Perhaps more has been written about the Great Western Railway than any other, and the company is regarded with the most affection. The combination of an unbroken history, engineering icons of the Victorian era, holiday destinations and a visual appeal in their design work went a long way in keeping the GWR in pole position. The stations and other structures have long enjoyed the admiration of many and are a quintessential ingredient of the GWR recipe for remembrance. Change has always been with us on the railways and none more so than in the twenty-first century, where much of the GWR scene is to be swept away under the wires of electrification. The GWR proposed electrification of the Taunton to Penzance route in the 1930s and would have carried it out if they'd had the cash so, eighty years later, this change has an air of inevitability about it. Great Western Railway Stations is a last look at much of the GWR architecture, some of which is listed, and aims to present a lavishly illustrated overview of what remains of the old company.

A lavishly illustrated survey of a wide range of GWR stations.

The Great Western Railway struggled with what was called 'the women question' for many years. It had heartily agreed with The Railway Sheet and Official Gazette that 'the first aim of women's existence is marriage, that accomplished, the next is ordering her home'. Yet women were the cheapest form of labour, apart from young girls, presenting the company with a dilemma and the GWR finally succumbed to allowing women to work after heavy external pressures. Using over 100 pictures, Swindon author Rosa Matheson traces the development of this problematic relationship, from its beginnings in the 1870s when women were employed as sewers and netters at Swindon Works, through the changes wrought by the two world wars and the entry of women into railway offices - fiercely opposed by the company and by the unions and many men who resented sharing the lowly paid but prestigious title of 'clerk' with women. The book also uses many original documents and forms as well as written and oral testimonies providing first-hand insights into the women's experiences.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the GWR line in North and West Wales has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the GWR line between Bristol and Plymouth has changed and developed over the last century.

In August 1914 the GWR was plunged into war, the like of which this country had never experienced before. Over the years that followed life changed beyond measure, both for the men sent away to fight and the women who took on new roles at home. Not since 1922 has the history of the GWR in the First World War been recorded in a single volume. Using modern data-bases and enjoying greater access to archives, Sandra Gittins has been able to produce a complete history which traces the GWR from the early, optimistic days through the subsequent difficult years of the Great War, including Government demands for war manufacture, increased traffic and the tragic loss of staff. From GWR ships and ambulance trains to the employment of women, every part of the story is told, including the saddest of all, which is represented by a Roll of Honour.

This lavish photographic history of the most beautiful and historic railway stations in London tells a story of power, progress and innovation, from the beginning of steam age to the teeming commuter hubs of today. London has more mainline railway stations than any other city in the world and many of them are amongst its grandest architectural monuments. Its earliest terminals opened in the late 1830s when lines between the capital and the regions were built in the first railway boom. The original station at London Bridge, the capital’s first passenger terminus, was opened in December 1836, six months before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The last main line to London, the Great Central Railway to Marylebone, was opened in March 1899, two years before Victoria died. Ever since they originally opened, these stations have been at heart of London life and activity and have dominated the architectural landscape. Many are now in the midst of major reconstructions and are the centrepieces for the transformation of whole swathes of London, from Paddington to King's Cross. This comprehensive story combines a historical overview, archive illustrations and specially commissioned photography, covering the origins of the earliest stations up to the latest reconstructions and renovations. Written by the expert author Oliver Green, this is an essential gift for anyone interested in the history of London and its transport.

Paddington Station in London is one of Britains most splendid and historically significant railway termini, as the home and headquarters of the Great Western Railway, and as one of the masterpieces of its chief engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (180659). Steven Brindles comprehensive history, the first full-length study of the station to be published, first appeared in 2004. Around the same time, in the course of research for the book, the author discovered Brunels earliest surviving cast-iron bridge, which spanned the Regents Canal just outside the station but had hitherto been unrecognised, just in time to prevent its destruction for a major new road bridge and negotiate its salvage by dismantling. The second edition of the book, richly illustrated from a wealth of historic sources and now published in a larger format, has been updated to take account of a series of momentous recent developments at Paddington: the reprieve and restoration of the stations Edwardian fourth span; the project to create a new entrance on its north side; and the impending redevelopment of its south side to serve as one of the principal stations on the new Crossrail route across London. The book concludes with a detailed account of the project to rebuild the Bishops Road Bridge project and the authors discovery and salvage of Brunels iron canal bridge: a rare instance when writing the history of a historic place directly influenced its future, and led to the saving of a unique part of the past.