View source for Great Western Railway

{{short description|British railway company (1833–1947)}}
{{About|the company 1833–1947|the modern company|Great Western Railway (train operating company)|the railway line|Great Western Main Line|other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox GWR}}
The '''Great Western Railway''' ('''GWR''') was a [[History of rail transport in Great Britain|British railway company]] that linked [[London]] with the southwest, west and [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] of [[England]] and most of [[Wales]]. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling [[act of Parliament]] on 31 August 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838 with the initial route completed between London and Bristol in 1841. It was engineered by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]], who chose a [[broad gauge]] of {{Track gauge|7ft}}—later slightly widened to {{Track gauge|7ft0.25in}}—but, from 1854, a series of [[Consolidation (business)|amalgamations]] saw it also operate {{Track gauge|uksg}} [[Standard gauge|standard-gauge]] trains; the last broad-gauge services were operated in 1892.

The GWR was the only company to keep its identity through the [[Railways Act 1921]], which amalgamated it with the remaining independent railways within its territory, and it was finally merged at the end of 1947 when it was [[Nationalization|nationalised]] and became the [[Western Region of British Railways]].

The GWR was called by some "God's Wonderful Railway" and by others the "Great Way Round" but it was famed as the "Holiday Line", taking many people to [[English Channel|English]] and [[Bristol Channel]] resorts in the [[West Country]] as well as the far southwest of [[England]] such as [[Torquay]] in Devon, [[Minehead]] in [[Somerset]], and [[Newquay]] and [[St Ives, Cornwall|St Ives]] in [[Cornwall]]. The company's locomotives, many of which were built in [[Swindon Works|the company's workshops at Swindon]], were painted a middle chrome green colour while, for most of its existence, it used a two-tone "chocolate and cream" livery for its passenger coaches. [[Great Western Railway wagons|Goods wagons]] were painted red but this was later changed to mid-grey.

Great Western trains included long-distance express services such as the ''[[Flying Dutchman (train)|Flying Dutchman]]'', the ''[[Cornish Riviera Express]]'' and the ''[[Cheltenham Spa Express]]''. It also operated many suburban and rural services, some operated by [[GWR steam rail motors|steam rail motors]] or [[GWR Autotrain|autotrains]]. The company pioneered the use of larger, more economic goods wagons than were usual in Britain. It ran ferry services to [[Ireland]] and the [[Channel Islands]], operated a network of [[GWR road motor services|road motor (bus) routes]], was a part of the [[Railway Air Services]], and owned [[Great Western Railway ships|ships]], canals, docks and hotels.

==History==

===Formation===
[[File:Bristol Temple Meads railway station train-shed engraving.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Two trains and two empty rail tracks below an ornate roof which recedes into the distance|The interior of Brunel's train-shed at Temple Meads, the first Bristol terminus of the GWR, from an engraving by [[John Cooke Bourne|J.&nbsp;C.&nbsp;Bourne]]]]
The Great Western Railway originated from the desire of [[Bristol]] merchants to maintain their city as the second port of the country and the chief one for American trade.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Channon |first=Geoffrey |url=https://archive.org/details/bha062 |title=Bristol and the Promotion of the Great Western Railway, 1835 |isbn=0-901388-45-9 |publisher=Bristol Historical Association |year=1985 |location=Bristol |publication-date=1985 |language=English}}</ref> The increase in the size of ships and the gradual silting of the [[River Avon, Bristol|River Avon]] had made [[Liverpool]] an increasingly attractive port, and with a Liverpool to London rail line under construction in the 1830s Bristol's status was threatened. The answer for Bristol was, with the co-operation of London interests, to build a line of their own; a railway built to unprecedented standards of excellence to out-perform the lines being constructed to the [[North West England|North West of England]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 1}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Great Western Railway Act 1835
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for making a Railway from Bristol to join the London and Birmingham Railway near London, to be called "The Great Western Railway," with Branches therefrom to the Towns of Bradford and Trowbridge in the County of Wilts.
| year                  = 1835
| citation              = [[5 & 6 Will. 4]]. c. cvii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 31 August 1835
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
The company was founded at a meeting in Bristol on 21 January 1833. [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]], then aged 27, was appointed engineer on 7 March 1833. The name Great Western Railway was adopted on 19 August 1833, and the company was incorporated by the '''{{anchor|Great Western Railway Act 1835}}''' ([[5 & 6 Will. 4]]. c. cvii) on 31 August 1835.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|pp=4–5, 9, 25–26}}

===Route of the line===
This was by far Brunel's largest contract to date. From the outset he wanted a line that offered the highest possible speeds, and to this end made two controversial decisions. Firstly, he chose to use a [[Broad-gauge railway|broad gauge]] of {{RailGauge|7ft}} to allow for the possibility of large wheels outside the bodies of the rolling stock, which could give smoother running. Secondly, he selected a route north of the [[North Wessex Downs|Marlborough Downs]], which allowed for gentler gradients and therefore higher speeds. From London, the route would run west as far as [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], then make a sweeping deviation to the north before returning to the east–west alignment at [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]. Although this route had no significant towns it offered potential connections to [[Oxford]] and [[Gloucester]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 1}} Brunel reasoned the higher speeds and limited stops would achieve shorter journey times overall.

Brunel surveyed the entire length of the route between London and Bristol himself, with the help of many, including his solicitor, Jeremiah Osborne of the Bristol law firm [[Osborne Clarke]], who on one occasion rowed Brunel down the [[River Avon, Bristol|River Avon]] to survey the bank of the river for the route.<ref name="Clifton RFC">{{cite web |url=http://www.cliftonrfchistory.co.uk/captains/press/press.htm |website=Clifton Rugby Football Club History |title=Edward Payne Press |access-date=22 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723122827/http://www.cliftonrfchistory.co.uk/captains/press/press.htm |archive-date=23 July 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Brunel 200 - Working With Visionaries" >{{cite web |url=http://www.brunel200.com/downloads/osborne_clarke_leaflet.pdf |title= Working With Visionaries |website=Brunel 200 |publisher=Osborne Clarke |access-date=22 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520183659/http://www.brunel200.com/downloads/osborne_clarke_leaflet.pdf |archive-date=20 May 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Construction of the line ===
[[G. T. Clark|George Thomas Clark]] played an important role as an engineer on the project, reputedly taking the management of two divisions of the route including bridges over the [[River Thames]] at [[Gatehampton Railway Bridge|Lower Basildon]] and [[Moulsford Railway Bridge|Moulsford]] and of [[Paddington Station]].<ref>{{cite ODNB| last =James| first =B Ll| title =Clark, George Thomas (1809–1898)| year =2004| doi =10.1093/ref:odnb/5461| url =http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5461| access-date =21 August 2007| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924160253/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5461| archive-date =24 September 2015| url-status =live}}</ref> Involvement in major earth-moving works seems to have fed Clark's interest in geology and [[archaeology]] and he, anonymously, authored two guidebooks on the railway: one illustrated with [[lithograph]]s by [[John Cooke Bourne]];<ref name="Bourne" /> the other, a critique of Brunel's methods and the broad gauge.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Clark| first = GT| author-link = G. T. Clark |title=The Birth and Growth of the Broad Gauge| journal = Gentleman's Magazine| issue = 279| pages = 489–506| year = 1895}}</ref>

[[File:Sonning cutting.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A trestle bridge on four piers spans a cutting over two rail tracks|The [[Sonning Cutting]] in 1846]]
The first {{convert|22+1/2|mi|km|0}} of line, from Paddington station in London to [[Taplow railway station|Maidenhead Bridge station]], opened on 4 June 1838.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 2}} When [[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]] was ready the line was extended to {{Stnlnk|Twyford}} on 1 July 1839 and then through the deep [[Sonning Cutting]] to {{Stnlnk|Reading}} on 30 March 1840.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 4}} The cutting was the scene of [[Railway accident at Sonning Cutting|a significant accident]] two years later when a goods train ran into a [[landslip]]; ten passengers who were travelling in open trucks were killed. This prompted [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] to pass the [[Railway Regulation Act 1844]], requiring railway companies to provide better carriages for passengers.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 13}}

[[File:Cheffin's Map - Route of Great Western Railway, 1850.jpg|thumb|left|Route of the Great Western Railway on [[Charles Cheffins|Cheffin's Map]], 1850. The sweep to the north from Reading is clearly seen.]]

The next section, from Reading to {{Stnlnk|Steventon}} crossed the Thames twice and opened for traffic on 1 June 1840. A {{convert|7+1/4|mi|km|0|adj=on}} extension took the line to [[Challow railway station|Faringdon Road]] on 20 July 1840.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 4}} Meanwhile, work had started at the Bristol end of the line, where the {{convert|11+1/2|mi|km|0|adj=on }} section to [[Bath Spa railway station|Bath]] opened on 31 August 1840.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 5}}

On 17 December 1840, the line from London reached a temporary terminus at {{Stnlnk|Wootton Bassett Road}} west of Swindon and {{convert|80.25|mi|km|0}} from Paddington. The section from Wootton Bassett Road to {{Stnlnk|Chippenham}} was opened on 31 May 1841, as was [[Swindon railway station|Swindon Junction station]]{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 4}} where the [[Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway]] (C&GWUR) to [[Cirencester Town railway station|Cirencester]] connected. That was an independent line worked by the GWR, as was the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] (B&ER), the first section of which from Bristol to {{Stnlnk|Bridgwater}} was opened on 14 June 1841. The GWR main line remained incomplete during the construction of the {{convert|1|mi|1452|yd|km|2|adj=on}} [[Box Tunnel]], which was ready for trains on 30 June 1841, after which trains ran the {{convert|152|mi|km}} from Paddington through to Bridgwater.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 5}} In 1851, the GWR purchased the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]], which was a competing carrier between London, Reading, Bath and Bristol.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 7}}

The GWR was closely involved with the C&GWUR and the B&ER and with several other broad-gauge railways. The [[South Devon Railway Company|South Devon Railway]] was completed in 1849, extending the broad gauge to [[Plymouth Millbay railway station|Plymouth]],{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 6}} whence the [[Cornwall Railway]] took it over the [[Royal Albert Bridge]] and into [[Cornwall]] in 1859{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 7}} and, in 1867, it reached {{Stnlnk|Penzance}} over the [[West Cornwall Railway]] which originally had been laid in 1852 with the {{RailGauge|ussg}} [[standard gauge]] or "narrow gauge" as it was known at the time.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 8}} The [[South Wales Railway]] had opened between {{Stnlnk|Chepstow}} and {{Stnlnk|Swansea}} in 1850 and became connected to the GWR by Brunel's [[Chepstow Railway Bridge|Chepstow Bridge]] in 1852. It was completed to {{stnlnk|Neyland}} in 1856, where a transatlantic port was established.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 11}}

There was initially no direct line from London to Wales as the tidal [[River Severn]] was too wide to cross. Trains instead had to follow a lengthy route via Gloucester, where the river was narrow enough to be crossed by a bridge. Work on the [[Severn Tunnel]] had begun in 1873, but unexpected underwater springs delayed the work and prevented its opening until 1886.<ref name="Walker">{{cite book| last = Walker| first = Thomas A| title = The Severn Tunnel: Its Construction and Difficulties (1872–1887)| publisher = Nonsuch Publishing Ltd| year = 2004| location = Stroud| isbn = 1-84588-000-5}}</ref>

=== Brunel's 7-foot gauge and the "gauge war" ===
{{Sidebar track gauge}}
{{See also|British Gauge War|London and South Western Railway#Gauge wars|Isambard Kingdom Brunel#Great Western Railway|List of GWR broad gauge locomotives}}
[[File:Baulk road point with side step.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=A rail track recedes into the distance where a steam train stands; the track has three rails, the middle of which is offset to the right in the foreground but switches to the left in the middle at some complex pointwork where three other rails join from the left|A [[broad-gauge]] train on [[Dual gauge|mixed-gauge]] track]]
Brunel had devised a {{RailGauge|7ft}} track gauge for his railways in 1835. He later added {{convert|1/4|in|mm}}, probably to reduce friction of the wheel sets in curves. This became the {{RailGauge|7ft0.25in}} broad gauge.<ref group="Note">In ''History of the Great Western Railway'' (1927 Edition, Volume 1, Part 1, Page 49), MacDermot states in a footnote <q>In laying the rails an extra quarter of an inch was allowed on the straight, making the gauge 7 ft. {{frac|1|4}} in. strictly speaking, but it was always referred to as 7 feet.</q></ref> Either gauge may be referred to as '''Brunel gauge'''.

