DURHAM CATHEDRAL

Today's post, 29 May 2023, shows a Ravensburger jigsaw of 1000 pieces titled Durham Cathedral. Of course, a steam train is included in the foreground to comply with the blog title, but I can't help but think that the cathedral - such a powerful image in its own right - 'steals the show'. What a pity the weather wasn't better when the original photograph was taken.

I visited this cathedral a few months ago and took several photographs, mainly internal examples; and the weather was superb. It is a magnificent, huge building and I learned that it "has characteristics common to both Romanesque and Gothic architecture". The train, probably a 'Special' excursion of recent times, is headed by one of Sir Nigel Gresley's 'A4' class 'Pacifics' of 4-6-2 wheel configuration, No.60009* Union Of South Africa. What a wonderful location to take a photograph such as this with two focal points. Only six 'A4's remain from an original class of 35 - one in America (60008), another in Canada (60010) and four in the UK (60007, 60009, 60019 and 60022). The last one in this list is the most famous; the world record holder for steam, 60022 Mallard. For more details of the class especially when all six were paraded together in 2013 at the National Railway Museum, York, just Google A4 Class Pacifics. A jigsaw from one of my own photographs of 60019 Bittern can be viewed in a previous post, 9th May 2021. *60009 is owned by Scottish farmer John Cameron who purchased the locomotive in 1966, and recently returned it to Scotland (Fife) for static display at his Farming and Railway Visitor Centre. The latter is to be opened at his Balbuthie Farm this year. It will be displayed with his other locomotive, former LNER 'K4' class 4-6-0, No.61994 The Great Marquess. NOTE The photograph, from North News and Pictures, was taken by Paul Kingston.

L.M.S. Trio.

Today's jigsaw, 11 May 2023, is titled Hest Bank Whitsun 1961 and features a superb painting by the acknowledged, master railway artist, Philip Hawkins, a Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists. The two, easily identified locomotives in the picture are, left, a 'Princess Coronation' class 4-6-2 designed by William Stanier and right, a 'Patriot' class 4-6-0 designed by Henry Fowler, both for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (L.M.S.). Of specific note in the painting are the camping coaches to the left of the main station platform; they were in place c1960-1969. No.46254 is heading north through the station with a Birmingham - Glasgow express passenger train. No. 45507 and an unidentified Jubilee class 4-6-0 locomotive are double-heading a Workington - Euston passenger train, about to stop at the station to pick up passengers.

The Stanier locomotive is No.46254 City of Stoke-on-Trent. The class of 38 was built in several batches between 1937 and 1948, with 46254 emerging on LMS rails in 1946. The first ten of the class were streamlined with half of them 'earmarked' for heading the prestigious 'Coronation Scot' train from London Euston to Glasgow Central. The Fowler locomotive No.45507 Royal Tank Corps, was an early member of a class of 52 and emerged on LMS rails in 1930. The class was built between 1930 and 1934 and numbered 5500-5550. Eighteen members of the class were rebuilt between 1946 and 1948 and called 'Rebuilt Patriots'. A new, 'unrebuilt' 'Patriot' class locomotive is being built currently at the Midland Railway - Butterley, West Shed, and named The Unknown Warrior. It will continue the numbering system of the class prior to British Railways days when the number '4' was placed before all locomotive numbers. The new locomotive will carry the number 5551, to continue the class. Both the Stanier and Fowler locomotives were built at Crewe Works. Hest bank is a small village in Lancashire, near Lancaster. If you wish to learn more about the painting and camping coaches, please copy this link into your browser. www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/full-steam-ahead-for-special-painting-of-hest-bank-railway-station-2974800