Black 5 in Syston by Mike Finney

Hi I don't know your name. Its a great painting but I have difficulty thinking of this a a British Rail station! Its far too clean and tidy. In those days everything was covered in coal dust and grime, and the platforms were usually strewn with litter and sack barrows, and old oil lamps, etc etc. Also the sky seems to be in cerulian blue - which is more mediteranean than an English sky (usually). The train and the steam look really good though. Well done Julian

Hi Julian - Thanks for your comments. This was painted as one of a series of childhood memories hence a few liberties taken with colour. It's set on the Midland region of British Railways in the mid 1950s. Regards Mike

I love this painting. It also reminds me of a childhood spent around railways in the 50's Father was a loco driver with LMS and we lived a stonesthrow from the local sheds.