In 1844, the broad-gauge [[Bristol and Gloucester Railway]] had opened, but Gloucester was already served by the {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}} lines of the [[Birmingham and Gloucester Railway]]. This resulted in a [[break-of-gauge]] that forced all passengers and goods to change trains if travelling between the south-west and the North. This was the beginning of the "gauge war" and led to the appointment by [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] of a [[Royal Commission on Railway Gauges|Gauge Commission]], which reported in 1846 in favour of standard gauge so the 7-foot gauge was proscribed by law ([[Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846]]) except for the southwest of England and Wales where connected to the GWR network.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}}

Other railways in Britain were to use standard gauge. In 1846, the Bristol and Gloucester was bought by the [[Midland Railway]] and it was [[Track gauge conversion|converted]] to standard gauge in 1854, which brought [[mixed-gauge]] track to Temple Meads station&nbsp;– this had three rails to allow trains to run on either broad or standard gauge.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 8}}

The GWR extended into the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] in competition with the Midland and the [[London and North Western Railway]]. [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station|Birmingham]] was reached through {{Stnlnk|Oxford}} in 1852 and [[Wolverhampton Low Level railway station|Wolverhampton]] in 1854.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}} This was the furthest north that the broad gauge reached.<ref>{{cite book |last= Steele |first= A.K. |title= Great Western Broad Gauge Album |year= 1972 |publisher= Oxford Publishing Company |location= Headington |isbn= 0-902888-11-0 |page= 4}}</ref> In the same year the [[Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway]] and the [[Shrewsbury and Chester Railway]] both [[Consolidation (business)|amalgamated]] with the GWR, but these lines were standard gauge,{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 7}} and the GWR's own line north of Oxford had been built with mixed gauge.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}}

This mixed gauge was extended southwards from Oxford to {{Stnlnk|Basingstoke}} at the end of 1856 and so allowed through goods traffic from the north of England to the south coast (via the [[London and South Western Railway]]&nbsp;– LSWR) without [[transshipment]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}}

[[File:Broad and standard mileage operated by GWR.png|thumb|300px|left|'''Broad and standard mileage operated by GWR'''<ref name="MacD1" /><ref name="MacD2" />
'''Key'''<br />
• '''Broad''' gauge&nbsp;– <span style="color:#0070C0">'''blue'''</span> (top)<br/>
• '''Mixed''' gauge&nbsp;– <span style="color:#77933C">'''green'''</span> (middle)<br/>
• '''Standard''' gauge&nbsp;– <span style="color:#F68222">'''orange'''</span> (bottom)<br/>
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" width=100%
! colspan=4 | Values to chart
|-
!31 December!!Broad!!Mixed!!Standard
|-
|1851||&nbsp;{{convert|269|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|3|mi|km|0}}||&nbsp;{{convert|0|mi|km|0}}
|-
|1856||&nbsp;{{convert|298|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|124|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|75|mi|km}}
|-
|1861||&nbsp;{{convert|327|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|182|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|81|mi|km}}
|-
|1866||&nbsp;{{convert|596|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|237|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|428|mi|km}}
|-
|1871||&nbsp;{{convert|524|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|141|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|655|mi|km}}
|-
|1876||&nbsp;{{convert|268|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|274|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|1481|mi|km}}
|-
|1881||&nbsp;{{convert|210|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|254|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|1674|mi|km}}
|-
|1886||&nbsp;{{convert|187|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|251|mi|km}}||&nbsp;{{convert|1918|mi|km}}
|-
|1891&nbsp;||&nbsp;{{convert|171|mi|km}}&nbsp;||&nbsp;{{convert|252|mi|km}}&nbsp;||&nbsp;{{convert|1982|mi|km}}&nbsp;
|}
]]

The line to Basingstoke had originally been built by the [[Berks and Hants Railway]] as a broad-gauge route in an attempt to keep the standard gauge of the LSWR out of Great Western territory but, in 1857, the GWR and LSWR opened a shared line to {{Stnlnk|Weymouth}} on the south coast, the GWR route being via Chippenham and a route initially started by the [[Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}}

Further west, the LSWR took over the broad-gauge [[Exeter and Crediton Railway]] and [[North Devon Railway]],<ref>{{cite book |last= Nicholas |first= John |title= The North Devon Line |year= 1992 |publisher= Oxford Publishing Company |location= Sparkford |isbn= 0-86093-461-6 |pages= 85–91}}</ref> also the standard-gauge [[Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway]]. It was several years before these remote lines were connected with the parent LSWR system and any through traffic to them was handled by the GWR and its associated companies.<ref>{{cite book |last= Whetmath |first= C.F.D. |title= The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway |edition= 2nd |year= 1967 | pages= 21–28 |publisher= Branch Line Handbooks |location= Teddington | oclc =462667}}</ref>

By now the gauge war was lost and mixed gauge was brought to [[Paddington station|Paddington]] in 1861, allowing through passenger trains from London to Chester. The broad-gauge South Wales Railway amalgamated with the GWR in 1862, as did the [[West Midland Railway]], which brought with it the [[Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway]], a line that had been conceived as another broad-gauge route to the Midlands but which had been built as standard gauge after several battles, both political and physical.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}}{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 9}}

On 1 April 1869, the broad gauge was taken out of use between Oxford and Wolverhampton and from Reading to Basingstoke. In August, the line from {{Stnlnk|Grange Court}} to {{Stnlnk|Hereford}} was converted from broad to standard and the whole of the line from Swindon through Gloucester to South Wales was similarly treated in May 1872. In 1874, the mixed gauge was extended along the main line to Chippenham and the line from there to Weymouth was narrowed. The following year saw mixed gauge laid through the Box Tunnel, with the broad gauge now retained only for through services beyond Bristol and on a few branch lines.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 2}}

The [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] amalgamated with the GWR on 1 January 1876. It had already made a start on mixing the gauge on its line, a task completed through to [[Exeter St Davids railway station|Exeter]] on 1 March 1876 by the GWR.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 5}} The station here had been shared with the LSWR since 1862. This rival company had continued to push westwards over its Exeter and Crediton line and arrived in Plymouth later in 1876, which spurred the [[South Devon Railway Company|South Devon Railway]] to also amalgamate with the Great Western.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 6}} The [[Cornwall Railway]] remained a nominally independent line until 1889, although the GWR held a large number of shares in the company.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 7}}

One final new broad-gauge route was opened on 1 June 1877, the [[St Ives Bay Line|St Ives branch]] in west [[Cornwall]],{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 9}} although there was also a small extension at [[Sutton Harbour]] in Plymouth in 1879.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 8}} Part of a mixed gauge point remains at Sutton Harbour, one of the few examples of broad gauge trackwork remaining in situ anywhere.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gregory |first1=R.H. |title=The South Devon Railway |date=1982 |publisher=Oakwood Press |isbn=0-85361-286-2 |page=75}}</ref>

Once the GWR was in control of the whole line from London to Penzance, it set about converting the remaining broad-gauge tracks. The last broad-gauge service left Paddington station on Friday, 20 May 1892; the following Monday, trains from Penzance were operated by standard-gauge locomotives.<ref>{{cite book|author=Clinker, C. R.|title=New light on the Gauge Conversion |year=1978 |publisher=Avon-Anglia |location=Bristol|isbn=0-905466-12-8| pages=15–16 }}</ref>

===Into the 20th century===
[[File:GWR 4038 on Cornish Riviera Express.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A black and white picture of four railway lines in a shallow cutting, a large steam engine leads a train of coaches from middle-left to right-foreground|New corridor coaches on the Cornish Riviera Express]]
After 1892, with the burden of operating trains on two gauges removed, the company turned its attention to constructing new lines and upgrading old ones to shorten the company's previously circuitous routes. The principal new lines opened were:{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 11}}
* 1900: [[Stert and Westbury Railway|Stert and Westbury]] linking the Berks and Hants line with {{Stnlnk|Westbury}} to create a shorter route to {{Stnlnk|Weymouth}} for the [[Channel Islands]] traffic.
* 1903: the [[South Wales Main Line|South Wales and Bristol Direct Railway]] from [[Wootton Bassett Junction railway station|Wootton Bassett Junction]] to link up with the Severn Tunnel.
* 1904: a diversion of the [[Cornish Main Line]] between {{Stnlnk|Saltash}} and {{Stnlnk|St Germans}}, eliminating the last [[Cornwall Railway viaducts|wooden viaducts on the main line]].
* 1906: the [[Langport and Castle Cary Railway]] to shorten the journey from London to {{stnlnk|Penzance}} between {{Stnlnk|Reading}} and {{Stnlnk|Taunton}}.
* 1908: the [[North Warwickshire Line|Birmingham and North Warwickshire]] which, combined with the Cheltenham and Honeybourne of 1906, offered a new route from Birmingham via {{Stnlnk|Stratford-upon-Avon}} to south Wales.
* 1910: the Birmingham Direct Line built jointly with the [[Great Central Railway]] to give a shorter route from London to {{Stnlnk|Aynho}} and the North.
* 1913: the Swansea District Lines which allowed trains to {{Stnlnk|Fishguard Harbour}} to avoid {{Stnlnk|Swansea}}. Fishguard had been opened in an attempt to attract transatlantic liner traffic and provided a better facility for the Anglo-Irish ferries than that at Neyland.

The generally conservative GWR made other improvements in the years before [[World War I]] such as restaurant cars, better conditions for third class passengers, steam heating of trains, and faster express services. These were largely at the initiative of T. I. Allen, the Superintendent of the Line and one of a group of talented senior managers who led the railway into the [[Edwardian era]]: Viscount Emlyn ([[Earl Cawdor]], Chairman from 1895 to 1905); Sir Joseph Wilkinson (general manager from 1896 to 1903), his successor, the former chief engineer Sir James Inglis; and [[George Jackson Churchward]] (the [[Chief Mechanical Engineer]]). It was during this period that the GWR introduced [[GWR road motor services|road motor services]] as an alternative to building new lines in rural areas, and started using [[GWR steam rail motors|steam rail motors]] to bring cheaper operation to existing branch lines.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 11}}

===One of the "Big Four"===
{{See also|List of constituents of the Great Western Railway}}
[[File:DSCN2101-earl-bathurst crop 1200x600.JPG|thumb|left|alt=A green steam engine with three pairs of large wheels and two smaller ones and the reporting letters Y05 on the front|1923 saw the construction of the first of 171 [[GWR 4073 Class|Castle Class]] locomotives]]
At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the GWR was taken into government control, as were most major railways in Britain. Many of its staff joined the armed forces and it was more difficult to build and maintain equipment than in peacetime. After the war, the government considered permanent [[nationalisation]] but decided instead on a compulsory [[Consolidation (business)|amalgamation]] of the railways into four large groups. The GWR alone preserved its name through the "[[Railways Act 1921|grouping]]", under which smaller companies were amalgamated into four main companies in 1922 and 1923. The GWR built [[Great Western Railway War Memorial|a war memorial]] at Paddington station, unveiled in 1922, in memory of its employees who were killed in the war.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/11358 |title=Great Western Railway, Paddington |website=[[War Memorials Register]] |publisher=Imperial War Museums}}</ref>

