BR memorabilia shop is bought out by management

Sign of the times. Stock (pictured above) from BR's railway memorabilia shop, Collectors' Corner, which was sold off yesterday to its management under the rail privatisation programme. The shop, located near London's Euston station, sells everything from locomotive name plates and insignia to old timetables and railwaymen's pocket watches.

The shop is part of National Railway Supplies, which has been bought by its management and the car parts group, Unipart. The 300 staff of NRS, which has a turnover of pounds 68m and supplies signalling, telecommunications, track and other rail products, have been invited to apply for shares at a cost of about pounds 400 each. Cliff Webb, who joined NRS as managing director five years ago after a career in the steel and engineering industries, says the plan is to grow revenues substantially, rather than relying on its existing contracts with Railtrack and the railway infrastructure maintenance companies. The management team, which will own 51 per cent of NRS, beat off competition from the US rail equipment firm Harmon Vaughan and the facilities management group Serco. Photograph: Nicola Kurtz