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If you wish to communicate with me about steam train jigsaws and/or related railway art, or to respond to requests for answers to my queries, please email David, at : platt.precology@gmail.com

Monday, 8 December 2025

Early 19th century railway painting

In a similar vein to the puzzle seen in the previous post, today, 8th December 2025, I am showing a 500-piece puzzle from Redbubble. The puzzle picture is a copy of the famous painting from JMW Turner - Rain Steam and Speed, The Great Western Railway. Compare the two puzzles and decide which painting is the better example of the 19th century; but there are more than 40 years between the painting dates (1844 Turner - 1887 Monet).
The painting, on display in The National Gallery, London, shows a Great Western Railway 'Firefly' class, 2-2-2 broad gauge locomotive, heading a passenger train over Maidenhead Bridge. The locomotive is one of a class of 62, made by several builders between 1840-1842, and designed by Daniel Gooch. From 1865, the class, together with the 'Prince' class of 6 locomotives, became the 'Priam' class. One of the 'Firefly' class - Phlegethon - famously hauled Queen Victoria's Royal Train in June 1842 from Slough to Paddington. This was the Queen's first train journey and both Gooch and Isambard Kingdom Brunel were on the footplate. The puzzle has a highly reflective surface which made the pieces difficult to 'read', in bright lighting.