The new Great Western Railway had more routes in Wales, including {{convert|295|mi|km}} of former [[Cambrian Railways]] lines and {{convert|124|mi|km}} from the [[Taff Vale Railway]]. A few independent lines in its English area of operations were also added, notably the [[Midland and South Western Junction Railway]], a line previously working closely with the [[Midland Railway]] but which now gave the GWR a second station at Swindon, along with a line that carried through-traffic from the North via [[Cheltenham Spa railway station|Cheltenham]] and {{Stnlnk|Andover|England}} to [[Southampton Terminus railway station|Southampton]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roden |first1=Andrew |title=Great Western Railway: A History |date=2010 |publisher=Aurum Press |isbn=978-1-84513-580-5 |pages=180–183}}</ref>

The 1930s brought hard times but the company remained in fair financial health despite the [[Great Depression|Depression]]. The [[Development (Loans, Guarantees and Grants) Act 1929]] allowed the GWR to obtain money in return for stimulating employment and this was used to improve stations including [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]], {{Stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}} and [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff General]]; to improve facilities at [[Motive power depot|depots]] and to lay additional tracks to reduce congestion. The road motor services were transferred to local bus companies in which the GWR took a share but instead, it participated in [[Railway Air Services|air services]].<ref name="GWCentenaryA" />

A legacy of the broad gauge was that trains for some routes could be built slightly wider than was normal in Britain and these included the 1929-built "[[GWR Super Saloons|Super Saloons]]" used on the [[boat train]] services that conveyed transatlantic passengers to London in luxury.<ref>{{cite book| last = Harris| first = Michael| title = Great Western Coaches From 1890| publisher = David and Charles| year = 1985|edition=3rd | location = Newton Abbot| isbn = 0-7153-8050-8 | page=83}}</ref> When the company celebrated its centenary during 1935, new "Centenary" carriages were built for the Cornish Riviera Express, which again made full use of the wider [[loading gauge]] on that route.{{sfn|Harris|1985|page=95}}

===World War II and after===
With the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939, the GWR returned to direct government control,<!--scope for inserting wartime operations here--> and by the end of the war a Labour government was in power and again planning to nationalise the railways. After a couple of years trying to recover from the ravages of war, the GWR became the [[Western Region of British Railways]] on 1 January 1948. The Great Western Railway Company continued to exist as a legal entity for nearly two more years, being formally [[winding-up|wound up]] on 23 December 1949.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 1950 |title=Main-Line Companies Dissolved |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |volume=96 |issue=586 |page=73 |publisher=Transport (1910) Ltd |location=London }}</ref> GWR designs of locomotives and rolling stock continued to be built for a while and the region maintained its own distinctive character, even painting for a while its stations and express trains in a form of chocolate and cream.<ref>{{cite book |last=Allen |first=G. Freeman |title=The Western Since 1948 |year=1979 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0883-3 | pages=11–15 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Haresnape |first=Brian |title=British Rail 1948–78: A Journey by Design |year=1979 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0982-1 | page=86 }}</ref>

About 40 years after nationalisation [[British Rail]] was [[Privatization|privatised]] and the old name was revived by [[First Great Western|Great Western Trains]], the [[train operating company]] providing passenger services on the old GWR routes to South Wales and the South West. This subsequently became First Great Western, as part of the [[FirstGroup]], but in September 2015 changed its name to [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] in order to 'reinstate the ideals of our founder'.<ref>{{cite web|title=Changing from First Great Western to GWR|url=https://www.gwr.com/about-us/our-business/our-vision|website=GWR|publisher=Great Western Railway|access-date=2016-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121054102/https://www.gwr.com/about-us/our-business/our-vision|archive-date=21 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The operating infrastructure, however, was transferred to [[Railtrack]] and has since passed to [[Network Rail]]. These companies have continued to preserve appropriate parts of its stations and bridges so historic GWR structures can still be recognised around the network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Remnants of the Broad Gauge |url=http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/heritage/bg_remnants.html |website=Broad Gauge Society |access-date=2025-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iconic infrastructure |url=https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/iconic-infrastructure/ |website=Network Rail |access-date=2025-04-09}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:GWR map.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A map showing Wales and south west England. The words "Great Western Railway" are at top left, the sea is pale blue and railway lines red, many of which seem to radiate from London on the right|Map of the system {{Circa|1930}}]]
The original [[Great Western Main Line]] linked [[London Paddington station]] with Temple Meads station in Bristol by way of {{Stnlnk|Reading}}, [[Didcot Parkway railway station|Didcot]], {{Stnlnk|Swindon}}, {{Stnlnk|Chippenham}} and [[Bath Spa railway station|Bath]]. This line was extended westwards through [[Exeter St Davids railway station|Exeter]]{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 5}} and [[Plymouth Millbay railway station|Plymouth]]{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 6}} to reach {{Stnlnk|Truro}}{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 7}} and {{Stnlnk|Penzance}},{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 8}} the most westerly railway station in England. Brunel and Gooch placed the GWR's main [[Swindon railway works|locomotive workshops]] close to the village of Swindon and the locomotives of many trains were changed here in the early years. Up to this point the route had climbed very gradually westwards from London, but from here it changed into one with steeper gradients which, with the primitive locomotives available to Brunel, was better operated by types with smaller wheels better able to climb the hills. These gradients faced both directions, first dropping down through [[Wootton Bassett Junction railway station|Wootton Bassett Junction]] to cross the [[River Avon, Bristol|River Avon]], then climbing back up through Chippenham to the Box Tunnel before descending once more to regain the River Avon's valley which it followed to Bath and Bristol.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 4}}

Swindon was also the junction for a line that ran north-westwards to {{Stnlnk|Gloucester}} then south-westwards on the far side of the [[River Severn]] to reach [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]], {{Stnlnk|Swansea}} and west Wales. This route was later shortened by the opening of a more direct east–west route through the [[Severn Tunnel]]. Another route ran northwards from Didcot to {{Stnlnk|Oxford}} from where two different routes continued to [[Wolverhampton Low Level railway station|Wolverhampton]], one through [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station|Birmingham]] and the other through [[Worcester Shrub Hill railway station|Worcester]]. Beyond Wolverhampton the line continued via {{Stnlnk|Shrewsbury}} to {{Stnlnk|Chester}} and (via a joint line with the [[London and North Western Railway|LNWR]]) onwards to [[Birkenhead Woodside railway station|Birkenhead]] and [[Warrington Bank Quay railway station|Warrington]]; another route via {{stnlnk|Market Drayton}} enabled the GWR to reach {{stnlnk|Crewe}}. Operating agreements with other companies also allowed GWR trains to run to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester]]. South of the London to Bristol main line were routes from Didcot to [[Southampton Terminus railway station|Southampton]] via {{Stnlnk|Newbury}}, and from Chippenham to {{Stnlnk|Weymouth}} via {{Stnlnk|Westbury}}.<ref name="GWRTT">{{cite book| title = Time Tables| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1939| location = London}}</ref>

A network of cross-country routes linked these main lines, and there were also many and varied [[branch line]]s. Some were short, such as the {{Convert|3+1/2|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Clevedon branch line]];<ref>{{cite book |last= Maggs |first= Colin G. |title= The Clevedon Branch |year= 1987 |publisher= Wild Swan Publications |location= Didcot |isbn= 0-906867-52-5 }}</ref> others were much longer such as the {{Convert|23|mi|km|adj=on}} [[West Somerset Railway|Minehead Branch]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Coleby |first= Ian |title= The Minehead Branch 1848–1971 |year= 2006 |publisher= Lightmoor Press |location= Witney |isbn= 1-899889-20-5 }}</ref> A few were promoted and built by the GWR to counter competition from other companies, such as the [[Reading to Basingstoke Line]] to keep the [[London and South Western Railway]] away from {{Stnlnk|Newbury}}.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 6}} However, many were built by local companies that then sold their railway to their larger neighbour; examples include the [[South Devon and Tavistock Railway|Launceston]]<ref>{{cite book| last = Anthony| first = GH|author2=Jenkins, SC| title = The Launceston Branch| publisher = Oakwood Press| year = 1997| location = Headington| isbn = 0-85361-491-1}}</ref> and {{Stnlnk|Brixham}}<ref>{{cite book |last= Potts |first= C.R. |title= The Brixham Branch |edition= 2nd |orig-year= 1987 |year= 2000 |publisher= Oakwood Press |location= Usk |isbn= 0-85361-556-X }}</ref> branches. Further variety came from the traffic carried: holidaymakers ([[St Ives Bay Line|St Ives]]);.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Jenkins | first = Stanley C | title = the St Ives Branch | journal = Great Western Railway Journal | issue = Cornish Special Issue | pages = 2–34 | publisher = Wild Swan Publications Ltd| year = 1992}}</ref> royalty ([[Windsor Branch Line|Windsor]]);<ref>{{cite book |last= Potts |first= C.R. |title= Windsor to Slough : a Royal branch line |year= 1993 |publisher= Oakwood Press |location= Oxford | isbn= 0-85361-442-3 }}</ref> or just goods traffic ([[Cornwall Minerals Railway#New construction|Carbis Wharf]]).<ref>{{cite book| last = Vaughan| first = John| title = The Newquay Branch and its Branches| publisher= Haynes/Oxford Publishing Company| year = 1991| location = Sparkford| isbn= 0-86093-470-5 | pages=108–116}}</ref>

Brunel envisaged the GWR continuing across the Atlantic Ocean and built the {{ship|SS|Great Western}} to carry the railway's passengers from Bristol to [[New York City|New York]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Brindle| first = Steven| title = Brunel: the man who built the world| publisher = Weidenfeld & Nicolson| year = 2006| location = London| isbn = 0-297-84408-3 | page=268}}</ref> Most traffic for North America soon switched to the larger port of [[Liverpool]] (in other railways' territories) but some transatlantic passengers were landed at [[Plymouth Millbay railway station|Plymouth]] and conveyed to London by special train. Great Western ships linked Great Britain with Ireland, the [[Channel Islands]] and France.<ref name=Duckworth>{{cite book| last = Duckworth| first = Christian Leslie Dyce|author2=Langmuir, Graham Easton| title = Railway and Other Steamers| publisher = T Stephenson & Sons| year = 1968| location = Prescot| pages=184–206 }}</ref>

===Key locations===
The railway's headquarters were established at Paddington station. Its locomotives and rolling stock were built and maintained at [[Swindon Works]]{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 5}} but other workshops were acquired as it [[Consolidation (business)|amalgamated]] with other railways, including the Shrewsbury companies' [[Wolverhampton railway works|Stafford Road works]] at Wolverhampton,<ref name=Intro/> and the South Devon's workshops at [[Newton Abbot engine shed|Newton Abbot]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Sheppard| first = Geof| title = Broad Gauge Locomotives| publisher = Noodle Books| year = 2008| location = Southampton| isbn = 978-1-906419-09-7 | page=63}}</ref> [[Worcester Carriage Works]] was created by flattening land north of [[Worcester Shrub Hill railway station|Worcester Shrub Hill Station]],<ref>This subsequently closed after a major fire in 1864</ref> [[Reading Signal Works]] was established in buildings to the north of [[Reading railway station]],{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 13}} and in later years a concrete manufacturing depot was established at {{Stnlnk|Taunton}} where items ranging from track components to bridges were cast.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Andrews | first = Julian | title = BR's Concrete Works at Taunton | journal = Modelling Railways Illustrated | volume = 4 | issue = 10 | pages = 462–464 | publisher = Model Media Publications | date = August 1997 | issn = 0969-7349 }}</ref>

