Although we did have British Transport Hotels. If you’re not sure don’t buy it.

 

[Spaceship323]

I'd be more concerned that it is electrically safe, such as is the casing earthed properly? Is the plug + cable in good condition? I would get it tested by a qualified electrician if I was giving it as a gift...looks cool though

 

[Ashley Hill]

According to Wiki Grand Hotels changed their name to Grand Metropolitan in 1973 so not a 60s sign. Therefore it dates the sign to the period 1973 to 1984 when British Transport Hotels ceased to be.

 

[takno]

According to Wiki Grand Hotels changed their name to Grand Metropolitan in 1973 so not a 60s sign. Therefore it dates the sign to the period 1973 to 1984 when British Transport Hotels ceased to be.

It's more likely to be genuine if it's from that period - you're getting to a time when dot matrix displays were a bit more "in", even if the effect in this case was faked using old-fashioned tech.

 

[Ashley Hill]

i didnt realise it was mechanical until i looked at the photos fully. Its probably from a travel agency or a BR accredited travel agent..

 

[30907]

i didnt realise it was mechanical until i looked at the photos fully. Its probably from a travel agency or a BR accredited travel agent..

Or a Travel Centre, perhaps?

 

[Ediswan]

"Underwriters Laboratories Inc." is a US based safety testing organisation, not a manufacturer.

 

[Trackman]

If you have Facebook, join the group 'Railwayana & Advertising Fakes at Auction and on the Internet'
These people are mustard.
They will know what it is.
Lots of people post on there before buying railwayana, and I think it's backed by an auction house.

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

We had a couple of these in the travel centre at Charing Cross. You could scroll the next from the right to the left or up and down I seem to remember.

 

[Rescars]

According to Wiki Grand Hotels changed their name to Grand Metropolitan in 1973 so not a 60s sign. Therefore it dates the sign to the period 1973 to 1984 when British Transport Hotels ceased to be.

I can't get the picture file to open, so am unclear about the reference to Grand Hotels. For what it's worth, BTH owned the Grand Hotel in Hartlepool. Its great claim to fame was the tank full of piranhas which provided a talking point in its cocktail bar!

 

[Ashley Hill]

I can't get the picture file to open, so am unclear about the reference to Grand Hotels. For what it's worth, BTH owned the Grand Hotel in Hartlepool. Its great claim to fame was the tank full of piranhas which provided a talking point in its cocktail bar!

Mount Royal Metropolitan Association was a hotel business that merged with Grand Hotels Ltd in 1962 becoming Grand Metropolitan Hotels. This was shortened to Grand Metropolitan in 1973.
This would add the possibility that the sign dates from 1962-84. The sign advertises staying in either a Grand Metropolitan or British Transport Hotel.

 

[Forty29]

None of the item's look real to me, probably reproductions. I thought products on Etsy were all homemade item's. With all the thefts from heritage railways recently you have to be careful l suspect.