Five great train pictures

Rail enthusiasts aren't all necessarily trainspotters in anoraks at the end of a platform writing down numbers avidly. There are many beautiful paintings of trains painted by some famous artists from the traditional to the modern for keen locomotive fans. You can commission your own train painting or buy a train photo. Here we look at five of these artists.

Famous train paintings

Claude Monet The French impressionist artist, Claude Monet (1840 - 1926) painted may paintings of trains or railway stations. In 1875, he painted 'Train in the snow', an evocative picture of a steam train making its way through snow covered countryside. He painted a number of train pictures based around his home in Argentuil and perhaps his most famous train painting is called 'Arrival at Saint Lazare Station' showing steam trains puffing into the station in Paris. Barry Price Born in the Midlands, Barry Price developed an interest in art from his grandfather. Following military service, he began drawing and painting transport, especially boats, planes and of course, old trains. His best-known work is probably that of the 'Flying Scotsman' a LNER Class A3 Pacific Locomotive no.4472 designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in 1923. On the 30th November 1934, the train became the first steam locomotive to officially record 100 miles per hour. Barry Price has a selection of prints available for sale on his website. He has also painted several other UK steam trains. Howard Fogg Howard Fogg was commissioned to produce a series of sixteen paintings for the centennial celebration of the completion of the Transcontinental railroad in the USA. The centennial was in 1969 and amongst the paintings, most of which have been reproduced as postcards, is 'Moment of Excitement' showing plain Indians who have stampeded a herd of buffalo onto a railroad track.

Modern age train images

Ivo Pannaggi With the change from steam to diesel and electric trains, the artists have changed their styles to suit. There is a very impressive Cubist painting called 'Speeding Train' by the Italian artist Ivo Pannaggi (1901-1981) which exemplifies this change in mood. O. Winston Link Winston Link was a photographer, famous for his rail photos, mainly of steam trains on the Norfolk & Western Railway . He died in 2001 and there is a museum exhibiting his works and detailing his life in Roanoke, Virginia. Copies of his rail pictures can be bought in the museum shop. The archive of his photos is on display. Last word Trains have fascinated people for over a hundred years, whether locomotives puffing steam or the clean electric of the modern age. There are many train images available for enthusiasts to enjoy.