===Engineering features===
[[File:Brunel's Railway Bridge at Maidenhead - geograph.org.uk - 94793.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A wide tree-lined river on the left has a green bank in the right-foreground and is crossed by a low two brick-arched bridge. A tree in the middle of the river obscures part of the bridge.|[[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]]]]
More than 150 years after its creation, the original main line has been described by historian Steven Brindle as "one of the masterpieces of railway design".{{sfn|Brindle |2006|page=269}} Working westwards from Paddington, the line crosses the valley of the [[River Brent]] on [[Wharncliffe Viaduct]] and the [[River Thames]] on [[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]], which at the time of construction was the largest span achieved by a brick arch bridge.<ref>{{cite book |last= Owen |first= Professor J.B.B. |editor= Puglsey, Sir Alfred |title= The Works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel |year= 1976 |publisher= [[Institution of Civil Engineers]] |location= London |isbn= 0-7277-0030-8 |chapter= Arch Bridges | pages=89–106 }}</ref> The line then continues through [[Sonning Cutting]] before reaching Reading<ref name=Track>{{cite book |last= Chapman |first= W.G. |title= Track Topics |year=1935  |publisher= Great Western Railway |location= London | pages=51–52 |oclc=3226302 }}</ref> after which it crosses the Thames twice more, on [[Gatehampton Railway Bridge|Gatehampton]] and [[Moulsford Railway Bridge|Moulsford]] bridges.<ref>{{cite book |last= Clifford |first= David |title= Isambard Kingdom Brunel: The Construction of the Great Western Railway |year= 2006 |publisher= Finial Publishing |location= Reading |isbn= 1-900467-28-3 | pages=129–171 }}</ref> Between Chippenham and Bath is [[Box Tunnel]], the longest railway tunnel driven by that time.<ref>{{cite book |last= Swift |first= Andrew|title= The Ringing Grooves of Change |year= 2006 |publisher= Akeman Press |isbn= 0-9546138-5-6 | pages=215–249 }}</ref> Several years later, the railway opened the even longer Severn Tunnel to carry a new line between England and Wales beneath the [[River Severn]].<ref name=Walker/>

Some other notable structures were added when smaller companies were amalgamated into the GWR. These include the [[South Devon Railway sea wall]],<ref>{{cite book| last = Kay| first = Peter| title = Exeter&nbsp;– Newton Abbot: A Railway History| publisher = Platform 5 Publishing| year = 1991| location = Sheffield| isbn = 1-872524-42-7 | pages=93–108 }}</ref> the [[Cornwall Railway]]'s [[Royal Albert Bridge]],<ref>{{cite book| last = Binding| first = John| title = Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge| publisher = [[Twelveheads Press]]| year = 1997| location = Truro| isbn = 0-906294-39-8}}</ref> and [[Barmouth Bridge]] on the [[Cambrian Railways]].{{sfn|Chapman|1935|pages=225–228}}

==Operations==
In the early years the GWR was managed by two committees, one in Bristol and one in London. They soon combined as a single board of directors which met in offices at Paddington.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 5}}

The board was led by a chairman and supported by a [[Company secretary|secretary]] and other "officers". The first Locomotive Superintendent was [[Daniel Gooch]], although from 1915 the title was changed to Chief Mechanical Engineer. The first Goods Manager was appointed in 1850 and from 1857 this position was filled by [[James Grierson (railway manager)|James Grierson]] until 1863 when he became the first general manager. In 1864 the post of Superintendent of the Line was created to oversee the running of the trains.<ref name=GWCentenaryO/>

===Passenger services===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:10px;"<!--style avoids LH text overlay-->
|-
!&nbsp;Year&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Passengers&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Train mileage&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Receipts&nbsp;
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1850'''&nbsp;||2,491,712&nbsp;||1,425,573&nbsp;||£630,515 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|630515|1850|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1875'''&nbsp;||36,024,592&nbsp;||9,435,876&nbsp;||£2,528,305 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|2528305|1875|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1900'''&nbsp;||80,944,483&nbsp;||23,279,499&nbsp;||£5,207,513 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|5207513|1900|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1924'''&nbsp;||140,241,113&nbsp;||37,997,377&nbsp;||£13,917,942 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|13917942|1924|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1934'''&nbsp;||&nbsp;110,813,041&nbsp;||&nbsp;40,685,597&nbsp;||&nbsp;£10,569,140 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|10569140|1934|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|-
|colspan=4 | <Small>Passenger numbers exclude season ticket journeys.</small><ref name=GWCentenaryB/>{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}
|}
Early trains offered passengers a choice of [[First class travel|first-]] or second-class [[Passenger car (rail)|carriages]]. In 1840 this choice was extended: passengers could be conveyed by the slow [[goods train]]s in what became third-class. The [[Railway Regulation Act 1844]] made it a legal requirement that the GWR, along with all other British railways, had to serve each station with trains which included third-class accommodation at a [[fare]] of not more than one [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]] per mile and a speed of at least {{convert|12|mph|abbr=on}}. By 1882, third-class carriages were attached to all trains except for the fastest [[Express train|expresses]]. Another parliamentary order meant that trains began to include smoking carriages from 1868.<ref name=GWCentenaryT>{{cite journal| title = From ordeal to luxury in railway travel| journal = Great Western Railway Magazine| volume = 47| issue = 9| pages = 505–507| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1935}}</ref>

Special "[[excursion]]" cheap-day [[train ticket|tickets]] were first issued in May 1849 and [[season ticket]]s in 1851. Until 1869 most revenue came from second-class passengers but the volume of third-class passengers grew to the extent that second-class facilities were withdrawn in 1912. The [[Cheap Trains Act 1883]] resulted in the provision of workmen's trains at special low fares at certain times of the day.<ref name=GWCentenaryB>{{cite journal| title = A brief review of the Company's hundred years of business|journal = Great Western Railway Magazine| volume = 47| issue = 9| pages = 495–499| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1935}}</ref>

The principal express services were often given nicknames by railwaymen but these names later appeared officially in timetables, on headboards carried on the locomotive, and on roofboards above the windows of the carriages. For instance, the late-morning ''[[Flying Dutchman (train)|Flying Dutchman]]'' express between London and Exeter was named after the winning horse of the [[Derby (horse race)|Derby]] and [[St. Leger Stakes|St Leger]] [[Horse racing|races]] in 1849. Although withdrawn at the end of 1867, the name was revived in 1869&nbsp;– following a request from the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]]&nbsp;– and the train ran through to Plymouth. An afternoon express was instigated on the same route in June 1879 and became known as ''[[Zulu (train)|The Zulu]]''. A third West Country express was introduced in 1890, running to and from Penzance as ''[[Cornishman (GWR)|The Cornishman]]''. A new service, the ''[[Cornish Riviera Express]]'' ran between London and Penzance&nbsp;– non-stop to Plymouth&nbsp;– from 1 July 1904, although it ran only in the summer during 1904 and 1905 before becoming a permanent feature of the timetable in 1906.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Cecil J. |title=Titled Trains of the Western |date=1974 |publisher=Ian Allan |isbn=0-7110-0513-3 |pages=36–51}}</ref>
[[File:GWR book Cheltenham Flyer 1932.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A stylised image of the front of a steam locomotive, seen from low down and created with a subdued pallette which is mainly green and black but with red title and subtitle|The ''Cheltenham Flyer'' was a GWR 'book for boys of all ages'.]]
The ''[[Cheltenham Spa Express]]'' was the fastest train in the world when it was scheduled to cover the {{convert|77.25|mi|km|1}} between {{Stnlnk|Swindon}} and London at an average of {{Convert|71.3|mph|km/h}}.{{sfn|Chapman |1936|pages=121–122}} The train was nicknamed the 'Cheltenham Flyer' and featured in one of the GWR's 'Books for boys of all ages'. Other named trains included ''[[The Bristolian (train)|The Bristolian]]'', running between London and Bristol from 1935,<ref>{{cite book |last= Maggs |first= Colin |title= Rail Centres: Bristol  |year= 1981  |publisher= Ian Allan |location= Shepperton |isbn= 0-7110-1153-2 |page= 25 }}</ref> and the ''[[Torbay Express]]'', which ran between London and {{Stnlnk|Kingswear}}.<ref>{{cite book| last = Beck| first = Keith|author2=Copsey, John| title = The Great Western in South Devon| publisher = Wild Swan Publication| year = 1990| location = Didcot| isbn = 0-906867-90-8 | page=119}}</ref>

Many of these fast expresses included special coaches that could be detached as they passed through stations without stopping, a [[Conductor (transportation)|guard]] riding in the coach to uncouple it from the main train and bring it to a stop at the correct position. The first such "[[slip coach]]" was detached from the ''Flying Dutchman'' at {{Stnlnk|Bridgwater}} in 1869.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 13}} The company's first [[sleeping car]]s were operated between Paddington and Plymouth in 1877. Then on 1 October 1892 its first [[Corridor (rail vehicle)|corridor train]] ran from Paddington to Birkenhead, and the following year saw the first trains heated by steam that was passed through the train in a pipe from the locomotive. May 1896 saw the introduction of first-class [[restaurant car]]s and the service was extended to all classes in 1903. Sleeping cars for third-class passengers were available from 1928.<ref name= GWCentenaryT/>

Self-propelled "[[GWR steam railmotors|steam railmotors]]" were first used on 12 October 1903 between {{Stnlnk|Stonehouse}} and {{Stnlnk|Chalford}}; within five years 100 had been constructed. These trains had special retractable steps that could be used at stations with lower platforms than was usual in England.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 13}} The railmotors proved so successful on many routes that they had to be supplemented by trailer cars with driving controls, the first of which entered service at the end of 1904. From the following year a number of small locomotives were fitted so that they could work with these trailers, the combined sets becoming known as "[[GWR Autotrain|autotrains]]" and eventually replacing the steam rail motors.<ref name=Auto>{{cite book| last = Lewis| first = John| title = Great Western Auto Trailers, Part One| publisher = Wild Swan Publications| year = 1991| location = Didcot| isbn = 0-906867-99-1}}</ref> [[GWR railcars|Diesel railcars]] were introduced in 1934. Some railcars were fully streamlined, some had buffet counters for long-distance services, and others were purely for parcels services.<ref name=Railcars/>

===Freight services===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:10px;"<!--style avoids LH text overlay-->
|-
!&nbsp;Year&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Tonnage&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Train mileage&nbsp;!!&nbsp;Receipts&nbsp;
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1850'''&nbsp;||350,000&nbsp;||330,817&nbsp;||£202,978 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|202978|1850|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1875'''&nbsp;||16,388,198&nbsp;||11,206,462&nbsp;||£3,140,093 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|3140093|1875|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1900'''&nbsp;||37,500,510&nbsp;||23,135,685&nbsp;||£5,736,921 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|5736921|1900|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1924'''&nbsp;||81,723,133&nbsp;||25,372,106&nbsp;||£17,571,537 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|17571537|1924|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|- style="text-align:right;"
|'''1934'''&nbsp;||&nbsp;64,619,892&nbsp;||&nbsp;22,707,235&nbsp;||&nbsp;£14,500,385 <small>(£{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|14550385|1934|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}})</small>
|-
|colspan=4 | <small>Tonnage for 1850 is approximate.</small><ref name=GWCentenaryB/>{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}
|}
Passenger traffic was the main source of revenue for the GWR when it first opened but goods were also carried in separate trains. It was not until the coal-mining and industrial districts of Wales and the Midlands were reached that goods traffic became significant; in 1856 the [[Ruabon]] Coal Company signed an agreement with the GWR to transport coal to London at special rates which nonetheless was worth at least £40,000 each year to the railway.<ref name=GWCentenaryB/>

