Swindon's Railway Village Gallery

Family boarding a train in the carriage sidings at Swindon, for the annual Works trip, 1932

Swindon Works closed down for two weeks every year, and the workers and their families went on a holiday known as the Trip. Complimentary trains ferried families to their destinations. In order to reduce any disruption to normal services, these trains were boarded from inside the Works or further down the line

© STEAM Picture Library 2018 - All Rights Reserved

Mechanics Institute, 1933

This view of the Mechanics Institute shows the entrance to The Playhouse Theatre. The fly tower for the theatre can be seen in the centre of the building. This was built when a fire destroyed the old stage in December 1930.

The Institute provided a library, theatre and games rooms for GWR employees and their families. It was built in 1854 and stood in the heart of the Railway Village

© STEAM Picture Library 2007 - All Rights Reserved

New Swindon, c1860

This early view of Swindon looking north shows the Works and the Railway Village in their infancy. St Marks Church can clearly be seen just behind the newly laid out park. The Wilts and Berks Canal can be seen in the foreground running through the field at the back of the cottages in the Village

© STEAM Picture Library 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Park, Swindon, Village