A forgotten painting depicting Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works in 1959 has gone on display at Derby Museum of Making.
The oil painting was created by Terence Cuneo and is on loan to the museum, where it has been for a few decades. The painting was previously taken off display ahead of refurbishment works.
During preparations for The Greatest Gathering, the organisers reached out to the museum to help ensure that the painting’s significance was recognised.
Cuneo was an accomplished painter, having depicted numerous railways and locomotives in his work, and always featured a small mouse in his works.
The painting features the construction of a British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple unit (DMU) at Alstom. One of this class of locomotives returned to Alstom for The Greatest Gathering earlier this month.
“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 – home to our Railways Revealed gallery, Railway Study Centre and the Midland Railway Society collection. It was thrilling that our historic model railway volunteers could take part in the record-breaking Greatest Gathering – a phenomenal tribute to Railway 200.”
Laura Phillips, Head of Curation at Derby Museums
