THIS PAINTING IS SOLD.

One of the oldest named trains the “Cornish Riviera” made its debut in 1904 and in this painting depicting the train in the 1950s ran non-stop to Pymouth where an engine change from a King to a Castle was necessary due to weight restrictions for crossing the Tamar bridge thence onto Penzance in Cornwall.

Traditionally, in steam days, the down train left Paddington at 10.15am [later changed to 10.30] and booked to arrive at Penzance at 5.10pm a credible time considering nearly half of the 300 plus miles were over fearsome gradients and severe curvature and included attaching a pilot at Newton Abbott and a engine change at Plymouth. The up train departed Penzance at 10am and was allowed 10 extra minutes for the journey probably to allow for the sometimes slow approach into Paddington during the rush hour at 5pm.

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