Newdigate sidings signal box by Chris Downing

Very strong watercolour.

Lovely rich colours, and the subject matter is very interesting too.

Thanks to you both for the kind comments. I only wish I could improve my skies, especially the clouds. I think I mess around with them too much.

I knew this location very well indeed in the early 80's,i even went inside this signalbox and got to pull a few levers and dare i say it in these days of the pc brigade,i used to play on the lines here and towards hawkesbury lane box to as a kid,happy happy days class 25's rattling along all day. I still love railways and class 25's but i love art too and as a painting,with rose tinted googles off,this is a fantastic picture,it it quite difficult to paint rail tracks but you have done a great job here,congratulations. Incidently,the other end of the newdigate pit line where the pit head itself was is right outside my studio window and i often am found on top painting the view of bedworth,still i miss the trains and coal trucks.

I have an affinity towards the pits and the railways. I worked at Coventry Colliery for 17 years and I have now worked on the railways for 18 years, so these subjects are very interesting for me. This painting now belongs to a work colleague who worked this signal box. He also owns some of the others in which he also worked. I have quite a few friends who worked at Newdigate pit. I wonder if you have any photos of the Newdigate pit headgear? Do you have a gallery on this site?