A rather special little puzzle is the subject of today's post (18th October 2010). It celebrates the life of one of the greatest engineers of the railway world, George Stephenson.
Titled The Father of Railways it is
a 48-piece example commemorating this extraordinary man who began working with his father, at Dewley Collliery in north east England, when he was 14. At 19 he was building his first railway at nearby Hetton Colliery. The rest, they say - from locomotives Locomotion No.1 (Stockton & Darlington Railway) to Rocket (Liverpool & Manchester Railway) - is history. Surrounding a central, oval portrait of George Stephenson are the following – his birthplace at Wylam, Northumberland; later residences at a cottage at Killingworth and Tapton House, Chesterfield; a Hetton Colliery locomotive; Locomotion No.1; Sankey Viaduct. Both artist and manufacturer are unknown to me. Although historical in context and highly collectible, this puzzle is extremely small. My copy is in a wrapper, not a box. If anyone has any information about this puzzle please let me know (email address above). In my view, more puzzles should be dedicated to the work of George and Robert Stephenson. This remarkable father and son duo were responsible for much of the civil and mechanical engineering involved in the birth of railways from the early 19th century.
a 48-piece example commemorating this extraordinary man who began working with his father, at Dewley Collliery in north east England, when he was 14. At 19 he was building his first railway at nearby Hetton Colliery. The rest, they say - from locomotives Locomotion No.1 (Stockton & Darlington Railway) to Rocket (Liverpool & Manchester Railway) - is history. Surrounding a central, oval portrait of George Stephenson are the following – his birthplace at Wylam, Northumberland; later residences at a cottage at Killingworth and Tapton House, Chesterfield; a Hetton Colliery locomotive; Locomotion No.1; Sankey Viaduct. Both artist and manufacturer are unknown to me. Although historical in context and highly collectible, this puzzle is extremely small. My copy is in a wrapper, not a box. If anyone has any information about this puzzle please let me know (email address above). In my view, more puzzles should be dedicated to the work of George and Robert Stephenson. This remarkable father and son duo were responsible for much of the civil and mechanical engineering involved in the birth of railways from the early 19th century.
For interest I have also added my pics of Stephenson's statue and plaque which both stand at the National Railway Museum in York - taken in 2009. The former can be seen in the Great Hall, the latter on an outside wall.
