Two pictures of jigsaws marketed by W.H.Smith comprise today's post, 4th March 2015. The artwork in both cases, reflects the Great Western Railway (GWR).
Picture one shows the 500-piece jigsaw titled At The Station, duplicating the artwork of Gordon Lees. Gordon's painting is impressionist in style with a locomotive that cannot be identified heading chocolate and cream GWR coaches. The station, of four platforms, hosts several passengers seated and standing, a small signal box and a signal gantry. A footbridge joins the two main platforms and a set of GWR carriages are standing at a third platform. The station comprises brick buildings on platforms one and four and is set in a rural location on a sunny day.
The second picture features The Mail Train, the title of a 350-piece example. Rob Johnson’s painting shows a short GWR train in a picturesque branch line station, collecting and/or delivering mail. A red Royal Mail van is prominent in the picture. The locomotive is a 0-4-2 tank type, No 1419. The class was used regularly on GWR branch line trains for push and pull auto trains.