Jon Houser
Click on a piece to view it in detail:
Autumn Goods
Ex GWR 28xx class 2807 with a mixed goods train in the Early 1950's. After being withdrawn from service by British Railways in 1963 and taken to Barry scrapyard where she remained for 17 years, locomotive 2807 was purchased by Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd in 1981, the engine had gone through years of restoration until finally reaching a fully operational condition in 2010. 2807 is the oldest surviving ex GWR loco in private ownership.
Carew Castle
Ex GWR Castle class 5024 "Carew Castle" on the turntable at Neyland West Wales, after being serviced and turned ready for her return to Paddington with the "Parcels". The period the painting is based on is the early 1950,s and the clean condition of Carew Castle contrasts sharply with the decaying buildings of Neyland yard. The Castle class locomotive weighed 79 tons 17 cwt and tender 46 tons 14 cwt. Tractive effort - 31,625 lbs
Rolvenden
An Austerity saddle tank locomotive built by Hunslets in 1953. Now on the Kent and East Sussex Railway as no 24 "Rolvenden"
The Red Dragon
From a very early age, art and railways have been of great interest to Jon. As a lad he liked nothing more than to work on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, polishing George Barlows locomotive the "Green Goddess", and the reward would be a bottle of Guiness and a footplate ride on the "Goddess" the following day. He had a large print of "The Age of Steam" by Terence Cuneo at the time and spent hours admiring this lovely painting. Cuneo has since been a great inspiration to him and when taking up painting seriously while studying at the Carmarthen Art College, it was railway scenes that inspired Jon. After spending years painting portraits, landscapes,still life and figure painting, it is the railways that Jon had a real passion for and has now returned to. Jon is now living in Sageston Pembrokeshire West Wales.