Painting voted third most loved UK rail art

A recent public poll was conducted as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the modern railway

A Surrey artist's depiction of a goods train leaving King's Cross station at night has been voted the public's third favourite UK railway-themed artwork.

The late David Shepherd CBE, who passed away in 2017, created Service by Night in 1955 as artwork for a British Railways poster.

Known for his love of steam engines, Mr Shepherd's painting ranked third in a global Railway 200 poll held to mark two centuries of the modern railway.

The artist's granddaughter Georgina Lamb said that "nothing made him happier than standing aboard a roaring steam engine".

While David Shepherd's love for trains fuelled several of his works, it was his wildlife art that led him to becoming one of the nation's most celebrated artists

She said: "His deep affection for these machines brought his paintings to life, turning them into vivid tributes to the craftsmanship he spent his life championing."

Mr Shepherd, who lived in Frensham and spent some years near East Grinstead in West Sussex, had a second love which cemented his legacy as an artist.

It was Mr Shepherd's wildlife art and care for endangered species that led him to create the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) in 1984.

Ms Lamb is also the CEO of the foundation which carries on his legacy.

She said her grandfather had a "lifelong passion" for both subjects, which he painted "with equal love and skill".

The DSWF, based in Shalford, operates across Africa and Asia to end wildlife crime and protect endangered species in their natural habitat.