The Railway at War 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

Carriage No. 4329 from US General Dwight D. Eisenhower's ‘Alive' train in 1942

One of the most important areas in which the GWR was asked to support both the war effort and the US army was in the provision of what was codenamed the ?Alive' train which was to be used by the US General Dwight D. Eisenhower whilst in Britain making preparations for the invasion of Europe. Much secrecy surrounded both the make up and the operation of this train, although some details have emerged during the years following the war, and we know that carriage No. 4329, featured in this image, was one of the sleeping coaches from the ?Alive' train. It is understood that the order for the train was issued in June 1942 and that many additions and improvements were subsequently made over the following years, so making the train a fully equipped and self-contained vehicle from which General Eisenhower and his team could operate. During the latter years of the war the ?Alive' train travelled extensively around Britain, and in December 1944, fully equipped with bullet proof glass, the train was shipped overseas where it operated throughout France and on many occasions travelled close to the enemy line

0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399 in the process of being scrapped, c.1949

The sorry sight of four The sorry sight of four 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives, photographed in the late 1940's, in the process of being scrapped. Identified as engine No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399, and all built during the 1890's, these locomotives would have seen service in both World Wars. With many Dean Goods having been rescued from the scrap heap in 1930/1940 due to them being needed for war service, it was inevitable that once locomotive building resumed in earnest after the war, many of these older engines were destined for the scrap heap once again. . Identified as engine No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399, and all built during the 1890's, these locomotives would have seen service in both World Wars. With many Dean Goods having been rescued from the scrap heap in 1930/1940 due to them being needed for war service, it was inevitable that once locomotive building resumed in earnest after the war, many of these older engines were destined for the scrap heap once again