Evening Star

Considering that this locomotive is so important in the history of steam it is rather surprising at its rarity in jigsaw puzzle artwork. To the best of my knowledge I only have one puzzle* showing Evening Star within my 400 strong collection.

Today's post, 8th July 2011, is dedicated to the last steam locomotive built in the historic UK steam era, No.92220 Evening Star. The picture shows the locomotive heading an express out of Bournemouth en route to Bath. B.R. Evening Star is one of Arrow's 500-piece puzzles from the third edition of The Age of Steam series. The backdrop of orange-red sky gives the obvious impression of sunset with the aesthetic pictorialism expected of such a setting. The over emphasized star in the sky is superfluous to requirements, however; the artist is not named

Evening Star came into service in 1960. The huge 2-10-0 locomotive, the brainchild of Robert Riddles, cost £33,500 to construct at the ex GWR, Swindon Works (compare this to the £3million to build 'Tornado'). She was retired just five years later and entered preservation at the NRM, York. Special cosmetic features included copper-capped chimney and brass fittings, typical of the works where she was built.

* The locomotive is included in the children's cut out toy/jigsaw puzzle described in the 14th December 2010 post.

Steam and the Community

The steam train and its relevance to local communities is  a story that unfolds in many jigsaw puzzles, old or new. Whether with branch lines, main lines or even today's preserved railways local communities are inextricably linked to the permanent way in a variety of ways, social, financial or political. Today's post, 2nd July 2011, comprises two pictures of jigsaws each showing a strong bond between railway and the local community.
 

The first picture shows a 500-piece House of Puzzles jigsaw titled Railway Children. If you have seen the film or read the book you will completely understand what is going on in Keith Stapleton's artwork. Children watching and about to wave to a steam train as it thunders by was a regular sight in steam days and is replicated today on many steam rail-tours and 'Heritage' railways. And how often do you see people waving to diesel-hauled or electric trains? Not many. The locomotive heading the express is a Great Western Railway 'Castle' class 4-6-0 example designed by Charles Collett and the children in the picture are accompanied by the family dog; the scene is entirely natural and rural.

Picture number two is slightly different, based on a train waiting in a rural station for passengers to embark. Others have left the train and a busy scene ensues with families, couples, children and the obligatory dog crossing the line and entering/exiting the station. The locomotive is one of Charles Collett's  large 2-6-2 'Prairie' tanks No.4132, built between 1935 and 1939. The superb artwork is by Kevin Walsh, a prolific artist well patronised by jigsaw manufacturers such as, in this case, Falcon Jumbo. The jigsaw is titled Departure Time and is made up of 1000 pieces.

Flying Scotsman - Locomotive and Train

This post, 28th June 2011, comprises pics of three jigsaws all depicting the same locomotive and in two cases, the same train.

The locomotive. Probably the most famous locomotive in the UK is Sir Nigel Gresley's 'A1' (later 'A10' and 'A3') class 4-6-2, Flying Scotsman. The pioneer of the class No.1470 Great Northern appeared on the Great Northern Railway (GNR) in 1922.  The third one, No.1472 (later, Flying Scotsman),   emerged a year later. Although built by the GNR, a predecessor of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), Flying Scotsman wasn't named immediately. The locomotive was the first to enter service on the new LNER  on 22nd February 1923. She acquired her famous name and number 4472 in 1924 for her appearance at the British Empire Exhibition. In 1934 she became the first UK locomotive to 'officially' break the 100mph speed barrier. She was re-numbered again as 502 then 103 under 1943/1946 schemes and, in British Railways (BR) days, became No.60103.

The train. In 1862 and for the next 100 years the express that ultimately became the 'Flying Scotsman', operated under several guises between Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. The derivation of the name is difficult to research but in early timetables the train was often referred to as the 'Special Scotch Express'. A children's book, The Book of Trains c1890-1891, carries an illustration of a GNR express called the 'Flying Scotchman'.  Even earlier, 1880, an engraving from the London Evening News features a railway accident involving the 'Flying Scotchman'. And a postcard c1906 shows a 4-4-2 GNR locomotive heading the 'Flying Scotsman'. None of these examples featured a locomotive headboard. The express was officially named the 'Flying Scotsman' c1924 to coincide with the emergence of the locomotive of the same name. A locomotive headboard appeared c1928.




Pic number one shows the locomotive and train in a 1000-piece jigsaw from Past Times. The artist is not named although it is certainly Mike Jefferies.







The second also features the loco and train but the puzzle is a 1000-piece example from W.H. Smith. The illustrative artwork is by Peter Bradshaw.

The third pic shows a 64-piece jigsaw from Philmar. The locomotive has been photographed with maintenance men on the buffer beam. Perhaps they have fitted the headboard. Interestingly, the headboard uses the definite article, originally but rarely used in 1946 but often used in BR days, from the early 1950's.

Remember - if you carry out a little Internet research on the jigsaw taking shape before you, it makes the whole experience more interesting and rewarding.

