Maunsell's Schools

This post, 13th Dcember 2013, features two  pictures of jigsaws, each showing a Southern Railway 'Schools' class 'V' 4-4-0 locomotive, designed by Richard Maunsell. The 40 locomotives (built 1930-1935) in the class were the most powerful 4-4-0s ever built; all 40 were named after public boarding schools

The picture on the left features the first member of the class, without smoke deflectors, No.900 Eton; the illustrative artwork is not signed. The locomotive is pictured heading a rake of Pullman coaches past a signal box. The immediate response to the painting is that it features a special boat train, although there is no headboard. My copy of the jigsaw was unfortunately purchased without a box, hence the puzzle's origin and title are not known to me. It is of approximately 75 pieces and possibly from the Philmar portfolio of wooden, railway jigsaws.

The second picture shows the Falcon 300-piece puzzle titled Stowe, also the name of the engine in the jigsaw picture. The locomotive portrayed showing her smoke deflectors is the 'Schools' class 'V,' No. 928, and she is being admired by a couple of railwaymen. The coaches in tow are Southern Railway green examples. The artwork was by Rob Johnson, the artist responsible for all four superb jigsaw pictures in the Falcon 300 series, and all covered in this blog.

Two more from Gibsons and Barry Freeman

British jigsaw manufacturer Gibsons have many steam railway titles in their portfolio including the following two, both from artwork by Gibsons' favourite, Barry Freeman. The 500-piece puzzles are pictured in today's post, 26th November 2013. 

The jigsaw in our first picture is titled Living Legend. George Jackson Churchward designed the 'City' class of 4-4-0 locomotives from 1902, specifically for express passenger duties. The most famous of the class, No.3440 City of Truro, known as 'The Grand Old Lady' of the GWR (Great Western Railway), was outshopped in 1903. In the following year she became the first locomotive to, unofficially,  break the 100mph speed barrier. The timing, equivalent to 102.3mph, was carried out by Charles Rous-Martin on the 'Ocean Mails service, working from Plymouth Docks to Bristol, Swindon and Paddington. The record was attained during the Plymouth to Bristol run, on the descent between Whiteball Tunnel and Wellington. Unfortunately, a duplicate recording was required  for authentication but a second timekeeper was not present, therefore, the record could not be ratified. The locomotive is preserved as part of the National Collection and has run on Heritage Railways in the 21st century. The second locomotive in the picture is an 0-6-0 tank locomotive, No.47383, designed by Henry Fowler in 1926 for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). This locomotive, one of 422 built between 1924 and 1931, is preserved and based at the Severn Valley Railway. The class was known affectionately as 'Jinties' (singular 'Jinty')

The second picture is titled Elegance and Industry. The elegance part of the picture is provided by another locomotive of George Jackson Churchward, this one from his 'Star' class of 4-6-0s. The locomotive is No.4010 Western Star built in 1907, and the location is Newton Abbott, a mecca for GWR enthusiasts. The coaches are a mix of pre and post 1928 chocolate and cream examples. The industry part of the picture is in the form of a GWR workhorse, class '5700' 0-6-0 pannier tank No.5760, built by Charles Collett in 1929 from an original Churchward design. Behind the locomotive is a typical GWR siphon van, used for carrying milk.

A Splash of Colour in a Monochrome Jigsaw

In today's post, 17th November 2013, I am featuring a picture of a current jigsaw made by German manufacturer, Schmidt. The quality is immediately apparent when one holds the pieces, as they are finely cut from very thick card. The printing is better on the box reference however, than on the jigsaw, which is darker.

The Adventures of Molly and Macy are based on the twin daughters of David Ellis of West Yorkshire, England. The girls form the focal point of his monochrome photographs; they are pictured in different scenarios and at various ages between 18 months and six years. David rather cleverly introduces a splash of colour into his black and white images, mostly red. He established a design and advertising agency in 1992 from which his publishing company, Double Trouble, was  founded in 2003. See more of Molly & Macy on the website at  www.doubletroublepublishing.com

The puzzle in the picture is titled You're Leaving and is of 1000 pieces. The girls are featured at a picturesque railway station possibly on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway or the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, both in Yorkshire (email me if you know). It is reminiscent of a 1950's style scene with the girls pictured fronting a BR tank engine and beside a loaded luggage trolley  The jigsaw is not easy to assemble because of its strictly limited tonal range (except for the red) but leaves you with a great sense of satisfaction when completed. Schmidt make other puzzles from the series of adventures.

Two 'Panoramas' from Gibsons

Today's post, 31st October 2013, comprises two pictures showing jigsaws from the Gibsons' 636-piece 'Panorama' series.

