Artist returns to Black Country to see restored Rosie - one of his 12 railway iron horses seen by millions

Kevin Atherton was invited to Coseley Railway Station by the volunteers who recovered the mangled horse from the undergrowth where she had been dumped by metal thieves who had hacked her legs off.

The group of friends christened the iron horse Rosie and set about lovingly putting her back into one piece before successfully negotiating with several railway organisations to get her erected on Coseley Railway Station platform one.

Friday's meeting was Kevin's first official return to the Black Country since he completed Iron Horses - described as the longest sculpture in the world - between Wolverhampton and Birmingham Railway Stations.

British Rail commissioned the work the "liven up the line" between the two industrial revolution powerhouses and Anthony had to create a piece of art best viewed speeding past on a train.

He said: "I wanted it to look like a moving animation, the 12 iron horses are the same horse in different poses, like they were running alongside the track. I travelled the line and picked where I wanted them to be and then British Rail and the four councils had to work out the logistics.

"I called it Iron Horses because that was the name Native Americans called trains when they first saw them and they needed to be black to look like silhouettes from the train."

He added: "British Rail paid £10,000 for the entire thing and as a young whippersnapper in my 30s I was just happy I managed to make a few grand out of it."

British Rail hired a special train for the unveiling of Iron Horses where dignitaries travelled between Wolverhampton and Birmingham to see them as Kevin imagined.

He said: "It was a big deal, a Lord officially unveiled it and it felt great to see my Iron Horses besides the tracks."

The following year The Isle of Man sculptor had a one-man show at London's Serpentine Gallery from March to May 1988 and then moved to Ireland for 20 years where he pursued a career in film.

In 2016 he returned to the railway and created Platform Pieces at Brixton Railway Station which depict travellers waiting for trains and were given listed status by Historic England.

However, he never forgot his 12 iron horses in the Black Country.

He said: "Every few years there would be a story about one of the horses, they would either have been vandalised or attacked, but when I saw what had happened to my Coseley horse I had to come and see it."

Nat Partridge and friends from Baley Street Allotments spent their own money restoring Rosie to her resplendent best and wanted to unveil her to the public for the Queen's Jubilee. However, due to wrangling with rail companies they were not allowed to put the horse on the platform until last year.

The friends have continued to improve Coseley Railway Station, the latest addition being a mural unveiled in May, and tending to hanging baskets, which sadly were stolen last week.

Nat said: "We are so honoured Kevin came to Coseley to see Rosie, we have had a wonderful afternoon hearing all about how his sculpture came to life. Rosie looks amazing and hopefully the other 11 will get some loving care too."