Gwr Collection

Cornwall, GWR poster, 1938
Poster produced for the Great Western Railway (GWR) to promote monthly return tickets to Cornwall. The poster shows holidaymakers on a beach surrounded by rocks and cliffs

Replacing Brunels Carvedras Viaduct, Truro, Cornwall. Around 1890s
Two workmen using a stationary steam engine with a belt drive, building the new stone piers to replace Brunels original stone piers topped with wooden fanned supports

Charles Saunders (1796-1864)
Charles Saunders was the first Secretary of the GWR between 1840 and 1863. He was a close friend of Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Freight train on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, by Selwyn Pearce-Higgins. This narrow gauge railway line was opened in 1903

Ferryside Railway Station, Carmarthenshire, South Wales
View of Ferryside Railway Station on the Great Western Railway, Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Probably taken from the footbridge across the tracks

Illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson -- The building of Saltash Bridge. Date: 1935

GWR Prospectus Map from 1834
This document shows the proposed line from London to Bristol prior to the GWR receiving their Act of Parliament in 1835

Camborne Railway Station. 1920s
Camborne Station in the early 1920s, including the splendid platform lamps, the flat awning of the down platform contrasting with the pitched version on the up side

Gorseinon, street and railway, near Swansea, South Wales
View of the town of Gorseinon, near Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales, with the railway line running in parallel with the High Street

GWR navvies, Treffgarne, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
A group of ten Great Western Railway navvies working on the Treffgarne railway at Nant Y Coy, Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales

Bristol Temple Meads Station, Bristol
Street scene outside Bristol Temple Meads Great Western Railway Station, Bristol. An open-topped bus is passing by, and a train is crossing the railway bridge

Calstock viaduct, Cornwall. After 2nd March 1908
The Calstock viaduct and quay with lift. The Viaduct was completed on 2nd March 1908. Photographer: Unknown

Perranporth Railway Station, Cornwall. Around 1903
A view over Perranporth railway station. The station was the terminus of the line from 6 July 1903 until completion of the line to Newquay on 2 January 1905

Locomotive no 4002 Evening Star 4-6-0

The Holloway, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
Scene in Gloucester Terrace, The Holloway, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, decorated with flags and bunting to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII

Clynderwen Railway Station, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
View of Clynderwen (or Clunderwen) Railway Station in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, on the Great Western Railway. Seven men and a boy stand in a line on the platform

Landore Viaduct construction, near Swansea, South Wales
View of construction work on the Landore Viaduct, over the Swansea valley and the River Tawe, on the Great Western Railway, Glamorgan, South Wales

Gwaun Cae Gurwen incline, Carmarthenshire, South Wales
View of the Gwaun Cae Gurwen incline on the Great Western Railway near Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Dyfed, South Wales, with a large number of trucks on the line

Carvedras Viaduct, St Georges Road, Truro, Cornwall. Before 1902
View south down St Georges Road of Isambard Kingdom Brunels original timber fanned viaduct. This viaduct was replaced by an all stone structure which opened on the 17 August 1902

Taffs Well Viaduct, near Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales
View of Taffs Well Viaduct, also known as Walnut Tree Viaduct, near Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales. This was a railway viaduct crossing the canal

Goodwick Railway Station, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
A long line of passengers and staff waiting on the platform at Goodwick Railway Station on the Great Western Railway, Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales. They are all looking across at the camera

Wharncliffe Viaduct
The Wharncliffe Viaduct of the Great Western Railroad, at Hanwell, Middlesex. Brunel (I.K) was responsible for the construction and design of much of the early GWR

Newton Abbot - 1926
Great Western Railway Station Newton Abbot Devon

Fishguard Harbour Railway Station construction, South Wales
View of Fishguard Harbour from the sea, during construction of the new GWR railway station, in Pembrokeshire, South Wales

Penweathers Viaduct, near Truro, Cornwall. Before 12th October 1926
The original Brunel viaduct almost filled in to track level. This timber fan-structure and stone viaduct was replaced by the embankment on 12th October 1926. Photographer: Arthur William Jordan

Poster, French Line CGT, Plymouth to New York
Travel poster, French Line CGT, designed by Rodmell, Harry Hudson (1896?1984), Plymouth direct to New York, lithograph in colours backed onto linen. Printed by EDIA, Paris. 40ins. 25ins

Paddington Station, platform 5 and 6 - London. Date: early 1930s

Falmouth Railway Station, Falmouth, Cornwall. Early 1900s
A view of the platform at Falmouth Railway Station with a train in, looking towards the harbour and the town. Photographer: Unknown

GWR (4-4-0) Bulldog SWIFT (3350) with men posed in front. Between 1900-1912
Image shows GWR (4-4-0) Bulldog SWIFT (3350) possibly at Truro station although the locality is unknown. Eight workers are posed in front of the locomotive

