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.