Why Choose Footplate?
Footplate is a family-run business with over 30 years of experience buying model railway collections of every size and type. Run by Rich and Derek — genuine enthusiasts who you'll find driving at Foxfield Railway and The Peacock Railway in Nantwich — Footplate is one of the UK's most trusted names in model railway buying. You can also read about the full range of services Footplate offers or find out exactly how the process works.
A Trusted Name in Model Railway Buying
Selling an inherited collection is often about far more than agreeing a price. Here's what real customers say about their experience with Rich and Derek.
“Rich and the Footplate team were supersonic from start to finish”
“When you're dealing with your father's beloved and life-long model collection, trust and respect are the biggest factors... Rich and the Footplate team were supersonic from start to finish.”
“They offered the best price over any other offers we were given”
“Contacted Footplate with my father-in-law's OO collection. They offered the best price over any other offers we were given... Richard was always polite and fair.”
“The logistics of getting everything to them was made straightforward”
“I was having to sell my deceased father's O Gauge items... The communication was simple... the logistics of getting everything to them was made straightforward.”
Meet the Team
Footplate is run by Rich and Derek — a father and son team of passionate model railway enthusiasts. We've spent decades building our knowledge of the hobby, from mainstream OO gauge to rare brass O gauge and live steam. When you deal with Footplate, you're talking to people who genuinely understand what you have and what it's worth.
Footplate prides itself on being straightforward, friendly, and fair. No jargon, no pressure, no lowball offers.
Sample Collections Footplate Has Bought
To give you an idea of the range of items Footplate purchases, here are some examples of recent collections acquired by Rich and Derek:
- A 200+ piece Hornby OO gauge collection spanning the 1970s to present day, including several limited-edition weathered locomotives
- A comprehensive N gauge including various custom made models. This collection included the removal of a layout too
- Various comprehensive O Gauge collections including high-end brass models
- A 1000+ piece LGB G gauge garden collection with track, locomotives, and rolling stock etc
- High quality Gauge 1 live steam collections with various bespoke custom builds
- A large HO gauge European outline collection with DCC Sound locomotives
- A live steam collections including Roundhouse and Accucraft locomotives
No collection is too large, too small, or too specialist for Footplate. If you're unsure whether Rich and Derek would be interested, just ask — the answer is almost certainly yes.