NZR J1211

My third locomotive.


I have discovered, yet again, that highly polished glossy black metal isn't black - it's an impossibly complex mix of reflective colours. For this drawing, I'd managed to find some Derwent pencils that are varying shades of grey-blue.

The 40 NZR J class steam locomotives were all built by North British Locomotive Works, Scotland. The locomotive was notable in that it had a boiler that was partly streamlined.
J1211 was purchased by a syndicate from NZR in 1971 and moved to Steam Incorporated's site at Paekakariki. In 1978, Ian Welch purchased it outright and moved it to Glenbrook Vintage Railway for restoration. J1211 is named 'Gloria' and has been fitted with original style streamlining. It was converted to oil firing in 1996.

The centenary of the North Island Main Trunk line was celebrated over the Labour Weekend, 2008 at Fielding. Steam locomotives in attendance were F163, Ab663, Wab794, J1211, Ja1271, Ja1275 and Ka942. Here we see J1211 simmering in the afternoon sun.

von Richthofen's Fokker Dr.1

The Red Baron flies again in my ninth aircraft drawing.


Although there are a number of replica Fokker Dr.1's flying today, there are no original Dreideckers left. Serial No 152/17 (depicted here), in which Manfred von Richthofen obtained three victories, was displayed at the Zeughaus museum in Berlin. The triplane was destroyed by an Allied bombing raid during World War II.

Phantom F-4 II

The eighth aircraft - I've been drawing this off and on for some months.


This is the USS Constellation based Phantom F-4J piloted by Randy Cunningham (with Radio Intercept Officer Willie Driscoll) that, as part of the 'Fighting Falcons', shot down the first MiG-21 in July 1972 during the Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnam) battle.

NZR RM30 Railcar 'Aotea'

The second locomotive.


I don't normally like diesel locomotives, but the colouring and three-quarter aspect appealed to me. I'm especially pleased with the way the light reflects off the sloping front panel and windscreen.

The drawing is based on a photograph I took of NZR Class 'Rm' No 30 diesel Railcar (Standard Type), 'Aotea'. Built by NZR (Hutt workshops), RM30 entered service in July 1938 and was withdrawn in December 1972 after running 1,363,684 miles. It is now based at the Silverstream Railway, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

BR 9F 2-10-0 locomotive

And now for something completely different - the first of a new series featuring locomotives.


I very much enjoyed drawing this. Basically monochromatic with varying shades of warm through cold greys, I concentrated on drawing it bit by bit. It wasn't until I stood back and looked at the finished product that it suddenly became real. It seems to have a life of it's own.

I've always had a liking for steam locomotives. They somehow seem alive. My very early youth was spent in a railway town and I can still hear the haunting sound of an NZR chime whistle echoing around the hills on a cold winter's night.

The BR 9F 2-10-0 was designed to operate fast, heavy freight trains of up to 900 tons over long distances. Here we see 92204 speeding through the English country-side.

Consolidated PBY Catalina PB2B-1

The seventh of my aircraft.


Another aeroplane with a New Zealand connection. I'm not happy with the background - it is supposed to represent a cloud-covered island coastline - so I will rework it at some stage.

The aircraft depicted, RNZAF PB2B-1 Catalina, Code GF-C arrived in Fiji on 04 April 1944. It was declared surplus to requirements in 1951 and broken up at Hobsonville in 1952. Long-range patrols and reconnaissance flights were carried out from Lauthala Bay, Fiji by flying boats of No 3 Operational Training Unit.

Mustang P51D

Number six in a growing series of aircraft.


This was a very difficult aeroplane to draw. I had decided on something with a New Zealand theme, but there wasn't much in the way of source material available, hence the unappealing angle. And of course, the Mustang is a highly polished aluminium beast so there are all sorts of reflections.

This drawing is of a NZ Territorial Air Force P51D Mustang. The black & red checkers denote a Canterbury squadron. NZ ordered 320 P51 Mustangs as a partial replacement of its F4U Corsairs - only 30 were delivered and the war ended before they entered service. One Mustang is on display in the RNZAF Museum and three other privately owned Mustangs are airworthy in the country.