A Circular Puzzle

This shape is used very rarely by steam railway jigsaw puzzle manufacturers but such examples attract more attention when assembled on a family table top. I have used two examples in previous posts and here is a picture of another  (26th June 2011) - I only have four in a collection of around 400 steam railway jigsaws.

The puzzle was retailed by W.H. Smith but I'm sure its manufacture would have been outsourced. The puzzle is of 500 pieces, reproduced from a Rob Johnson painting. A small, Southern railway 0-4-4 'M7' tank engine, No.60, designed by Dugald Drummond is pictured on a level crossing in a very English country village. Thatched cottages, country gardens, a hay cart, an old Royal Mail van and a few local people add interest to a superb picture.

Two from Good Companion

Good Companion jigsaws featuring steam trains, have been covered in previous posts. For today, 22nd June 2011, I am including pictures of another pair. However, with these two puzzles I must differentiate between THE Good Companion and GOOD COMPANION ranges of jigsaws. THE Good Companion puzzles of 400 pieces, with the definite article in upper case text, include the well known examples pictured in previous posts and in the second  photograph below. However, the definite article is not used in practise and the puzzles are commonly known as 'Good Companion' jigsaws. Causing some confusion, several series comprising six, 500-piece puzzles were made later and these were marketed as GOOD COMPANION (in upper case text) puzzles, without the definite article. These also are commonly known as 'Good Companion' jigsaws. The original range of THE Good Companion jigsaws comprised around one hundred and seventy seven titles. All of the jigsaw boxes carried the familiar logo of a hunter with his dog and the marketing name of THE Good Companion on the box front and sides. In my collection are four railway jigsaws, each from a GOOD COMPANION series of six puzzles, and I know of at least one other series of six puzzles. These smaller jigsaw boxes did not carry the hunter and dog logo, but instead, showed a clear jigsaw puzzle piece, outlined in white, enclosing the number 500. The marketing name of GOOD COMPANION was printed on the four sides of the box, but not on the front.

Philip D. Hawkins is a renowned railway artist but few of his paintings have been reproduced in the jigsaw trade. A Hawkins' painting was used by GOOD COMPANION for a 500-piece puzzle, titled Locomotion. In the jigsaw picture, LMS 4-4-0 compound locomotive No.1167 is shown heading 'crimson lake' passenger stock, but unfortunately my copy is not the best.  Locomotion was number six in a particular series of 500-piece, GOOD COMPANION puzzles; there were at least four other similar series. This particular puzzle suffered from a  reflective surface thus causing a serious problem when assembling in bright light.

 

T.E. North's name is indelibly linked to many railway jigsaw puzzles and to several manufacturers. Many examples have already been featured on this blog. Picture number two shows North's  artwork  replicated by THE Good Companion in a 400-piece jigsaw, East Coast Route. The approach to Newcastle Station  forms the backdrop to the picture. A mainline trained headed by a Gresley 'A4' class 4-6-2 and three freight trains are depicted on a myriad of lines close to the station. The city once boasted the largest railway crossing in the world accommodating up to 400 trains per day. Poor printing caused the main  problem with this particular puzzle,  a slightly blurred image.

'Princess Coronation' Class 'Pacifics'

Today's post, 13th June 2011, comprises two pics showing the most powerful British passenger steam locomotives, the 'Princess Coronation' class, designed by William Stanier.The class of thirty eight was built for the LMS between 1937 and 1948; the locomotives were an improved version of the previous Stanier 'Pacifics', the 'Princess Royal' class.

Pic number one features the now preserved No.46233 Duchess of Sutherland, in a superb, 1000-piece jigsaw from Waddingtons.The locomotive is complete with equally handsome 'Royal Scot' headboard and is about to depart Euston for Scotland. The title of the puzzle is Nearing Departure and the original, superb  artwork is by Malcolm Root.



Another brilliant (probably the best) railway artist, Terene Cuneo, was responsible for the original canvas reproduced as a jigsaw in the second pic. Titled Duchess of Hamilton on Shed, the now preserved loco, No.46229, is depicted in a railway shed setting, complete with the ambience associated with such a location. The wooden puzzle is by Wentworth and is of 500 pieces.




I must add that these two puzzles are among my all time favourites, magnificent artwork reproduced as superb products.

Miniature Railways

Photographs of jigsaws showing miniature railways comprise today's post, 6th May 2011. Miniature railways include all those whose gauge is less than the 4ft 8.5ins standard, set for mainline UK railways by the 'Gauge Act' of 1846. I was surprised to find that there are more than 150 narrow gauge railways listed on the website www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk

Pic number one shows perhaps the most famous of the English miniature or narrow gauge railways, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, just as famous for its extraordinary war efforts as its peacetime activities. The jigsaw  represented, of 175 pieces, is a rectangular, 3D 'constructional' example from Victory. Titled Miniature Express the assembled puzzle features  the engine, driver and train, cut from thicker plywood, assuming a raised posture across the puzzle centre. The jigsaw came with its own purpose-made frame and was made in other sizes, although not in 3D. The artist is not named.

