While tidying up a drawer in my desk I found a small stash of railway related postcards, and one of the more interesting ones is this LNWR postcard that looks like it was originally a black and white image and has been hand colourised and labelled before printing.
The engine is described as an eight-coupled goods engine, but it is actually a Class G2A 0-8-0 locomotive. These were mostly rebuilds from the earlier G1 with a newer high pressure boiler. These were originally built from 1912 onwards and lasted well into British Rail days.
The postcard itself was part of the L.N.W.R series of picture postcards printed by McCorquodale and Co. Ltd and would have cost 2d for a set of six. The postcard also proudly proclaims that over 6 million have been sold.
Strangely for a postcard featuring a locomotive there is actually nothing about the locomotive printed anywhere on the card, it does say however “The London and North Western Railway is noted for punctuality, speed, smooth riding, dustless tracks, safety and comfort and is the oldest established firm in the railway passenger business”. Quite a glowing review. I do find the phrase “Dustless tracks” to be a little strange, and I suspect that dusty tracks was never an actual problem the railway operating department ever had to deal with.