In today's post, 30 August 2019, I am describing a Waddingtons' cardboard puzzle from around the mid 20th century. One of the biggest names in jigsaw puzzles, Waddingtons, began making jigsaw puzzles in the early 1930's. They had bought in die cutting technology from America, but it took many years of development before top quality jigsaws could be made. The company survived until 1994 when they were taken over by American company Hasbro Inc. The original name lived on however, with Woolworths as the major supplier. 500 and 1000-piece puzzles were packaged in the instantly recognisable red boxes. Woolworths went into administration in 2008 leaving the Waddingtons name in doubt.
Canon Street station is depicted in the Waddington’s Zodiac 400-piece jigsaw titled Train Departure. A ‘Schools’ class 4-4-0 locomotive, No.30926 Repton, is pictured leaving the station heading a passenger train in British Railways' days (Repton was originally numbered 926 in Southern Railway days). The station dominates the backdrop. A second steam train is also exiting the station on the adjacent line. The illustrative artwork is unsigned but is very similar to Robert Nixon's oil painting titled Canon Street Station (see www.robertnixon.co.uk). In Robert's painting, 'Schools' class 4-4-0, No 900 Eton is heading out of the station with a passenger train, in the Southern Railway era. Both of the additional trains are also in similar positions in Robert's painting.
