Singer Neil Young's model trains fetch nearly $300,000 at auction

[December 11, 2017]   (Reuters) - Singer-songwriter Neil Young's extensive collection of model trains have fetched nearly $300,000 at auction, along with classic cars and musical equipment owned by the 72-year-old folk-rock icon.

Young, a model train enthusiast for decades, offered more than 230 pieces at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles from his collection of Lionel trains, including a custom-painted Commodore Vanderbilt 4-6-4 locomotive that sold for $10,000.

Several cars that Young owns were also sold. A 1953 Buick code 76X Roadmaster Skylark convertible with a steering wheel hub that says, "Customized for Neil Young," went for $400,000, the auction house said on Saturday.

Young, best known for his Woodstock-era songs as well as his work with the bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young has said the vast model train layouts at his California ranch helped him connect with his son Ben, who has cerebral palsy.

Other items auctioned off on Saturday included some of Young's guitars, amplifiers and microphones.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bridge School in California, which Young's ex-wife Pegi Young co-founded in 1986 for children with severe speech and physical impairments.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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