Letting Off Steam

David Weston has been painting the railway scene over the past forty years and this book reflects the great variety of subject matter that the artist has produced during that time.

Born in 1935 he well remembers the days of the `Big Four' companies prior to the birth of British Railways in 1948. However, the end of the steam era during the 1960s is what inspired him to paint, not only the glory days of the steam years, but also the run-down and eventual demolition of locomotives in the scrapyards of those years.

His series of twenty-four large canvases commissioned by Sir William McAlpine on the History of the British Steam Locomotive enjoyed a three year tour of UK galleries and museums, including the Laing Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne and the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh. The exhibition was spotted by His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, who invited David and his patron to Buckingham Palace for an informal chat about the work and the subject of industry and the arts.

As the title suggests Letting Off Steam also provides the artist with an opportunity to reflect on his life and times, often with gentle humor, and on the decline of our railways, and the demise of the country's pride in her industrial heritage.

Letting Off Steam is a celebration of David's atmospheric paintings of the era and of the locomotives that have inspired his work. Treasured by all who share the artist's passion for railways, the book will be enjoyed also for its insight into the life and work of this remarkable artist.