Shirley Goodsell | Originals Gallery | Full Service for the No.825

The old No.825 steam engine is being checked by maintenance staff at Grosmont, North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The day before I began this painting, I had watched the owner lovingly polishing its green livery in another part of the building.

I came upon it in the dark No.5 Workshed and began one of the sketches I used as research for this painting.

Light was streaming in from the tall dirty windows and from behind the trains serving to add height and weight to this leviathan of the glorious age of steam.

In the painting I wanted to capture the train away from the day trippers and its romantic image.

I tried to convey the mixture of cold damp air and steam and the smell of engine oil.

Unframed