Three favourites

I have many favourites among my collection of steam railway jigsaw puzzles and here are three photographs showing less expensive examples.

The first pic features a 400-piece Mercury (Tower Press) puzzle from the 1950's/60's titled Getting Up Steam. This is a real 'in your face' puzzle of vibrant colours. It features a 'Britannia' class 4-6-2 locomotive No.70020, Mercury, heading passenger stock through a station, on a central line. On the left, on the adjacent line, a 'County' class 4-6-0 No. 1015, County of Gloucester, stands at a platform-based water tower. A railwayman stands between the two locomotives. Overhead, a 'Standard' tank engine pulls a mixed freight train over a bridge, towards a signal gantry. Boxes and milk churns add to the busy station ambience as a porter pushes a luggage trolley on the opposite platform. The artwork is not signed unfortunately, but the strong illustrative style, is superb and ideal for jigsaw puzzles.

Sir Nigel Gresley's 'A4' class locomotives were very popular with both artists and jigsaw puzzle manufacturers. C.J. Ashford's illustration of The Talisman express (introduced by the LNER in 1956) was used by Tru-Cut for a 260-piece jigsaw in the Modern Travel series. Titled The Scottish Express the locomotive No.60024, Kingfisher, is pictured sporting the early BR (1948-56) lion and wheel motif on its tender. The train is composed of carmine and cream passenger stock and is pictured exiting Kings Cross station, destined for Edinburgh Waverley.


My final picture shows a puzzle from an excellent Chris Nevard photograph that exemplifies the harmonious interaction of railway and landscape. The untitled puzzle from Fame Puzzles of Holland features a class 'U' Maunsell 2-6-0, No.1618, complete with white Southern Railway (SR) route discs. The loco is hauling SR and Pullman stock through a beautiful glade of blubells on a preserved railway. The locomotive is preserved by The Maunsell Locomotive Society.