As locomotives increased in size so did the length of goods trains, from 40 to as many as 100 four-wheeled wagons, although the gradient of the line often limited this.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 13}} While typical goods wagons could carry 8, 10 or (later) 12 tons, the load placed into a wagon could be as little as 1 ton. The many smaller consignments were sent to a local [[transhipment]] centre where they were re-sorted into larger loads for the main segment of their journey. There were more than 550 "station truck" workings running on timetabled goods trains carrying small consignments to and from specified stations, and 200 "pick up" trucks that collected small loads from groups of stations.<ref>{{cite book| last = Atkins| first = A.G.| title = A History of GWR Goods Wagons, Volume 1| publisher = David and Charles| year = 1975| page=16 |location = Newton Abbot| isbn = 0-7153-6532-0| display-authors = etal}}</ref>

The GWR provided special wagons, handling equipment and storage facilities for its largest traffic flows. For example, the coal mines in Wales sent much of their coal to the docks along the coast, many of which were owned and equipped by the railway, as were some in Cornwall that exported most of the [[kaolinite|china clay]] production of that county. The wagons provided for both these traffic flows (both those owned by the GWR and the mining companies) were fitted with end doors that allowed their loads to be tipped straight into the ships' holds using wagon-tipping equipment on the dockside. Special wagons were produced for many other different commodities such as [[gunpowder]],<ref>{{cite book| last = Atkins| first = A.G.| title = A History of GWR Goods Wagons, Volume 2| publisher = David and Charles| year = 1976| pages=109–111 |location = Newton Abbot| isbn = 0-7153-7290-4| display-authors = etal}}</ref> [[aeroplane]] propellers,{{sfn|Atkins |1976|page=23}} motor cars,{{sfn|Atkins |1976|pages=24–33}} fruit{{sfn|Atkins |1976|pages=105–109}} and fish.{{sfn|Atkins |1976|pages=79–84}}

Heavy traffic was carried from the agricultural and fishing areas in the southwest of England, often in fast "perishables" trains,<ref>{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall| publisher = Runpast Publishing| orig-year = 1988| edition = 2nd | location = Cheltenham| year = 1990a| isbn = 1-870754-12-3 | pages=59–61 }}</ref> for instance more than 3,500 cattle were sent from {{Stnlnk|Grampound Road}} in the 12 months to June 1869,<ref>{{cite journal | last = Sheppard | first = Geof | title = A Cornish cattle census | journal = Broadsheet | issue = 52 | pages = 9–10 | publisher = Broad Gauge Society | year = 2004 }}</ref> and in 1876 nearly than 17,000 [[long ton|tons]] of fish was carried from west Cornwall to London.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Sheppard | first = Geof | title = Fish from Cornwall | journal = Broadsheet | issue = 52 | pages = 24–29 | publisher = Broad Gauge Society | year = 2004 }}</ref> The perishables trains running in the nineteenth century used wagons built to the same standards as passenger coaches, with [[vacuum brake]]s and large wheels to allow fast running. Ordinary goods trains on the GWR, as on all other British railways at the time, had wheels close together (around {{convert|9|ft|m|1}} apart), smaller wheels and only hand brakes.{{sfn|Atkins |1975|pages=46–94}}

In 1905 the GWR ran its first vacuum-braked general goods train between London and Bristol using newly built goods wagons with small wheels but vacuum brakes. This was followed by other services to create a network of fast trains between the major centres of production and population that were scheduled to run at speeds averaging {{convert|35|mph|abbr=on}}. Other railway companies also followed the GWR's lead by providing their own vacuum-braked (or "fitted") services.{{sfn|Atkins |1975|pages=12–15}}

===Ancillary operations===
[[File:GWR bus AF84 on Helston service.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A sepia picture of an old bus, seen from the front. The cab is open to the elements and three men sit in it, while a boy stands to the right.|One of the first [[GWR road motor services|road motors]] working a service from {{Stnlnk|Helston}} to [[The Lizard]]]]
A number of canals, such as the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]] and the [[Stratford-upon-Avon Canal]], became the property of the railway when they were purchased to remove competition or objectors to proposed new lines. Most of these continued to be operated although they were only a small part of the railway company's business: in 1929 the canals took £16,278 of receipts while freight trains earned over £17 million. (£{{Formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|16278|1929|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-3}}}} and £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|17000000|1929|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=0}}}} respectively in {{inflation-year|UK}}).<ref name=GWCentenaryF>{{cite journal| title = A Brief Review of the Company's Hundred Years of Business|journal = Great Western Railway Magazine| volume = 47| issue = 9| pages = 495–500| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1935}}</ref>{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}

The [[Railways Act 1921]] brought most of the large coal-exporting docks in South Wales into the GWR's ownership, such as those at [[Cardiff]], [[Barry, Glamorgan|Barry]], and [[Swansea]]. They were added to a small number of docks along the south coast of England which the company already owned, to make it the largest docks operator in the world.<ref name=GWCentenaryA/>

Powers were granted by Parliament for the [[Great Western Railway ships|GWR to operate ships]] in 1871.<ref name=GWCentenaryA>{{cite journal| title = Handmaids of the Railway Services| journal = Great Western Railway Magazine| volume = 47| issue = 9| pages = 515–516| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1935}}</ref> The following year the company took over the ships operated by Ford and Jackson on the route between [[Neyland]] in Wales and [[Waterford]] in Ireland. The Welsh terminal was relocated to {{Stnlnk|Fishguard Harbour}} when the railway was opened to there in 1906. Services were also operated between {{Stnlnk|Weymouth Quay}} and the [[Channel Islands]] from 1889 on the former Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company routes. Smaller GWR vessels were also used as [[Ship's tender|tenders]] at [[Plymouth Millbay railway station|Plymouth Great Western Docks]] and, until the Severn Tunnel opened, on the [[River Severn]] crossing of the [[Bristol and South Wales Union Railway]].<ref name=Duckworth/>

The first railway-operated bus services were started by the GWR between [[Helston railway station]] and [[The Lizard]] on 17 August 1903. Known by the company as "[[GWR road motor services|road motors]]", these chocolate-and-cream buses operated throughout the company's territory on railway feeder services and excursions until the 1930s when they were transferred to local bus companies (in most of which the GWR held a [[Share (finance)|share]]).<ref>{{cite book| last = Kelley| first = Philip J.| title = Great Western Road Vehicles| publisher = Oxford Publishing Company| year = 2002| location = Hersham| isbn = 0-86093-568-X | pages=177–220 }}</ref>

The GWR inaugurated the first railway air service between [[Cardiff]], [[Torquay]] and [[Plymouth]] in association with [[Imperial Airways]]. This grew to become part of the [[Railway Air Services]].<ref name=GWCentenaryA/>

==Motive power and rolling stock==

===Locomotives===
{{Main|Locomotives of the Great Western Railway}}

[[File:GWR Hirondelle.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A black and white image showing a steam locomotive facing to the right. The low tender on the left has six wheels; the engine itself has a large wheel in the middle with two wheels in front and one behind.|Broad gauge [[GWR Iron Duke class|Iron Duke class]] locomotive ''Hirondelle'', built in 1848]]

The GWR's first locomotives were specified by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] but proved unsatisfactory. Daniel Gooch, who was just 20 years old, was soon appointed as the railway's Locomotive Superintendent and set about establishing a reliable fleet. He bought [[GWR Star Class|two locomotives]] from [[Robert Stephenson and Company]] which proved more successful than Brunel's, and then designed a series of standardised locomotives. From 1846 these could be built at the company's newly established [[Swindon railway works|railway workshops at Swindon]]. He designed several different {{RailGauge|7ft}} [[broad-gauge]] types for the growing railway, such as the [[GWR Firefly Class|Firefly]] [[2-2-2]]s and later [[GWR Iron Duke Class|Iron Duke Class]] [[4-2-2]]s. In 1864 Gooch was succeeded by [[Joseph Armstrong (engineer)|Joseph Armstrong]] who brought his [[standard-gauge]] experience to the railway. Some of Armstrong's designs were built as either broad or standard gauge just by fitting different wheels; those needing tenders were given old ones from withdrawn broad-gauge locomotives.{{sfn|Sheppard|2008|pages=9–11}}

Joseph Armstrong's early death in 1877 meant that the next phase of motive power design was the responsibility of [[William Dean (engineer)|William Dean]] who developed express [[4-4-0]] types rather than the single-driver [[2-2-2]]s and [[4-2-2]]s that had hauled fast trains up to that time.<ref name=Intro>{{cite magazine | last = Carver | first = John | title = An Introduction to the Great Western Railway |magazine=The Railway Magazine | volume = 151 | issue = 1256 | pages = 8–14  | publisher = IPC Media Ltd |date=December 2005}}</ref> Dean retired in 1902 to be replaced by [[George Jackson Churchward]], who introduced the familiar [[4-6-0]] locomotives. It was during Churchward's tenure that the term "Locomotive Superintendent" was changed to "Chief Mechanical Engineer" (CME).<ref name=Churchward>{{cite magazine | last = Hill | first = Keith | title = A Colossus of Steam |magazine=The Railway Magazine | volume = 151 | issue = 1256 | pages = 16–20  | publisher = IPC Media Ltd |date=December 2005}}</ref> [[Charles Collett]] succeeded Churchward in 1921. He was soon responsible for the much larger fleet that the GWR operated following the [[Railways Act 1921]] mergers. He set about replacing the older and less numerous classes, and rebuilding the remainder using as many standardised GWR components as possible. He also produced many new designs using standard parts, such as the [[GWR 4073 Class|Castle]] and [[GWR 6000 Class|King]] classes.<ref>{{cite book |last= Chapman |first= W G |title= Loco's of "The Royal Road" |year=1936 |publisher= Great Western Railway |location= London | pages=119–144 }}</ref> The final CME was [[Frederick Hawksworth]] who took control in 1941, seeing the railway through wartime shortages and producing GWR-design locomotives until after nationalisation.<ref name=Intro/>

Brunel and Gooch both gave their locomotives names to identify them, but the standard-gauge companies that became a part of the GWR used numbers. Until 1864 the GWR therefore had [[List of 7-foot gauge railway locomotive names|named broad-gauge locomotives]] and numbered standard-gauge ones. From the time of Armstrong's arrival all new locomotives&nbsp;– both broad and standard&nbsp;– were given numbers, including broad-gauge ones that had previously carried names when they were acquired from other railways.{{sfn|Sheppard|2008|pages=9–11}} Dean introduced a policy in 1895 of giving passenger [[Tender (rail)|tender]] locomotives both numbers and names. Each batch was given names with a distinctive theme, for example kings for the [[GWR 6000 Class|6000 class]] and castles for the [[GWR 4073 Class|4073 class]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Chapman |first= WG |title= GWR Engines |edition= 14th |year= 1938 |publisher= Great Western Railway |location= London | pages=9–18 }}</ref>

The GWR first painted its locomotives a dark [[holly]] green but this was changed to middle chrome or [[Brunswick green]] for most of its existence. They initially had chocolate brown or Indian red frames but this was changed in the twentieth century to black. Name and number plates were generally of polished brass with a black background, and chimneys often had copper rims or "caps".<ref>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first= John |title= Great Western Way |edition= 2nd |orig-year= Slinn, 1978 |year= 2009 |pages=14–62 |publisher= Historical Model Railway Society |location= Butterley |isbn= 978-0-902835-27-6|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

'''Liveries through the years:'''
<gallery>
File:Iron Duke tender painting detail.jpg|''[[GWR Iron Duke Class|Iron Duke]]'''s tender: Holly green with pea green lining
File:GWR 3440 City of Truro - geograph.org.uk - 1479746.jpg|''[[GWR 3440 City of Truro|City of Truro]]'': Middle Chrome green, orange lining and red frames
File:5029 Nunney Castle Didcot old slide.jpg|''[[GWR 4073 Class|Nunney Castle]]'': Middle Chrome green, orange lining and black frames
File:Willtion 3850 token exchange.jpg|[[GWR 2884 Class|3850]]: Middle Chrome green, black frames but no lining
</gallery>

