Female Collection

Swindon Works War Work, 22nd January 1942
Female worker machining a 25 PDR shell on 22 January 1942. Munitions work issued by Ministry of Supply

Female telegraph operator, 1910
A female operator can be seen here working the switchboard at the Paddington Telegraph Office in 1910. Prior to this date the Great Western Railway had been slow to employ women in their telegraph

Paddington Telephone Exchange, London, 1906
An image of a female operator connecting callers to the railway system at Paddingtons Telephone Exchange, London, 1906

Workers riveting a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop c. 1942
In this image taken at Swindon Works sometime during the latter half of the war, three women are shown working on the riveting of a locomotive boiler in V Boiler Shop

Medical Fund Society Offices, c. 1930
Behind the scenes at Swindons GWR Medical Fund, a range of work was undertaken including record keeping in the Societys offices on Milton Road

Women employee in the Road Motor Department at Slough, 1944
The Road Motor Department at Slough was another area that saw the employment of women in traditionally male roles. This photograph was taken on April 18th 1944

Swindon Works employees manouvering a wheel set by crane, c. 1940
In this photograph a female crane operator is working alongside two male colleagues, manoeuvring a locomotive wheel set into place

Female stewardess, 1917
A Dining Car Waitress in her crisp white apron stands in the doorway of dining car No. 9546 on Platform 2, Paddington Station in 1917

Female employees at Swindon Works making lamps, c. 1940
A larger group of female employees have been photographed here engaged in the making of lamps at Swindon Works. The tin lamp bodies

Female Clerks at Swindon Works, 1916
This image of female clerks was taken in May 1916, just 10 years after women were first employed in clerical positions within the GWR

Female Refreshment Attendant, c. 1918
A member of Refreshment Department staff is photographed manning the platform trolley at Paddington Station circa 1918. Photographs such as this

The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in 1943
The Goods Yard at Cardiff Docks in September 1943 is the subject of this image featuring a group of ladies stacking boxes that have probably just been off-loaded from a goods train

Swindon Works employees welding superheaters for locomotive boilers, 1942
A group of female employees are welding the superheaters for locomotive boilers in P1 Shop. As rail operation was essential to the war effort

Swindon Works Canteen Staff, 1986
Six members of Canteen Staff at Swindon Works are in this photograph taken in March 1986. By this date the closure of the Works was underway and many staff had left

Jayne Clarke on No. 1023 Western Fusilier at Swindon Works, 1973
Swindon Works employee Jayne Clarke is the subject of this stylish photograph. Jayne started at the Works upon leaving school and worked her way up to the position of supervisor

Female Tracer in the Drawing Office at Swindon Works, 1959
This image from 1959 shows a female tracer working in the Drawing Office at Swindon Works. A tracer was a skilled job. It involved tracing, with care and precision

Aberystwyth Enquiry Office, late 1950s
The Enquiry Office at Aberystwyth Station in the late 1950's is the subject of this photograph. These three employees would have had a public facing role helping passengers with the details

GWR Operatic Show - Virginia, 1937
15 glamorous members of the GWR Operatic Society can be seen here promoting their performance of Virginia in 1937. On the bottom row, far left, are sisters, Marjorie Colman and Dorothy Challis

Polish and Sewing Shop outing, c1920s
Staff outings were a popular part of GWR working life. This image from the 1920s shows a group of women who worked in the Polishing and Sewing Shops at Swindon Works

Female Stationmaster, June 1941
This image features a young lady called Freda Jones. During the Second World War she was made a GWR Stationmaster at Pontdolgoch, a station in mid Wales on the Welshpool to Aberystwyth line

Female wartime workers, 1943
This line up of women at Paddington Station shows the varied jobs female GWR employees undertook during the Second World War

Female permanent way workers, c1940
During the Second World War women were employed in various different roles within the GWR. The women here fixing track chairs to wooden sleepers as part of their role within the permanent way

Female Ticket Collector, c. 1918
A lone female ticket inspector stands inside an unidentified station punching a hole in the ticket she is checking. As the war progressed and more and more men went to fight

Women porters working in the left luggage office at Paddington station, during WWII
The Left Luggage Department at Paddington Station was, during the war, manned by female staff as can be seen in this image taken in 1943

Swindon Works War Work, 26th June 1942
A female worker varnishing the inside of a 9.2" shell. This work was issued by the Ministry of Supply

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