Passengers Gallery

Buffet Car No 9631, c1934

GWR Publicity photograph
Built 1934 to diagram H41. Currently on display at STEAM Museum of the GWR, Swindon

© STEAM Picture Library 2007 - All Rights Reserved

1930, 9631, Buffet, Hotel, Publicity, Refreshment, Staff, Waiter

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

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