London Gallery

Quick Lunch and Snack Bar at Paddington Station, 1936

An interior view of Paddington station showing a busy snack bar, which probably opened soon after the modernisation of the station in the 1930s. The GWR roundel logo adorns the top of the doorway while a number of stylishly dressed passengers are sitting around the bar on stools enjoying a range of food and drink

© STEAM Museum of the GWR

Evacuees at Paddington Station in 1939

This moving image of evacuees making their way along platform 4 at Paddington Station was also taken during the 4 day evacuation of London and other major cities in September 1939. On September 1st, 58 evacuation trains were run by the GWR alone, carrying 44,042 children from the capital to the countryside. By the 4th September the number was reduced to 28 trains transporting 17,796 children. In total the GWR ran 163 trains from London during this 4 day period, evacuating 112,994 children. The evacuation story did not end there however, for the GWR was subsequently involved with the re-evacuation of children from the South and East Coasts to safer places, and the evacuation of more children from the London area

© STEAM Museum of the GWR

Scammel being loaded with Anderson Air Raid Shelter, West London, 1939

Westbourne Park Yard in April 1939 is the focus of this interesting pre-war image. Parts of Anderson shelters are being unloaded from a line of wagons onto a 3 ton Scammell tractor by a Ransome and Rapier petrol electric crane. From February 1939 Anderson shelters were distributed to households throughout the country. They were issued free to low income households and to those that earned more than £5 per week they were sold at a cost of £7. A total of 3.6 million Anderson shelters were issued or sold during the Second World War. From Westbourne Park Yard these shelters would have been distributed to homes throughout the London area