Station Gallery

Evacuees waiting outside the departure platform at Paddington in 1939

One of the very first war time roles that the GWR was engaged in was the evacuation of children from cities to the relative safety of the countryside. Even before war was declared, plans were drawn up for evacuation so the GWR and the other major railway companies were prepared and on standby to put these plans into action. On August 31st 1939, the day before Germany invaded Poland, the order to begin the evacuation was given. The very next day the mass movement of children began and continued until September 4th. The GWR was responsible for the majority of the children moved from North and East London and while most of the evacuation trains departed from Ealing Broadway, this image shows groups of children being off-loaded from a double decker bus outside the Departure Platform at Paddington Station during the four days of evacuation in September 1939.

Swindon Town Station, c1960

This station was originally on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway and was situated in Swindon's Old Town. Seen here with a BR Southern Region locomotive.

© STEAM Picture Library 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Mindland And South Western Junction, Old Town, Southern, Station, Swindon

Box Station, 1885

A view of station showing a standard gauge locomotive stood on mixed gauge track. The West portal of Middle Hill Tunnel can be seen in the distance

© STEAM Picture Library 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Mixed, Station, Tunnel