Picture one (left) is titled Sunny Day at Alresford replicating the original artwork of Chris Woods. The picture features the 1920 built, ex London & South Western Railway 'S15' class 4-6-0, No.506  designed by Robert Urie. The locomotive, in Southern Railway livery in the picture, is shown entering Alresford Station, heading a rake of BR carmine and cream liveried passenger coaches.The summer weather has attracted many passengers suitably dressed waiting for the train. The station is now part of the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) and the locomotive is under restoration with a view to it entering service in 2014.

The second picture shows GWR locomotives double heading a passenger service in the summer of 1947. The locos are a 'County' class 4-6-0 No.1022 County of Northampton designed by Frederick Hawksworth and an unknown 'Castle' class 4-6-0 locomotive, the brainchild of Charles Collett. The railway runs parallel with the Oxford Canal at Lower Heyford in Oxfordshire and Barry Freeman has painted an idyllic scene integrating canal and railway traffic with the village and farm. The result is  Summer of '47 - a harmonious scene radiating all that is best in rural Britain.

The original paintings from Chris and Barry were 'masked' into a letterbox shape for these  'Panorama' jigsaw puzzles. Summer of '47 was also in the Waddingtons' portfolio as a 1000-piece puzzle.

More JR Puzzles

Probably the most common and least expensive steam train jigsaws on the secondary market are the JR Puzzles' examples which started me off on my thematic jigsaw journey c1995. They were marketed as two series, each of four, 400-piece puzzles, titled Nostalgia - Steam Trains and Age of Steam - Steam Trains. I have already used two of them (see the post of 20th February 2011) but here is another duo replicating the excellent artwork of Edgar Hodges. The JR range of puzzles was made by Handleys Printers of Stockport from the 1970's but has recently been acquired by (James Hamilton) Grovely Puzzles of Salisbury. 

Each puzzle depicts a famous train of the steam era and the corresponding headboard; the two are 'The Flying Scotsman' and the 'Yorkshire Pullman'. Note that the former includes the definite article used only sparingly in BR days from the 1950's because the 'Flying Scotsman' headboard, used from 1928, continued in common use.

Picture number one shows 'The Flying Scotsman' headed by one of (Sir) Nigel Gresley's famous 'A4' class 4-6-2 ('Pacific') locomotives, affectionately known as 'Streaks'. The locomotive is No.60024 Kingfisher but the station is not named - possibly York. The train ran from Kings Cross to Edinburgh and was known in its early days as the 'Flying Scotchman' or 'The Special Scotch Express'; it originated from an 1862 service of the Great Northern Railway (GNR). This puzzle is from The Age of Steam - Steam Trains series.

My second picture features the 'Yorkshire Pullman' express from the Nostalgia - Steam Trains series. Again the express is hauled by an 'A4' class locomotive; this one is No.60026 Miles Beevor. Another  Gresley 'Pacific' is included in the picture, 'A3' class, No.60091 Captain Cuttle. Hodges painting is very similar to a photograph of Leeds Station shown on the York Press website of 9th October 2013. The website article describes the 'Great Gathering' at York's NRM where all six, preserved 'A4's in the world, were to be on show. Hodges' jigsaw painting is in a similar style to the website photograph showing a 1953 picture of 60026 Miles Beevor leaving Leeds Station. The 'Yorkshire Pullman' served several Yorkshire towns and cities from Kings Cross, including Bradford, Leeds, Harrogate and Hull.

Past Times Montage.

As the title aptly describes, in today's post 28th September 2013,  I am using a photograph of a jigsaw, in montage style, from Past Times. The puzzle is a 1000-piece example titled The Steam Train Revolution.

The images are superbly painted but the artist is not named, unfortunately (email me if you know who). Centrally placed is a portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel fronting his Royal Albert Bridge spanning the River Tamar between Devon and Cornwall. Locomotives included are as follows -

(1) An ex GWR 'Prairie' class 2-6-2 locomotive, No.4160, in early BR black livery. The 1948 locomotive was introduced onto GWR metals by Frederick Hawksworth but the 'Prairie' class locomotives were originally designed (3100 class) by George Jackson Churchward in 1903 and revised, later, by Charles Collett. 

(2) A 'Large Bloomer' 2-2-2 locomotive of the London & North Western Railway designed by James McConnell. The locomotives were originally liveried in green, but in the 1870's this changed to the familiar 'Blackberry Black'. The legend describes this loco as an 'Extra Large Bloomer' - only three, with extra large 7ft 6" driving wheels, were built in 1861.

(3) The 'Coronation Scot' special train headed by a 'Princess Coronation' class 4-6-2 locomotive of (Sir) William Stanier. The LMS locomotive was built in 1937 one of five specially designed for the express service. All five were painted in 'Caledonian Blue' and white, with matching carriages; the colour was later change to red and gold.

