London Stations Gallery

Bomb Damage at Royal Oak near Paddington c.1940

Bomb damage to stations was inevitable after the sustained air attacks by the German Luftwaffe in late 1940 and early 1941. This photograph shows the damage to the station at Royal Oak, just outside of Paddington. The two carriages of a London to Swansea train show the effect of a blast, including fire damage and broken windows. The track, platform and station buildings also suffered from the blast with twisted rails and broken slabs evident in the centre of the image

Soldiers and Sailors Buffet at Paddington Station, 1919

A shot capturing the last servicemen to be offered refreshments at the Soldiers and Sailors Free Buffet at Paddington Station on 28th June 1919. The forces canteen opened in April 1915 to offer sustenance to the servicemen who passed through Paddington during the war years. It was staffed day and night by a dedicated group of more than 80 female volunteers who, during the four years that the Buffet was open, served refreshments to more than 3 million men. The soldier sitting in the corner seat was himself a Great Western man, possibly on his journey home from active duty

© STEAM Museum of the GWR

Female stewardess, 1917

A Dining Car Waitress in her crisp white apron stands in the doorway of dining car No. 9546 on Platform 2, Paddington Station in 1917. Rail travel during the war was not just restricted to essential journeys. Travel for pleasure continued according to Mr Guy Calthrop, General Manager of the London and North Western Railway, who was asked to represent all of the railway companies before the Man Power Distribution Board. In his report of October 1916 Mr Calthrop stated that there is an enormous amount of "joy-riding" on railways at the present time'; and facilities such as on-board dining for long journeys were as integral to the service the GWR offered its customers as before the war began

© STEAM Museum of the GWR