Cuneo imagined the thrill of the first day of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Thick coal smoke fills the air as horses and dogs race, flat-out, against the locomotive.

Cuneo was fascinated by the unusual designs of the early railways.

Although he prided himself on his accurate depictions of machines. recent research has shown that Locomotion originally looked quite different.

Terence Cuneo (1907-96) was an artist of exceptional skill, range and popularity.

He depicted military history, state and public occasions, industry and technology, wildlife, and even portraiture. Today he is best known for his railway paintings.

As a child he sketched steam locomotives, before becoming an illustrator of boys’ books and magazines.

His big break came with commissions to create posters for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, London & North Eastern Railway and British Railways.

Cuneo received many commissions in the final days of his beloved steam. Steam services were retired from the national passenger network by 1968.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: National Railway Museum, York
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Terence Cuneo (1907-96)
Date: 1949

Image Details
Date: 17 September 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Telephoto Camera 52mm ƒ/2.4
Focal Length: 52mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 200
Licensing: Image of a Science Museum Group Collection asset. This image cannot be licensed.