(4) Although built by the GNR, a predecessor of the LNER, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive to enter service with the LNER on 22nd February 1923 as an 'A1' class 4-6-2 locomotive, No.1472. She acquired her famous name and 4472 number in time for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, and was the first locomotive to 'officially' break the 100mph barrier in November 1934. Flying Scotsman, designed by (Sir) Nigel Gresley was fitted with smoke deflectors ('blinkers') c1960.

(5) Another superb Gresley design was the 1938, 'A4' class 4-6-2 locomotive, No.4468 Mallard. More famous to some railway buffs than Flying Scotsman, Mallard still holds the world speed record for steam locomotion at nearly 126mph, set in July 1938.

(6) The Furness Railway 0-4-0 locomotive, No.20, is the oldest working, standard gauge locomotive in the world (built 1863) and is owned by the Furness Railway Trust. She is one of eight locomotives built by Sharp Stewart & Co. of  Manchester, between 1863 and 1866. The FR livery is known as 'Indian Red'.

Also  included with or among the locomotive illustrations are linemen working on the rails in a station; a packed luggage trolley; a signal box; a tunnel; a bridge; and two home signals on a double arm gantry.

Steam and Winter Snow (2)

This is the second post dedicated to this subject (see the post of 22nd May 2011). A superb steam locomotive battling against the winter elements - what a combination. Many artists have triumphed with their interpretations of this 'vision' and produced memorable paintings, some used in the jigsaw trade. Copious amounts of steam and smoke exhaust, cooling and condensing in freezing cold air add to the profound ambience emanating from such paintings. In today's post, 18th September 2013, I am using two pictures of jigsaw puzzles each showing a different approach to this subject.

Home for Christmas is an appealing painting by Kevin Walsh used by Gibsons for a 500-piece jigsaw. Kevin shows a busy scene involving a SR 4-4-0 'Schools' class locomotive No.30901 Winchester at the head of typical, green SR coaches. The train is standing in a picturesque station. Disembarked passengers rush home after a busy day Christmas shopping, or just hang around chatting or waiting for friends or relatives. A blanket of snow covers the ground adding that extra aesthetic ingredient.

Philip D. Hawkins is the artist, Wentworth the manufacturers; the result is a superb 250-piece jigsaw puzzle titled Winter Blizzard, available in varying numbers of pieces. In the picture a 'Castle' class 4-6-0 locomotive of the GWR, No.4082 Windsor Castle, is featured heading a rake of BR carmine and cream passenger coaches, c1960. The engine is battling against a strong winter blizzard and very poor visiblity. A forlorn lineman clutching his red flag with one hand and his cap with the other, adds human interest as he struggles to stand beside the line. The nostalgia and pictorialism radiating from the jigsaw picture are almost tangible. An annual calendar featuring six paintings by Philip is marketed by Quicksilver Publishing. I have each one since 2007, when, in that year, this painting was used for November/December months. It has always been one of my favourite pictures. Because of the predominantly white background the superbly cut 'whimsies' - pieces cut into special shapes - can be clearly seen.

Artist Kevin Walsh

Kevin Walsh's artwork is highly sought after by jigsaw manufacturers. In today's post, 30th August 2013, I am using three pictures of jigsaw puzzles featuring  his paintings. Kevin hails from the rugby league town of Castleford in Yorkshire and his early affinity for painting was nurtured at Wakefield Collage of Art. His early success was in the aviation field but his love of painting saw him branch out into community life, landscapes and transport. His love of the latter is clearly illustrated by the inclusion of some type of transport of bygone days in many of his pictures. Rural associations are strong features in his paintings with nostalgia buried deeply in his brush strokes. Several of Kevin's rural scenes include a steam train as an important element of composition. At my last count, twenty four jigsaw puzzles  named in my inventory of over eight hundred steam train examples, replicate Kevin's artwork. Gibsons, Ravensburger, Wentworth and Falcon/Jumbo are among his patrons.
 

 

First up is a picture of the Ravensburger 500-piece jigsaw unimaginatively titled Green Steam Engine.  Kevin's painting features Gresley 'V2' class 2-6-2 locomotive No.4791 passing a rural house with two children looking on from the garden gate. A man standing by his vintage Austin car is also included, admiring the green engine as it roars by.



 

 

Next are two pics showing all or part of a Kevin Walsh painting used in the jigsaw trade. The first, picture number two overall, shows the 1000-piece jigsaw by King International titled Following the Trains. The painting  is typically Kevin's featuring a wonderful steam train, in this case the famous express 'The Flying Scotsman', being admired by a couple of children and the family pet. Included in the scene is a tractor, a vintage Royal Mail post van and a postman collecting mail from a lineside post box. The scene is typically rural and nostalgic, the inclusion of the vintage post van and tractor adding more impact the the countryside scene isolated in the jigsaw pictured below. The locomotive heading the express is Gresley 'A1' class 4-6-2, No.4472 Flying Scotsman.
 

