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.