===Carriages===
{{Main|Coaches of the Great Western Railway}}
[[File:GWR coach E164 BCK 7377.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A long coach with domed roof ends. The roof is pale grey and ends black. The body has brown lower parts but cream above around the windows.|A coach in the chocolate and cream livery used from 1922]]
GWR passenger coaches were many and varied, ranging from four- and six-wheeled vehicles on the original [[broad-gauge]] line of 1838, through to [[bogie]] coaches up to {{convert|70|ft|m}} long which were in service through to 1947 and beyond. Vacuum brakes, bogies and [[Corridor connection|through-corridors]] all came into use during the nineteenth century, and in 1900 the first electrically lit coaches were put into service. The 1920s saw some vehicles fitted with automatic [[Railway coupling|couplings]] and steel bodies.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 16}}{{sfn|Harris|1985|pages=21–37}}

Early vehicles were built by a number of independent companies, but in 1844 the railway started to build carriages at [[Swindon railway works]], which eventually provided most of the railway's [[rolling stock]]. Special vehicles included [[sleeping car]]s, [[restaurant car]]s and [[slip coach]]es.{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 16}} Passengers were also carried in [[GWR steam rail motors|railmotors]],<ref name=SRM>{{cite book | last =Lewis | first =John | title =Great Western Steam Railmotors: and their services | publisher =Wild Swan Publications Ltd | year =2004 | isbn = 1-874103-96-8}}</ref> [[GWR Autotrain|autotrains]],<ref name=Auto/> and [[GWR railcars|diesel railcars]].<ref name=Railcars>{{cite book |last= Judge |first= Colin |title= The history of Great Western A.E.C. diesel railcars |orig-year= Oxford Publishing Company, 1986 |year= 2008 |publisher= Noodle Books |location= Southampton |isbn= 978-1-906419-11-0 }}</ref> Passenger-rated vans carried parcels, horses, and milk at express speeds.{{sfn|Lewis|2009|pages=100–113}} Representative examples of these carriages survive in service today on various [[Heritage railway]]s up and down the country.

Most coaches were generally painted in variations of a chocolate-brown and cream livery, however they were plain brown or red until 1864 and from 1908 to 1922.{{sfn|Lewis|2009|pages=63–99}} Parcels vans and similar vehicles were seldom painted in the two-colour livery, being plain brown or red instead, which caused them to be known as "brown vehicles".{{sfn|Lewis|2009|pages=100–113}}

===Wagons===
{{Main|Great Western Railway wagons}}
[[File:GWR wagon G31 MOGO 126359.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A short goods van built from planks of wood. The sides are mid-grey with a large white G to the left of the doors and a large white W to the right.|A GWR goods van in the grey livery used from about 1904. This one has end doors to allow motor cars to be loaded.]]
In the early years of the GWR its wagons were painted brown,<ref>{{cite journal| last = Jolly| first = Mike| title = Carriage and Waggon Livery c1855| journal = Broadsheet| issue = 6| pages = 5–7| publisher = Broad Gauge Society| year = 1981}}</ref> but this changed to red before the end of the [[broad gauge]]. The familiar dark grey livery was introduced about 1904.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Lewis| first = John| title = The Colour of GWR Goods Wagons| journal = Broadsheet| issue = 45| pages = 4–5| publisher = Broad Gauge Society| year = 2001}}</ref>

Most early wagons were four-wheeled open vehicles, although a few six-wheeled vehicles were provided for special loads. Covered vans followed, initially for carrying cattle but later for both general and vulnerable goods too. The first [[bogie]] wagons appeared in 1873 for heavy loads, but bogie coal wagons were built in 1904 following on from the large four-wheel coal wagons that had first appeared in 1898. Rated at 20&nbsp;[[long ton|tons]] (20.3&nbsp;tonnes) these were twice the size of typical wagons of the period, but it was not until 1923 that the company invested heavily in coal wagons of this size and the infrastructure necessary for their unloading at their docks; these were known as "[[Felix Pole]]" wagons after the GWR's general manager who promoted their use. Container wagons appeared in 1931 and special vans for motor cars in 1933.{{sfn|Atkins |1975|pages=24–33}}

When the GWR was opened no trains in the United Kingdom were fitted with [[vacuum brake]]s, instead handbrakes were fitted to individual wagons and trains also conveyed [[brake van]]s where a guard had control of a screw-operated brake. The first goods wagons to be fitted with vacuum brakes were those that ran in passenger trains carrying perishable goods such as fish. Some ballast hoppers were given vacuum brakes in December 1903, and general goods wagons were constructed with them from 1904 onwards, although unfitted wagons (those without vacuum brakes) still formed the majority of the fleet in 1948 when the railway was [[Nationalisation|nationalised]] to become a part of [[British Railways]].{{sfn|Atkins |1975|pages=67–80}}

All wagons for public traffic had a [[Great Western Railway telegraphic codes|code name]] that was used in [[Telegram style|telegraphic]] messages. As this was usually painted onto the wagon it was common to see them referred to by these names, such as "Mink" (a van), "Mica" (refrigerated van), "Crocodile" (boiler truck), and "Toad" ([[brake van]]).{{sfn|Lewis |2009|pages=A17–A18}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/stockcode.htm|title=Code Names for Great Western Carriage Stock and Vans|work=greatwestern.org.uk}}</ref>

==Track==
{{Main|Baulk road}}
[[File:Baulk road crossing.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Three rails cross the picture from left to right supported on thick timbers; occasional smaller timbers cross between these and stone chippings fill the space between them.|Baulk road track]]
For the [[permanent way (history)|permanent way]] Brunel decided to use a light bridge rail continuously supported on thick timber baulks, known as "[[baulk road]]". Thinner timber transoms were used to keep the baulks the correct distance apart. This produced a smoother track and the whole assembly proved cheaper than using conventional sleepers for broad-gauge track, although this advantage was lost with standard- or mixed-gauge lines because of the higher ratio of timber to length of line. More conventional track forms were later used, although baulk road could still be seen in sidings in the first half of the twentieth century.{{sfn|Lewis |2009|pages=143–149}}
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==Signalling==
[[File:Didcot disc and crossbar signal.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=A white pole supports two cross-arms joined by four short verticals to make a grid. Above that is a red disc perforated by eight holes.|Disc and crossbar signal]]
Brunel developed a system of "disc and crossbar" [[Railway signal|signals]] to control train movements, but the people operating them could only assume that each train reached the next signal without stopping unexpectedly. The world's first commercial [[Electrical telegraph|telegraph]] line was installed along the {{convert|13|mi|km}} from Paddington to [[West Drayton railway station|West Drayton]] and came into operation on 9 April 1839. This later spread throughout the system and allowed stations to use telegraphic messages to tell the people operating the signals when each train arrived safely.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 12}} A long list of [[Great Western Railway telegraphic codes|code words]] were developed to help make messages both quick to send and clear in meaning.{{sfn|Lewis |2009|pages=A17–A18}}

More conventional [[Railway semaphore signal|semaphore signal]]s replaced the discs and crossbars over time. The GWR persisted with the lower quadrant form, where a "proceed" aspect is indicated by lowering the signal arm, despite other British railways changing to an upper quadrant form. Electric light signals of the "searchlight" pattern were later introduced at busy stations; these could show the same red/green or yellow/green aspects that semaphore signals showed at night. An "[[Automatic train control#United Kingdom|automatic train control]]" system was introduced from 1906 which was a safety system that applied a train's brakes if it passed a danger signal.<ref>{{cite book |last= Vaughan |first= John |title= A Pictorial Record of Great Western Signalling |orig-year= 1978 |year= 1984 |publisher= Oxford Publishing Company |location= Poole |isbn= 0-86093-346-6 }}</ref>
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==Cultural impact==
The GWR is known admiringly to some as "God's Wonderful Railway",<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news | last = Morris | first = S | title = Wonderful Railway on track to be world heritage site | work = Guardian Unlimited | url = https://www.theguardian.com/transport/Story/0,,1814623,00.html | access-date = 19 May 2007 | location=London | date=7 July 2006}}</ref> but jocularly to others as the "Great Way Round"<ref name=Leigh>{{cite book| last = Leigh| first = Chris| title = Railway World Special: Cornish Riviera| publisher = Ian Allan| year = 1988| location = Shepperton| isbn = 0-7110-1797-2 | page=8 }}</ref> as some of its earliest routes were not the most direct. The railway, however, promoted itself from 1908 as "The Holiday Line" as it carried huge numbers of people to [[resort]]s in Wales and south-west England.<ref name=MidC>{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall| publisher = Kingfisher Railway Publications| year = 1988b| location = Southampton| isbn = 0-946184-53-4 | pages=90–93 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = Great Western Holiday Lines in Devon and West Somerset| publisher = Runpast Publications| year = 1993| isbn = 1-870754-25-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = Wales: A foreign country| journal = Backtrack| volume = 22| issue = 2| pages = 80–83| publisher = Pendragon Publishing| year = 2008}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:GWR book Camp Coach Holidays.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A stylised painting of a coast line in red and blue with the sea on the left and a railway coach on the right. At the top is the title "Camp-Coach Holidays", and at the bottom it says Novel and economical camping in comfort in selected beauty spots of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Wales"."|upright|1934 [[camp coach]] brochure]]
Cheap tickets were offered and excursion trains operated to popular destinations and special events such as the 1851 [[Great Exhibition]].<ref name=GoGW>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Roger Burdett |title=Go Great Western: a history of GWR publicity |date=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=0-946537-38-0 | pages=15, 129 |edition=2}}</ref> Later, [[GWR road motor services|GWR road motors]] operated tours to popular destinations not served directly by train, and its ships offered cruises from places such as Plymouth.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = Devon: A bold and beautiful prospect| journal = Backtrack| volume = 22| issue = 11| pages = 668–671| publisher = Pendragon  | year = 2008}}</ref> Redundant carriages were converted to [[camp coach]]es<!--GWR called them CAMP coaches, NOT campING coaches (see camping coach article)--> and placed at country or seaside stations such as {{Stnlnk|Blue Anchor}} and {{Stnlnk|Marazion}} and hired to holidaymakers who arrived by train.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fenton|first=Mike|title=Camp Coach Holidays on the G.W.R|publisher=Wild Swan|year=1999 |isbn=1-874103-53-4 |page=11}}</ref>

The GWR had operated hotels at major stations and junctions since the early days, but in 1877 it opened its first "country house hotel", the [[Tregenna Castle]] in [[St Ives, Cornwall]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|at=Chapter 13}} It later added the Fishguard Bay Hotel in Wales and the Manor House at [[Moretonhampstead]], Devon, to which it added a [[golf course]] in 1930.<ref name=GWCentenaryA/>

It promoted itself from 1908 as "The Holiday Line{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=24–27}} through a series of posters, [[postcard]]s, [[jigsaw puzzle]]s, and books. These included ''Holiday Haunts'', describing the attraction of the different parts of the GWR system,{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=104–121}} and regional titles such as [[S. P. B. Mais]]'s ''Cornish Riviera'' and A. M. Bradley's ''South Wales: The Country of Castles''. Guidebooks described the scenery seen ''Through the Window'' of their trains. Other GWR books were designed to encourage an interest in the GWR itself. Published as "Books for Boys of All Ages", these included ''The 10:30 Limited'' and ''Loco's of the Royal Road''.{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=83–103}}

