Signal Boxes

An integral part of railway infrastructure is the signal box and today's post, 29th August 2016, comprises a single picture of a jigsaw featuring a mainline signal box. Sadly, such jigsaws are not common.

The internal workings of a signal box are displayed in the House of Puzzles' 1000-piece jigsaw, titled Signalling Change, from the Dellavaird Collection. In Kieth Stapleton's artwork a signalman is operating one of several levers with  an approaching passenger train about to pass outside. The train, hauled by GWR 'Castle' class  4-6-0 locomotive, No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, is clearly visible through the signal box window. This locomotive is preserved and main-line certified.

Another example of a jigsaw showing a signal box interior is the 140-piece wooden example by Cotswood. The jigsaw picture replicates Terence Cuneo's 1948 BR poster, On Early Shift. The interior of the Greenwood Signal Box, New Barnet, is pictured with a Gresley 'A4' class 4-6-2 about to pass with an express passenger train. The puzzle is re-titled, simply, Early Shift. I am unable to show a picture of this puzzle as it is not currently part of my collection.

Locomotives only

Today's post, 17th August 2016, comprises two pics of jigsaws each featuring a single, stationary locomotive - known simply as 'record' shots in photography circles.















The first picture (left) shows a KG Games 400-piece puzzle from the 'Trains' series, titled No.70000 Britannia. The 4-6-2 locomotive is the prototype of the British Railways class 7MT, which was introduced to the network between 1951 and 1954. Designed by R A Riddles the class eventually totalled 55 locomotives. The locomotive is mainline registered in preservation.

The second picture (right) of a 4-6-2 locomotive features the most famous example in Britain and probably the world, No.4472 Flying Scotsman. The jigsaw shown is part of the Hope, 500-piece 'Railway' series titled The Flying Scotsman. The locomotive was built in 1923 at the Doncaster Works of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). She was the third of the 'A1' class, later 'A3' class, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley; the first, No.1470 Great Northern, was introduced in 1922. The 'A1/A3' class eventually numbered 79 by 1935. The locomotive is the only member of the class to be preserved and is part of the National Collection. For more information about Flying Scotsman and relevant jigsaws just enter Flying Scotsman in the blog search bar.