A toy train-set proved small really is beautiful when Bradford's Transperience museum was consigned to the history books yesterday.

But, as a mystery buyer paid £3,750 for the model Lincolnshire Light Railway set, a full size Gratz antique tram went for only £200.

A whole range of equipment owned by the museum was snapped up by eager businessmen while bids for the historic vehicles on show struggled past their reserve prices.

Transport enthusiast Melvyn Munday stepped in to save one of the prize vehicles when the auctioneer failed to attract any bids above the reserve price of £1,500 for a 1949 9611T double-decker trolleybus.

Mr Munday, a Kirklees councillor and member of West Yorkshire Transport Museum Society, also bought a 1904 Hungarian twin car electric tram for £1,000.

And he was the man who paid £200 for the Gratz single car electric tram - the same amount spent on a single brass tram bell.

Looking at his purchases he said: "I'm going to have to ring my missus and tell her what I've bought. She's never shocked by anything I do anymore."

Mr Munday added that the society was talking to Ogden Properties, the new owners of the site, about the possibility of keeping the buses where they are.

The auction was organised by Leeds-based Wetherall Plant and Machinery on behalf of Pricewaterhouse Coopers in an attempt to recover £1million of debts from the leisure complex.

Wetherall's Mark Weston, said: "There has been a good turnout but I think there are a fair few spectators.

"The buses didn't go as well as we expected but we are not too disappointed. Everything else has sold very well."

Transport enthusiast Roger Harvey travelled all the way from Essex to attend the auction.

"I set off at 4.30am to get here and it's been quite lively."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.