The Great Western Railway effectively created the modern day tourist spots of the [[West Country]] and the southwest part of [[Wales]] that had previously been very difficult to reach. The Bristol Channel resorts of Wales and the West Country such as [[Minehead]] or the cliffs of [[Exmoor]] had been very remote from other parts of England before the advent of the GWR.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Walton|first1=John K.|title=The British Seaside: Holidays and Resorts in the Twentieth Century|date=2000|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-0-7190-5170-8 |page=74|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uydACzcGjQEC&q=Great+Western+Railway+remote+west+country+tourism+line&pg=PA74|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306124232/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uydACzcGjQEC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=Great+Western+Railway+remote+west+country+tourism+line&source=bl&ots=DgKVdU5laK&sig=lHTzTVjjJwzkimS6TJaBVp-h1uM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBTgKahUKEwjPkfjiiOjIAhWDaxQKHXkmCt0#v=onepage&q=Great%20Western%20Railway%20remote%20west%20country%20tourism%20line&f=false|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
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===Locomotive books===
[[Railfan|Railway enthusiasts]] were kept informed of new locomotives and other topics through the ''Great Western Railway Magazine'' from 1904. In 1911 the GWR became the first company to publish a book about its locomotive stock. ''Names of Engines'' was a booklet containing an alphabetic list of the company's named engines, with their number and [[wheel arrangement]]. Alternate pages showed formal vignetted photographs of different types of engine, mostly in [[photographic grey]], annotated with their principal dimensions. No author was credited but the list was compiled by Arthur J.L White in the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office.{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=87, 173–177 }}<ref name="GWRengines">{{cite book |title=G.W.R. engines: names, numbers, types & classes. |date=1971 |publisher=David and Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=0-7153-5367-5 |at=1911 edn. |ref={{sfnref|GWR Engines|1971}} }}</ref>

New editions were printed in 1914 and 1917 as ''Great Western Railway Engines'' edited by {{Nobr|'A.J.L.W.'}} and then as ''Great Western Railway Engines: Names, Numbers, Types and Classes'' in 1919 with new editions at regular intervals up to 1929.{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=87, 173–177 }} These listed the named engines by class, each class having a formal photograph annotated with extensive dimensions and engineering details. Some classes of unnamed engines were also given a page with a photograph and similar annotations. No author was credited, but the introductory essay "Naming of Locomotives" was signed {{Nobr|'A.J.L.W.'}}{{sfn|GWR Engines|1971|loc=1928 edn., p. 15}} Arthur White died in 1929 and from 1932 new editions, now ''The G.W.R. Engine Book'' were published by the GWR's Publicity Department up to 1935.{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=87, 173–177 }}

From 1938 the editor was given as {{Nobr|'W.G.C.'}} who was W.G. Chapman. The title was now ''GWR Engines: Names, Numbers Types, Classes, etc. of Great Western Railway Locomotives''. There were reprints (also listed as editions) following in 1938 (again) and 1939.{{sfn|GWR Engines|1971|loc=1946 edn., reverse of title page, and foreword}} A final edition was published in 1946.{{sfn|Wilson|1987|pages=87, 173–177 }} In addition to the locomotive listings, photographs and dimensions, there are numerous essays on many aspects of GWR locomotive development.{{sfn|GWR Engines|1971|loc=1938 and 1946 edns.}}

On a related subject, the GWR also published in 1935 a 56-page booklet entitled ''Swindon Works and its place in Great Western Railway History''. Illustrated with photographs on almost every opening, it recounts the history of the GWR as a locomotive-using and building company, the construction and development of [[Swindon Works]], and the training of those employed there. It describes each section of the works, some of the latest locomotives to be built there, and finishes with various related organisations, from the Mechanics' Institution to the Annual Works Holiday.<ref>{{cite book |title=Swindon Works and its place in Great Western Railway History |date=1935 |publisher=Great Western Railway |location=Paddington Station, London}}</ref>

===Art, media and literature===
[[File:Rain Steam and Speed the Great Western Railway.jpg|thumb|alt=An impressionistic painting which is generally orange but with some purple in the sky. Two strong lines emerge from the centre and disappear at bottom right which form an arch bridge carrying a smudge of a steam train towards the viewer.|right|''[[Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway]]'', by [[J. M. W. Turner|Turner]].]]
The GWR attracted the attention of the artists from an early date. [[John Cooke Bourne]]'s ''History and Description of the Great Western Railway'' was published in 1846 and contained a series of detailed [[lithograph]]s of the railway that give readers a glimpse of what the line looked like in the days before photography.<ref name=Bourne>{{cite book| last = Bourne| first = John Cooke| author-link = John Cooke Bourne| title = History and Description of the Great Western Railway| publisher = David Bogue| year = 1846| location = London| oclc=25959330}}</ref> [[J. M. W. Turner]] painted his ''[[Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway]]'' in 1844 after looking out of the window of his train on [[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]],<ref>{{cite book| last = Hamilton Ellis| first = C| title = Railway Art| publisher = Ash and Grant Ltd| year = 1977| location = London| isbn = 0-904069-10-9 | page=18 }}</ref> and in 1862 [[William Powell Frith]] painted ''[[The Railway Station]]'', a large crowd scene on the [[Railway platform|platform]] at Paddington. The station itself was initially painted for Powell by W Scott Morton, an architect, and a train was specially provided by the GWR for the painting, in front of which a variety of travellers and railway staff form an animated focal point.<ref>{{cite book| last = Cowling| first = Mary| title = Victorian Figurative Painting| publisher = Andreas Papadakis| year = 2000| location = London| isbn = 1-901092-29-1 | pages=113–118 }}</ref>

In 1935, as part of the celebration of the centenary of the GWR, the railway commissioned and published ''Railway Ribaldry'', a book of cartoons by [[W. Heath Robinson]], giving that well-known cartoonist a free hand to re-imagine the history of the line for the amusement of its customers. The result is a 96-page softback book with alternating full-page cartoons and smaller vignettes, all on pertinent subjects.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=W. Heath |title=Railway Ribaldry |date=1935 |publisher=The Great Western Railway |location=Paddington Station, London }}</ref>

The GWR has featured in many television programmes, such as the BBC children's drama series ''[[God's Wonderful Railway]]'' in 1980.<ref>{{cite web| title =God's Wonderful Railway| work =TV.com| url =http://www.tv.com/gods-wonderful-railway/show/26287/summary.html| access-date =19 November 2008| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110310162317/http://www.tv.com/gods-wonderful-railway/show/26287/summary.html| archive-date =10 March 2011| url-status =live}}</ref> It was also immortalised in [[Bob Godfrey]]'s animated film ''[[Great (1975 film)|Great]]'', which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1975 which tells the story of Brunel's engineering accomplishments.<ref>{{cite web| title =Great (1975)| publisher =Toonhound| url =http://www.toonhound.com/great.htm| access-date =26 January 2009| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090316003451/http://www.toonhound.com/great.htm| archive-date =16 March 2009| url-status =dead}}</ref>

[[John Betjeman|Sir John Betjeman]] mentions the GWR clearly in his poem ''Distant Views of a Provincial Town'':<ref>{{cite book|title=Betjeman Country|last=Delaney|first=Frank|publisher=Paladin|date=1983|page=155}}</ref>
<poem style="margin-left:1.6em;">The old Great Western Railway shakes,
The old Great Western Railway spins –
The old Great Western Railway makes
Me very sorry for my sins.</poem>

===Heritage===
{{Main|List of Great Western Railway heritage sites}}

[[File:Yatton Stn GWR seat.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A bench seen from low down and behind. Three brown-painted cast iron legs have "G W R" cast into them in a circular mofif and painted white, and support two pairs of widely spaced wooden planks that form the seat and back.|upright|A GWR seat at {{Stnlnk|Yatton}}]]

[[File:Cockwood Steps - 2017-04-09 - Andy Mabbett - 11.jpg|thumb|The pedestrian crossing at Cockwood Steps, on the South Devon Main Line, retains a gate with GWR spear-type railings]]

The GWR's memory is kept alive by several museums such as [[Swindon Steam Railway Museum|STEAM – the museum of the GWR]] (in the old [[Swindon railway works]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=Collection Highlights |url=https://www.steam-museum.org.uk/collections/collection-highlights/ |website=STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref> and the [[Didcot Railway Centre]] where the collection includes replica broad-gauge trains.<ref>{{cite web |title=Explore |url=https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/article.php/4/our-historic-buildings-locomotives-rolling-stock-and-the-exciting-things-to-see-and-do |website=Didcot Railway Centre |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref> [[Heritage railways|Preserved]] GWR lines include those from [[South Devon Railway Trust|Totnes to Buckfastleigh]], [[Dartmouth Steam Railway|Paignton to Kingswear]], [[West Somerset Railway|Bishops Lydeard to Minehead]], [[Severn Valley Railway|Kidderminster to Bridgnorth]] and [[Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway|Cheltenham to Broadway]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Line |url=https://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/about-us/our-line/ |website=South Devon Railway |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/history |website=Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stations |url=https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/stations |website=West Somerset Railway |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the SVR |url=https://svr.co.uk/plan-your-visit/history-of-the-svr/ |website=Severn Valley Railway |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.gwsr.com/about-us/our-history |website=Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway |access-date=2025-04-10}}</ref> Many other heritage railways and museums also have GWR locomotives or rolling stock in use or on display.

Numerous stations owned by [[Network Rail]] also continue to display much of their GWR heritage. This is seen not only at the large stations such as [[London Paddington station|Paddington]] (built 1851,<ref>{{cite book| last = Brindle| first = Steven| title = Paddington Station: its history and architecture| publisher = [[English Heritage]]| year = 2004| location = Swindon| isbn = 1-873592-70-1| pages=26–49 }}</ref> extended 1915){{sfn|Brindle |2004|pages=120–121}} and [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Temple Meads]] (1840,<ref>{{cite book| last = Oakley| first = Mike| title = Bristol Railway Stations 1840–2005| publisher = The Dovecote Press| year = 2002| location = Wimbourne| isbn = 1-904349-09-9| pages=13–17}}</ref> 1875{{sfn|Oakley|2002|pages=18–23}} & 1935){{sfn|Oakley|2002|pages=24–25}} but other places such as [[Bath Spa railway station|Bath Spa]] (1840),<ref name="Oakley_Somerset">{{cite book| last = Oakley| first = Mike| title = Somerset Railway Stations| publisher = Redcliffe Press| year = 2006| location = Bristol| isbn = 1-904537-54-5}}</ref> {{Stnlnk|Torquay}} (1878),<ref>{{cite book| last = Potts| first = C R| title = The Newton Abbot to Kingswear Railway (1844–1988)| publisher = Oakwood Press| year = 1998| location = Oxford| isbn = 0-85361-387-7 | pages=74–77 }}</ref> {{Stnlnk|Penzance}} (1879),{{sfn|Bennett |1990a|pages=25–32}} {{Stnlnk|Truro}} (1897),{{sfn|Bennett |1990a|pages=19–30}} and {{Stnlnk|Newton Abbot}} (1927).<ref>{{cite book| last = Oakley| first = Mike| title = Devon Railway Stations| publisher = The Dovecote Press| year = 2007| location = Wimbourne| isbn = 978-1-904349-55-6| pages=143–144 }}</ref> Many small stations are little changed from when they were opened, as there has been no need to rebuild them to cope with heavier traffic; good examples can be found at {{Stnlnk|Yatton}} (1841), {{Stnlnk|Frome}} (1850, Network Rail's last surviving Brunel-style [[train shed]]),<ref name="Oakley_Somerset"/> {{Stnlnk|Bradford-on-Avon}} (1857), and {{Stnlnk|St Germans}} (1859).<ref>{{cite web| title =The BGS Millennium Project| publisher =Broad Gauge Society| year =2004| url =http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/oldsite/today/millennium.html| access-date =18 August 2008| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20061012191909/http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/oldsite/today/millennium.html| archive-date =12 October 2006| url-status =live}}</ref> Even where stations have been rebuilt, many fittings such as signs, [[manhole]] covers and seats can still be found with "GWR" cast into them.{{sfn|Lewis|2009|pages=160–163}}

