Ravensburger is a famous name in jigsaw puzzle manufacturing. This German Company began as a publishing company in 1883 and started making jigsaw puzzles in 1964. In the same year, subsidiaries were opened throughout Europe, including the UK. Ravensburger puzzles and boxes are renowned for their quality and durability.
In this post, 5th May 2012, I am using two photographs of Ravensburger jigsaw puzzles depicting UK steam railways which are in current production as a boxed pair. The inclusive (box) title is The Magic of Steam although each puzzle is individually titled also. Each one comprises 500 pieces and reproduces artwork by Trevor Mitchell. A previously marketed pair by Ravensburger was titled Railway Memories.
The first photograph shows the 500-piece puzzle titled Sir Nigel Gresley at Grosmont Station. This station is situated on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, one of many Heritage Railways in the UK. The locomotive, No.60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, is from the 'A4' class of 4-6-2 locomotives and is named after its designer who was the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). Among this 'A4' class was the famous Mallard, holder of the world record of 126mph for steam locomotives.
The second photograph shows the new-build A.H. Peppercorn 'A1' class 4-6-2 locomotive, No.60163 Tornado, heading a famous Great Western Railway (GWR) express. This puzzle is titled Tornado hauls the Torbay Express. The locomotive, main line tested at the end of 2008, first hauled this express in 2009. The Torbay Express is depicted running along the sea wall at Dawlish, one of the most famous vantage points for artists/photographers on Britain's railways. The original Torbay Express was a Paddington - Torquay - Paignton service but more recently, a Bristol - Torquay - Paignton - Kingswear service, via Weston -super- Mare.If you wish to review previous Ravensburger, steam railway jigsaw puzzles featured on this blog, just input Ravensburger into the search bar at the top of the blog and the relevant posts will be identified.
