Todays post, 31 January 2018, features a 500-piece jigsaw from Ravensburger that was made for the USA market.
It is quite a unique steam railway puzzle of 'Large Piece Format', measuring 70cm x 50cm when completed. There is a lot of detail in the painting by British artist Michael Herring. Centre stage is a smalL, ex-L.N.E.R. tank engine, heading two small passenger coaches on a single track, rural line. Seven geese have escaped through a gap in the lineside fence, and have wandered on to. the track in front of the stationary train. The geese are causing consternation among train crew and fascination among a few, visible passengers leaning from open carriage windows. The fireman and guard are shown walking beside the train towards the geese as the driver looks on from his cab. A man and his dog are approaching the line from a lineside property, presumably to rescue the geese. A shed is open alongside the property to re-house the geese. A covering of snow adds aesthetic appeal to the pictorial composition. The jigsaw is titled Snow Bound but the original artwork on Michael's website is titled Geese on the Line. The jigsaw is not generally available in the UK to the best of my knowledge, although my used USA copy, was purchased from a UK Amazon supplier. As it was first marketed in c2008, used copies may be the only examples currently available. Michael's picture must represent a British Railways' scene (1948-1968), as the logo - on the class 'J69', 0-6-0 tank engine, No.68579, designed by J. Holden, c1902 - was used post 1956. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1960.
