Warwick Today: Hatton Station sign found in Japan
Railway enthusiast Patrick Carey stopped in his tracks when he came across an old sign for Hatton station - because he was looking around a junk shop in Japan. The lecturer was scouring for old 'collectables' in a run-down warehouse in the city of Yokohama when he spotted the distinctive shape, lettering and colour of a former Western Region station name sign hanging above the door. The old signs, made from enamel steel, are highly desirable and some have reached more than 8,000 pounds at auction...How the Hatton sign ended up in the back streets of a Japanese city still baffles enthusiasts. But it is believed that the source lies in the expansion of an American company called Victoria Restaurants. The company planned to decorate its venues by using British railway memorabilia...Victoria later went into administration, but not before opening two restaurants in Japan, one of which was in Yokohama...more...