Interior view of Camp Coach showing a close up view of dining room, 1935

Moresk Viaduct, Truro, Cornwall. Before 1904
General view of the Brunel stone and timber Moresk Viaduct also known as the Truro viaduct. It was replaced by a second stone viaduct built alongside which opened on the 14th February 1904

Carnon Viaduct, Perranwell, Cornwall. 20th June 1932
View of the Carnon Viaduct showing the original Brunel timber fan structure viaduct being replaced by a new stone structure directly behind the original. The new viaduct opened on 13th August 1933

Hook Colliery Railway, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
A view of the Hook Colliery Railway, a spur of the Great Western Railway which connected with Johnston Station, four miles away, in Pembrokeshire, South Wales

King Class Four-Cylinder Express Locomotive - Great Western Railway, 1935
" King" Class Four-Cylinder Express Locomotive - Great Western Railway, 1935. From " Railway Wonders of the World, Vol. 1". [The Amalgamated Press Limited, London, 1935]

The Royal Visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Grampound Road, Cornwall. 15th July 1903
The Royal visit in 1903 by the Prince of Wales (later King George V) and Princess Mary, leaving the station at Grampound Road in an open carriage

Trenance viaduct, Newquay, Cornwall. Around 1910
View of the viaduct taken from Trenance Gardens, with four women, wearing straw boaters, standing in the foreground. Photographer: Unknown

Harbour beach, St Ives, Cornwall. 1900s
Harbour beach seen from Smeatons Pier, with a fish jousters horse and cart in the centre, and the wooden Great Western Railway office in the background, on the wharf before the road was built

Cheltenham Flyer
The GWR (Great Western Railway) Cheltenham Flyer (aka Cheltenham Spa Express ) service, leaving Paddington station, London, on its way to Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire, July 1937

Bristol Station, The GWR by J C Bourne. illust

Haverfordwest Railway Station, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
Passengers waiting for the 1040 to Paddington, on the up platform of Haverfordwest Railway Station in Pembrokeshire, South Wales

Frederick George Saunders (1820-1901)
Frederick Saunders was both Secretary (1863-1886)and Chairman (1889-1895) of the Great Western Railway. He was the nephew of Charles Saunders

GWR Notice, 1888
A GWR public notice issued by General Manager Henry Lambert discouraging them to give fees to members of staff

A very early type of railway signal by W Heath Robinson
A very early type of railway signal now rarely to be seen - an example from Railway Ribaldry, drawn by William Heath Robinson and commissioned by the Great Western Railway to mark their centenary

Vale Of Rheidol Railway Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge

Newsagent stand at Truro railway station, Cornwall. 1915
Newsagents stand with two female staff on the platform during World War 1

Castle Pill railway, near Milford Haven, South Wales
View of the Great Western Railway at Castle Pill (pill is a local name for a tidal inlet), near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, South Wales

Narberth Railway Station, Pembrokeshire, South Wales
View of a deserted Narberth Railway Station on the Great Western Railway, Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales

King George V, 4-6-0 steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway (colour litho)
6014740 King George V, 4-6-0 steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: King George V)

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Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rich history of GWR, a name synonymous with Cornwall. From the iconic GWR poster of 1938 that beckons you to explore this enchanting region, to the majestic Calstock viaduct standing tall since 1908, every corner tells a tale. Venture into Wales and witness the might of a freight train traversing the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway; captured beautifully by Selwyn Pearce-Higgins. At Ferryside Railway Station in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, feel the nostalgia as you step onto its platform and imagine passengers from yesteryears embarking on their journeys. Delve into whimsical illustrations found within W Heath Robinson's Railway Ribaldry, transporting you to a world where imagination meets locomotion. In Gorseinon near Swansea, South Wales, marvel at how street and railway intertwine seamlessly - an ode to progress. The sweat and determination navvies come alive in Treffgarne, Pembrokeshire. These hardworking individuals shaped landscapes and built connections that endure till today. Witness another engineering marvel at Landore Viaduct construction near Swansea - an embodiment of human ingenuity pushing boundaries. Bristol Temple Meads Station stands proud as a testament to architectural brilliance while Redruth Railway Station takes us back to its inauguration on March 1st, 1867 - a gateway for countless travelers throughout history. Camborne Railway Station transports us further back in time with glimpses of life during the roaring twenties. Lastly, Perranporth Railway Station evokes memories from around 1903 when it served as a vital link between Cornwall's coastal beauty and bustling towns inland. As we reflect upon these snapshots frozen in time through photographs and illustrations alike, let us celebrate GWR's enduring legacy that continues to shape our present-day transportation landscape.