The railway paintings of Wrenford J. Thatcher

Here, in over 100 superb paintings, Wren Thatcher has literally 'Caught on Canvas' the last days of the age of steam. His inherited knowledge and passion for the subject (both his grandfathers were engine drivers), is revealed in every picture, from the classic image of 'The Princess Royal' climbing Shap Bank in snow to the workaday 7F hauling coal trucks on the Somerset & Dorset line. Every locomotive appears to be alive as though the artist's brushes were primed not with paint, but with steam and smoke. And here too, in a welcome departure from traditional railway paintings, the artist has recreated panoramic scenes at some of the most famous of our railways stations, capturing the realism of smoke-blackened brick and stone.