The Great Western Railway – quickly coming to be known as ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’ – was once regarded as the most advanced in the world. Engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel it was initially designed to connect Bristol to London and came to develop a distinct character all of its own, one of the many reasons why it remains a much-loved and popular area of interest.This book traces its history covering topics such as the company, its engines and carriages, its engineers – including Gooch, Dean, Armstrong, Collett, Churchward and of course Brunel – as well as the battle of the gauges. Full of little-known facts and figures and with numerous photographs and memorabilia as well as a timeline, it is a tale full of record breakers and mighty achievements waiting to be retold to a modern age.

New paperback edition - A narrative history of the most iconic railway company of the great age of steam.

Roden’s comprehensive new history of this remarkable railway company tells the story of nothing less than the opening-up of the isolated Southwest of England to the trade and tourism of the modern age. It has left us with soaring termini like Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads as well as glorious railway institutions like the Night Riviera overnight sleeper to Cornwall that endure to this day (not least thanks to the author’s own campaigning!). While the GWR’s green locomotives and chocolate and cream carriages may have given way to purple, anyone who wants to return to the golden age of the railways will find the company’s history an enthralling journey.

A narrative history of the most iconic railway company of the great age of steam.

The Routledge History of Childhood in the Western World provides an important overview of the main themes surrounding the history of childhood in the West from antiquity to the present day. By broadly incorporating the research in the field of Childhood Studies, the book explores the major advances that have taken place in the past few decades in this crucial field. This important collection from a leading international group of scholars presents a comprehensive survey of the current state of the field. It will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of childhood.

The age of steam is past, the heyday of Swindon Works is long gone – but the legend lives on. What made the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works iconic? Was it its worldwide reputation; perhaps its profound impact in shaping the new town of Swindon; or that it melded those who worked there into one big family? In a new and exciting format, this book, by popular railway historian Rosa Matheson, helps explain why the never-ending love story endures. With big facts and fascinating stories, it is a must read not only for ex-Works employees and their families, nor just for GWR fans and railway enthusiasts, but also for any newcomer seeking to find a good way into railway history.

This chronicle of one of England’s most popular railway museums tells the remarkable story of four friends who turned their boyhood dream into reality. Located in the Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire, England, the Great Western Society is dedicated to preserving the steam locomotives and other artifacts of Great Western Railway. Starting in the 1830s and operating well into the 20h century, G.W.R. brough a sense of romance to train travel as it connected London to Western England and Wales. But while this British railway company is truly legendary, The Great Western Society has a fascinating history of its own. Formed in 1960, The Great Western Society was founded by a group of schoolboys who wanted to save a Great Western Tank locomotive and an auto trailer. A letter they sent to The Railway Magazine proposing their idea led to one of Britain’s most successful heritage railway projects. Today that original project has blossomed into the best collection of Great Western rolling stock and locomotives in the world.