Two Stations

Today's post, the first of the new year, 8th January 2024, features two jigsaws, each illustrating a different station. The titles are (top) Village Station featuring a single line, branchline example; and (below) Train Station, showing a main line construction, busy with holiday traffic. Both are 1000-piece puzzles from Otter House and Cancer Research, UK, respectively, and both are marketed in small space saving boxes. The Cancer Research puzzle is manufactured by Tailormade Creative Design Ltd.

Village Station shows an unusual visit from a giant 4-6-0 'King' class locomotive, No.6024 King Edwadrd I, heading 'The Red Dragon' express passenger service. Both the 'King' locomotive and the 'Red Dragon' Express were highly unlikely to be seen on a single line, branch line, such as in the painting. At present, the preserved locomotive, No.6024, is located at the Locomotive Services Group’s base at Crewe, where it is in the final stages of overhaul. For more information about No.6024 just Google - Preserved British Steam Locomotive/6024. The artwork by Victor McLindon includes several interesting 'cameos' - a level crossing with waiting traffic on both sides; a half cab single deck bus; an elegant station building; many passengers and station visitors; male and female tandem riders; a dog; a male motor cyclist and a completely pastoral backdrop. 'The Red Dragon' was a named express that ran Paddington - Swansea, with a detached portion for Carmarthen. Train Station is a very unusual illustrative composition by an an unnamed artist. An ex Great Western Railway 2-8-0 locomotive No.285x is about to leave (?) with a holiday excursion to the North West Coast. Oddly, the locomotive carries the number 44871, the number of a Stanier 'Black Five' class 4-6-0 type. Along with two others of the same class, No.44871 hauled the 'Fifteen Guinea Special' on August 11th 1968 - the last main-line steam train to run on British Railways. The three locomotives shared the duties on the special excursion between Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Victoria, Carlise, and return. Just Google 'The Fifteen Guinea Special' for more information. It is likely that the locomotive is No.2857, normally based at the Severn Valley Railway and the railway was honouring the momentous 1968 event. Both paintings show a degree of 'artistic licence'.