The second pic features a 125-piece jigsaw from Tower Press (Chester series) titled Miniature Railway. Although the railway is not named it is likely to be the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway of Cumbria. The locomotive probably is the 0-8-2 type River Esk heading a crowded passenger service beneath a stone bridge.  

The popular Welsh narrow gauge railways are well represented in jigsaw puzzle manufacture and examples from Whitman will be featured in a future post.

Promotional Jigsaw Puzzles

The aesthetic appeal of steam trains and popularity of jigsaw puzzles have been used by many companies in the past including Bulmers, Cadburys, Dunlop, Cunard and of course, the Board of the Great Western Railway to promote their products. Even the Co-operative Society got in on the act with a puzzle produced in house in 1935. It features a train displaying the slogan "A Trainload of Good Things from C.W.S. Factories for Co-operators." In today's post 29th May 2011, I am using two pictures, each showing a jigsaw from two of the above companies, Bulmers and Cadburys.

The first pic shows the 1970, 620-piece puzzle from Bulmers, reproducing a painting by Terence Cuneo. The GWR icon, 4-6-0 No.6000 King George V, is the focal point of the jigsaw. The famous cider producers negotiated a sub-lease of the locomotive from Swindon Corporation in 1968. The latter had the locomotive in trusteeship with a view to exhibiting her in the GWR Museum in the town. She was moved to the Bulmers Railway Centre in Hereford in October 1968 and officially handed over a month later. Bulmers had 1.5miles of track at Hereford. The lease expired in 1987 and the locomotive was exhibited at Swindon  in the following year. She was a major exhibit at 'Steam, The GWR Mueum' in Swindon until 2008 when she was moved to the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York;  No.92220 Evening Star moved in the opposite direction.

The Cadbury's promotional jigsaw I have chosen, made by Gibsons, was marketed with two bars of chocolate (they still are) and is derived from a painting by Kevin Walsh. It was part of a double offering of 500-piece puzzles from the chocolate manufacturers titled From Beginning to End. This particular puzzle depicts a canal boat, a road vehicle and a steam train, informing us of how raw materials (cocoa, milk etc) were transported (The Beginning). The locomotive is a fine, red liveried example of a quayside workhorse, the 0-4-0 saddle tank, appropriately named Cadbury. In the second puzzle of the double offering - not part of my collection as no steam locomotive is involved and not pictured here - a family is being served the finished products in an old fashioned, British sweet shop (The End).

Steam and Winter Snow

I have used some pictures of jigsaws featuring steam trains and winter snow previously, and the two in today's post, 22nd May 2011, are equally as good in my opinion.

The first shot depicts a 500-piece jigsaw from the 1980 Age of Steam series by Arrow Games, titled LMS Princess Alice. Stanier 'Princess Coronation' class 'Pacific', No.6223 Princess Alice, is shown in LMS blue and silver 'Coronation Scot' livery with corresponding streamlining. The coaches are LMS maroon ('crimson lake'), unfortunately, and not matching 'Coronation Scot' blue and silver examples. The setting is winter snow which adds a pleasing, pictorial ambience to the painting/jigsaw picture; the artist is not named, however.

The second pic shows a W.H. Smith 500-piece jigsaw titled Nearly Home. The original artwork is by Kevin Walsh. A passenger train headed by a 'Castle' class 4-6-0 locomotive, waits in a station. Several passengers are exiting the station. Some are clutching wrapped presents, some are approaching a waiting 1934 Austin LL (Low Loader) Taxi, some are walking away and others are stood chatting. A decorated Christmas tree is just visible in the brightly lit station waiting room and a  light covering of snow enhances this December scene.

Blue King

In today's post - 16th May 2011 -  I am using two photographs of wooden jigsaw puzzles, both featuring 'King 25' in BR blue livery. Both jigsaws are from my collection of nearly four hundred puzzles, all featuring British steam railways.

The first pic shows a Victory puzzle of approximately 120 pieces from the TP3 series. Charles Collett's giant 4-6-0 'King' class is represented by No.6025 King Henry III, in BR 'Garter' blue livery. The title is Western Region Express. This locomotive graced GWR and, later, BR Western Region 'metals', from 1930 to 1957. Vic Welch produced the original artwork; he was a famous railway artist of the time who produced many works for Ian Allan. Welch's work was prominent in widely read Ian Allan publications such as 'Railways Illustrated' and 'Railway World'.


The second picture shows a 80-piece jigsaw from the Ian Allan company and features the same locomotive in the darker 'Royal' blue livery. The artist is A. N. Wolstenholme. The title is not on the box, unfortunately, but could be as follows - King class 4-6-0 heading a BR Express. This painting differs in style from Vic Welch's example as it displays a more indistinct, slightly abstract backdrop.



Both jigsaws show the locomotive carrying the early BR 'cycling lion' logo (1948-1956) and heading BR 'carmine and cream' passenger coaches.

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