Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Steam and Dockyards

For this first post of the new year, 16th January 2013, I am using photographs of two jigsaw puzzles showing steam locomotives working in dockyards. The first jigsaw features a freight working and the second, two different passenger services. For the more general jigsaw enthusiast these two puzzles may be more attractive as the steam trains are not the main focus of attention. 


The first photograph shows a Good Companion jigsaw of 400-pieces titled The Last of the Cargo. A British Railways (BR) 'Standard' class '4' 2-6-0 locomotive, designed by Robert Riddles, is pictured heading cargo vans while being held at a set of points. The locomotive was built in 1952 and withdrawn from service just thirteen years later. In the background is a passenger liner (?), a working tug and another ship, possibly a ferry. A line of flat wagons loaded with drums (chemicals or oil etc) is also included in the foreground. Two war planes are included by the artist T. E. North.



The second pic also shows a 400-piece jigsaw from Good Companion, this one titled Train Ferry. The setting is a dock terminal featuring Pullman cars, possibly from an overnight sleeper service, being loaded onto the ferry.  The locomotive pushing the cars is indistinct. To the fore is a second passenger service comprising BR carmine and cream livery coaches, headed by what appears to be a BR 'Standard' class '7' 4-6-2 locomotive. A tug and another passenger craft add to the nautical theme of the puzzle. The artist is T. E. North once again.