J. Craig Thorpe (American, B. 1948) "New Hampshire Locomotive" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Paper.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood Legendary Locomotives of the 50 States New Hampshire Commemorative Cover postmarked July 3, 1995.
On July 3, 1869, the Mount Washington Railway Company -- the brainchild of wealthy businessman Sylvester Marsh opened the world's first cog mountain-climbing railway. Six times steeper than the most severe conventional railroad grades, this lofty, seven-mile line spanned more than three miles of trestle. In this particular method of transportation, a cog-and-rack system mounted between the rails allows the engines to gain traction during the precipitous ascent. Indeed, the cylinders power the cog wheel, not the weight-bearing wheels that ride the rails, as on a conventional steam engine. Even the locomotive's boiler and the passenger seats are slanted to accommodate the steep grade. The first engine to operate on this cog railway was "Old Peppersass," named for its resemblance to salt and pepper cruets. By the fall of 1868, track had been built to within three-quarters of a mile of the summit when severe cold and snow halted construction. Work did not resume until the following June. However, in just three weeks, the route from the base of Mount Washington to the Tip-Top House hotel at the true geographical summit (6,288 feet) was finished. Today, this tourist line is still in service and still totally powered by steam. Old Peppersass is retired and on display at the Base Station. More typical of the classic log railway engines is No. 1, Mount Washington, built by Manchester Locomotive Works in 1883. It is shown here crossing Jacob's Ladder, the steepest grade on the route.
Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 18 x 15 in.
Unframed.
(B15111)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.
- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.