Do you know those six year olds who love to watch trains thunder past, and to play with toy locomotives?

Graham Dann remembers seeing steam trains at Frankston as a child and being awed by their noise, smell and power.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign: Graham Dann with some of the railway signs he is selling on Sunday. Credit:Jason South

And over 50 years he has translated that sense of wonder into a giant collection of railways, telephone and advertising memorabilia.

Now at age 55, he is selling almost everything at two auctions this weekend: more than 1100 items, which auctioneer Gary Latham says are worth about $500,000.