 

The jigsaw in picture number three has the same title as the  example  immediatley above. It is made by Ravensburger and produced in the vertical format from the same Walsh painting (or is it?). To accommodate the shape of the Ravensburger picture the tractor, postman, mail van and post box are 'cut off'; hence, it loses the extra impact inherent in the King jigsaw. The cut off point offers much discussion though. A vertical cut on the right hand side of the King jigsaw, excluding the Royal Mail content, and matching the Ravensburger example, appears to be impossible.

Apologies for using this picture for a second time, but it was important in the context of this post.

 

 

The headboard 'The Flying Scotsman', complete with defnite article,  was sparingly used from c1950*. The headboard 'Flying Scotsman' was used from c1928 and subsequently remained the most utilized  headboard (with slight shape changes) used on the express. However, the number of the locomotive 4472 and the tender lettering LNER (London & North Eastern Railway), infer a pre-1948 date, for the painting. 1948 was the year when the four UK regional railways (LNER, SR, GWR and LMS) were nationalised as British Railways. 

 

A 1928 photograph of the 'Flying Scotsman' express, headed by the Gresley 'A1' class locomotive No.2547 Doncaster, can be viewed on the Internet (Wikipedia).

 

* Locomotive Headboards. The Complete Story. Author Dave Peel. (ISBN 0-7509-4462-5)

Rural Steam

In this post, 21st August 2013, I am using photographs of two jigsaw puzzles both illustrating single track branch lines in steam's halcyon days.

 

Picture number one features a small, 'H' class 0-4-4 tank locomotive designed by Harry Wainwright of the South East & Chatham Railway, in 1904. The SE&CR was one of the component railways that made up the Southern Railway (SR) following 'grouping' on 1st January 1923. Many of the class were fitted for push-pull working most suited to rural branch lines. The jigsaw puzzle is a 500-piece example from Falcon titled Homeward Journey. The artwork is by transport artist, Mike Jeffries. In the jigsaw picture the locomotive is heading two SR suburban coaches along a single track; the latter runs parallel to a muddy footpath. On the footpath two schoolboys are walking  and chatting. Homeward Journey appears to relate to the train, or the boys, or both.

 

 

Country Connection is the title of the jigsaw in the second picture. It is a wooden example of 240 pieces but its origin is not clear. It was cut to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Great Western Railway (GWR) but by whom, I don't know. It is part of a series of which I have six in my collection, all replicating artwork by Don Breckon. The latter is famous for his paintings of GWR suburban scenes; the inclusion of human interest appears to be important in many of Don's paintings. The station in the painting is not a 'real'  station but similar in style to many suburban, GWR examples. The interpretation of Don's artwork is completely personal. The locomotive is a typical small prairie 2-6-2 tank type, common on suburban GWR lines. It is standing in the station heading two chocolate and cream suburban coaches, with the customary human interest, mischievous boys and an older lady in this puzzle, also included. The red Bedford WLB bus and a car (taxi?) wait in the station yard for transferring passengers. 

Two from B.R.

The two puzzles described in today's post, 5th August 2013, are marketed under the B.R. label. The latter to any railway buff is an acronym for British Railways or British Rail but the relationship between the label and jigsaw puzzles is unclear. The four puzzles in the series all relate to the British Railways era however, the steam locomotives all carrying the post 1956 'rampant lion and wheel' logo.  If anyone out there can shed any light on this please contact me.

The first picture shows a 400-piece jigsaw titled No.46102 The Black Watch. The LMS 'Royal Scot' class of seventy 4-6-0 locomotives was originally designed by Henry Fowler, but rebuilt later by William Stanier. No.46102 is pictured speeding past a group of track workers, hauling a rake of carmine and cream carriages. The artist is named as Michael Turner. Studying the signature on the jigsaw painting points me in the direction of the famous aviation and motor sport artist of the same name and similar signature. Born in 1934 in Harrow, Michael may have been persuaded to turn his experienced hand to railway painting. The printing quality of this puzzle picture is better than in the second one below, resulting in denser colour saturation.

Leslie Carr is the famous artist named on the second jigsaw puzzle picture titled No.46245 City of London. The 'Princess Coronation' class 4-6-2 locomotives were outshopped between 1937 and 1948 from Crewe Works. They were designed for the LMS by (Sir) William Stanier and numbered thirty eight on completion; all had been retired by 1964. The first locos to grace LMS lines were streamlined and the previous post describes why. Three 'Princess Coronation' class locos are preserved - No.6229 Duchess of Hamilton, No.6233 Duchess of Sutherland and No.6235 City of Birmingham. The loco in Leslie Carr's water colour painting is speeding through countryside on the west coast main line, in charge of a rake of BR maroon coaches.