Forgotten painting by renowned railway artist goes on public display

A forgotten painting by a renowned railway artist has gone on display at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making after being loaned by train-maker Alstom.

The piece by Terence Cuneo depicts the firm’s Litchurch Lane Works in 1959 and has been loaned to the museum after Alstom hosted the record-breaking railway festival, The Greatest Gathering.

The oil painting was safely stored on site at Litchurch Lane several decades ago ahead of refurbishment works and never went back on display.

It was during preparations for The Greatest Gathering that organisers reached out to the Museum of Making to ensure that the artwork’s historical significance was fully recognised and enjoyed as widely as possible.

Andy Butters, managing director of Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works, said: “Terence Cuneo’s painting is a powerful reminder of Derby’s proud railway heritage and the enduring legacy of British engineering.

“We’re delighted to see it on public display, especially following The Greatest Gathering, which brought together generations of railfans to celebrate our factory’s historic and ongoing contribution to train-making.”

Laura Phillips, head of curation at Derby Museums, said: “Derby Museums is very excited to display this wonderful painting by renowned railway artist Terence Cuneo. The painting beautifully illustrates Derby’s railway heritage, linking the historic Alstom site with the collections at the Museum of Making.”

An accomplished portraiture and landscape painter, Terence Cuneo (1907-1996) is most synonymous with his artworks depicting the railways, particularly the transitional period between steam and diesel traction.

He was also the official artist for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

From 1954, Cuneo also included a small mouse within many of his works – with the Alstom painting no different.

Terence Cuneo’s ‘DMU at Derby Carriage and Wagon Works’ from 1959 depicts the construction of a British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple unit (DMU) at Alstom’s UK factory, today known as Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

A total of 333 Class 108s were built at Litchurch Lane between 1958 and 1961 and served passengers across Great Britain for over 30 years.

An example unit featured in the painting returned to Derby and starred in The Greatest Gathering earlier this month.

The restored two-car Class 108 – comprised of coaches No. 51941 and No. 52064 – is based at Severn Valley Railway and part of the DMU Group (West Midlands), and festival organisers arranged for the oil painting to be briefly positioned next to the train that inspired it.

Over the three days of The Greatest Gathering, Alstom welcomed more than 40,000 railfans from around the globe to its Derby factory as part of the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern rolling stock.

The train-maker’s sold-out charity extravaganza formed part of the wider festivities for Railway 200, a year-long celebration marking the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) on 27 September 1825 – and a journey that gave birth to the modern railway.

It also marked the first time in almost 50 years that the Derby factory had opened its doors to the public.