Today's post, 27th January 2016, features pictures of two large puzzles from the extensive, and rapidly increasing portfolio of Gibsons' steam railway jigsaw puzzles.
Up first is a 1000-piece example from the Heritage collection titled Calling at Rushbury. The artist, Don Breckon, unfortunately passed away in 2013 but his legacy of magnificent paintings, books and other commercial outlets such as jigsaw puzzles, lives on. In Don's painting the Great Western Railway (GWR) '4400' class, 2-6-2 tank engine No.4406, is arriving at Rushbury station with a short, branch line passenger service. The class of 11 locos was built by George Jackson Churchward in 1905, especially for such branch line work. No.4406 was withdrawn from BR Western Region service in 1955.
The second picture showing a 1000-piece Gibsons' puzzle is titled Two Weeks in a Welsh Town and the artwork is by Barry Freeman. A Stanier class 'V' 4-6-0 locomotive, No.45110 in late British Railways guise, is pictured pausing at Deganwy station along the Conway Estuary, with a holiday 'Special'. The locomotive is famous among railway aficionados as one of three members of the class to head the "15 Guinea Special", the last steam-hauled passenger train, on 11th August 1968. The locomotive is one of 842 built between 1934 (LMS) and 1951 (BR) all equally at home on freight or passenger duties. No.45110 is currently on display in The Engine House at Highley, on the Severn Valley railway.