The Great Western Main Line was considered as a potential [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 2006 but rejected in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=The United Kingdom's World Heritage|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/78234/Review-WH-Tentative-List-Report_March2011.pdf|publisher=Department for Culture, Media and Sport|access-date=20 January 2015|date=March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107182147/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/78234/Review-WH-Tentative-List-Report_March2011.pdf|archive-date=7 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The proposal comprised seven sites: [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Temple Meads]] (including Brunel's GWR offices, boardroom, train shed, the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway|B&ER]] offices, and the [[Avon Bridge|bridge over the River Avon]]); Bath (including the route from Twerton Tunnel to Sydney Gardens); Middlehill and [[Box Tunnel|Box]] Tunnels; the Swindon area including [[Swindon railway works]] and village; [[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]]; [[Wharncliffe Viaduct]]; and Paddington station.<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web | title = The Great Western Railway: Paddington-Bristol (selected parts) | publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation | year = 1999 | url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1319/ | access-date = 22 May 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080527212224/http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1319/ | archive-date = 27 May 2008 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Locomotives named ''Great Western''===
[[File:43185 Nameplate.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A black nameplate stating "Great Western" with a multi-coloured shield above.|The nameplate on [[British Rail Class 43 (HST)|First Great Western power car 43185]]]]
Several locomotives have been given the name ''Great Western''. The first was an [[GWR Iron Duke class|Iron Duke class]] broad-gauge locomotive built in 1846, the first locomotive entirely constructed at the company's [[Swindon Works]]. This was withdrawn in 1870, but in 1888 a newly built locomotive in the same class was given the same name; this was withdrawn four years later when the broad gauge was taken out of use.{{sfn|Sheppard|2008|pages=17–18}} A standard-gauge [[GWR 3031 Class|3031 class]] locomotive, number 3012, was then given the name. The last GWR locomotive to carry the name was [[GWR 4073 Class|Castle class]] number 7007, which continued to carry it in British Railways days.<ref name=LocoNames>{{cite book|last=Pike |first=Jim |title=Locomotive Names |year=2000 |publisher=Sutton Publishing |location=Stroud |isbn=0-7509-2284-2 | page=53}}</ref>

The name later reappeared on some [[British Rail|BR]] [[diesel locomotive|diesels]]. The first was 47500 which carried the name from 1979 until 1991.<ref>{{cite web | title =Number 47500 | work =The 47's | year =2009 | url =http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?s_loco=47500 | access-date =11 March 2009 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071026171533/http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?s_loco=47500 | archive-date =26 October 2007 | url-status =live }}</ref> Another [[British Rail Class 47|Class 47]], this time 47815, had the name bestowed on it in 2005; it is currently (2009) in operation with [[Riviera Trains]].<ref>{{cite web | title =Number 47815 | work =The 47's | year =2009 | url =http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?index=2&jndex=4&kndex=14&s_loco=47815 | access-date =20 November 2009 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110719014810/http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?index=2&jndex=4&kndex=14&s_loco=47815 | archive-date =19 July 2011 | url-status =live }}</ref> [[British Rail Class 43 (HST)|High Speed Train power car]] number 43185 also carried the same name<ref name=LocoNames/> and was operated by the modern [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]<ref>{{cite web | title =HST Power Car Fleet List | work =125 Group | url =http://www.125group.org.uk/fleetlist.pdf | access-date =11 March 2009 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130722231406/http://www.125group.org.uk/fleetlist.pdf | archive-date =22 July 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref> until 18 May 2019.
{{Clear}}

==Notable people==
[[File:Statue IKBrunel PaddingtonStn DMS 05122005-003-1.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A black statue of a seated man holding a top hat|[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]'s statue at Paddington station]]

===Chairmen===
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*Benjamin Shaw 1835–1837<ref name=Chairmen>{{cite web |url=http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_gwr_chairmen.htm |title=Great Western Chairmen |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=The Great Western Archive |publisher=John Daniel |access-date=5 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620065753/http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_gwr_chairmen.htm |archive-date=20 June 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*William Sims 1837–1839<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Charles Russell (1786–1856)|Charles Russell]] 1839–1855<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Spencer Horatio Walpole]] 1855–1856<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[William Barrington, 6th Viscount Barrington]] 1856–1857<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Frederick Ponsonby, 6th Earl of Bessborough]] 1857–1859<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne]] 1859–1863<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Spencer Horatio Walpole]]  1863<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Richard Potter (businessman)|Richard Potter]] 1863–1865<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Daniel Gooch]] 1865–1889<ref name=Chairmen/>
*Frederick Saunders 1889–1895<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor]] 1895–1905<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Alfred Baldwin (politician)|Alfred Baldwin]] 1905–1908<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Victor Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill]] 1908–1934<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Robert Horne, 1st Viscount Horne of Slamannan]] 1934–1940<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Charles Jocelyn Hambro]] 1940–1945<ref name=Chairmen/>
*[[Wyndham Portal, 1st Viscount Portal|Viscount Portal]] 1945–1948<ref name=Chairmen/>
}}

===Chief Engineers, Locomotive Superintendents, CMEs===
{{main|List of chief mechanical engineers of the Great Western Railway|l1=List of CMEs of the GWR and related railways}}
;Chief Engineer
*[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] - (1835–1859) Also engineered many of the broad-gauge lines with which the GWR amalgamated, and the standard-gauge [[Taff Vale Railway]]. He was responsible for choosing the route of the railway and designing many of today's iconic structures including [[Box Tunnel]], [[Royal Albert Bridge]], [[Maidenhead Railway Bridge]], {{stnlnk|Paddington}} and {{stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}} stations.{{sfn|Brindle|2006|pages=52–179}}
;Locomotive Superintendent
[[File:National Railway Museum Daniel Gooch Fire Fly model.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A glass display case containing a large brass model of a steam locomotive. At the back of the case is a black and white photograph of a man.|upright|A display commemorating [[Daniel Gooch]] at the [[National Railway Museum]]]]
* [[Daniel Gooch]] - (1837–1864) Later the chairman (1865–1889). He was responsible for the railway's early locomotive successes, such as the [[GWR Iron Duke Class|Iron Duke Class]], and for establishing [[Swindon railway works]].{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|at=Chapter 15}}
*[[Joseph Armstrong (engineer)|Joseph Armstrong]] - (1864–1877) Locomotive Superintendent to the [[Shrewsbury and Chester Railway]] and the [[Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway]]s from 1853, he was responsible for the locomotive workshops at Wolverhampton.<ref name="Intro" /> When they amalgamated with the GWR the following year he was given the title of Northern Division Locomotive Superintendent (1854–1864), he then moved to Swindon as the chief Locomotive Superintendent.<ref name="GWCentenaryO" />
* [[William Dean (engineer)|William Dean]] - (1877–1902).<ref name="Intro" />
* [[George Jackson Churchward]] - (1902–1915) who instigated much standardisation of locomotive components.<ref name="Churchward" />
;Chief Mechanical Engineer
* George Jackson Churchward - (1915–1921) The position was renamed.<ref name="Churchward" />
* [[Charles Collett]] - (1922–1941).<ref name="Intro" />
* [[Frederick Hawksworth]] - (1941–1947) The last GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer.<ref name="Intro" />

===Others===
* [[George Armstrong (engineer)|George Armstrong]], brother of Joseph, and Superintendent of the Northern Division (1864–1897) at [[Wolverhampton railway works|Wolverhampton works]], which he ran almost independently of Swindon.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0-85059-819-2 |pages=28–29}}</ref> 
* James Grierson - Goods Manager (1857–1863), he then became the general manager (1863–1887) from which position he saw the railway through a period of expansion and the early gauge conversions.<ref name="GWCentenaryO">{{cite journal| title = The Chairmen and Principal Officers of the Great Western Railway Company 1833–1935| journal = Great Western Railway Magazine| volume = 47| issue = 9| page = 462| publisher = Great Western Railway| year = 1935}}</ref>
* Henry Lambert - The general manager (1887–1896) responsible for managing the final gauge conversion in 1892.<ref name="GWCentenaryO" />
* [[James Milne (railway manager)|James Milne]] - General manager (1929–1947) who saw the GWR through [[World War II]].<ref name="GWCentenaryO" />
* [[Felix Pole|Sir Felix Pole]] - As general manager (1921–1929) he oversaw the Grouping of the South Wales railways into the GWR following the [[Railways Act 1921]], and promoted the use of 20 ton wagons to bring efficiencies to the railway's coal trade.<ref name="GWCentenaryO" />
* [[Charles Spagnoletti]] - The GWR's [[Electrical telegraph|Telegraph]] Superintendent (1855–1892) patented the Disc Block Telegraph Instrument that was used to safely control the dispatch of trains. First used on the [[Metropolitan Railway]] in 1863 and the [[Bristol and South Wales Union Railway]] in 1864, it was later used on many other lines operated by the company.<ref name="GWCentenaryO" />
A number of engineers trained at or worked for the GWR, before moving to other companies, including: {{hlist
|[[Thomas Russell Crampton]] ([[South Eastern Railway (England)|SER]] among others)<ref name=Griffths/> 
|[[Harold Holcroft]] ([[South Eastern and Chatham Railway|SECR]], [[Southern Railway (UK)|SR]]),<ref name=Griffths/> 
|[[James Holden (locomotive engineer)|James Holden]] ([[Great Eastern Railway|GER]])<ref name=Griffths/> 
|[[William Martley]] ([[London, Chatham and Dover Railway|LCDR]])<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Proceedings |title=Memoirs of Members deceased in 1874 |date=1875 |publisher=[[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]] |location=Birmingham |pages=29–30 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsinst02britgoog/page/28 }}</ref>
|[[John G. Robinson]] ([[Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway|WL&WR]], [[Great Central Railway|GCR]])<ref>{{cite book |last1=Healy |first1=John |title=Great Central Memories |date=1987 |publisher=Baton Transport |location=London |isbn=0 85936 193 4 |page=56 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatcentralmemo0000heal}}</ref>
|[[William Stanier]] ([[London, Midland and Scottish Railway|LMS]])<ref name=Griffths/> 
|[[William Stroudley]] ([[Highland Railway|HR]], [[London, Brighton and South Coast Railway|LBSCR]])<ref>{{cite web |title=William Stroudley: locomotive engineer |url=https://steamindex.com/people/stroud.htm |website=steamindex.com |access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref> 
|[[Archibald Sturrock]] ([[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|GNR]])<ref name=Griffths>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0-85059-819-2 |pages=155–159}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
{{portal|Companies}}
* [[Chiltern Railways]], [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] and [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]&nbsp;– Current train operators on routes built by the Great Western Railway
* [[Great Western Railway accidents]]
* [[Great Western Railway ships]]
* [[Great Western Railway telegraphic codes]]
* [[GWR locomotive numbering and classification]]
* [[List of 7-foot gauge railway locomotive names]]
* [[List of Chief Mechanical Engineers of the Great Western Railway]]
* [[List of constituents of the Great Western Railway]]
* [[Llanelli railway strike]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="Note"}}

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |editor-last= Adams |editor-first=William |title=Encyclopaedia of the Great Western Railway |year= 1993 |publisher= Patrick Stephens | location = Sparkford |isbn= 1-85260-329-1 }}
* {{cite book |last1= Ahrons |first1= E.L.| last2 = Asher | first2 = L.L. |title= Locomotive and Train Working in the Latter Part of the Nineteenth Century |volume= 4 |year= 1953 |publisher= Heffer |location= Cambridge | oclc = 606019476}}
* {{cite book |last= Bryan |first= Tim |title= All in a Day's Work: Life on the GWR |year= 2004 |publisher= Ian Allan |isbn= 0-7110-2964-4}}
* {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bha062|last= Channon |first= Geoffrey |title= Bristol and the Promotion of the Great Western Railway |year= 1985 |publisher= Bristol Historical Association |isbn= 0-901388-45-9}}
* {{cite book |last1= Gibbs |first1= George Henry |editor-last=Simmons |editor-first=Jack |title= The Birth of the Great Western Railway |year= 1971 |publisher= Adams and Dart |location= Bath  | isbn = 978-0-239-00088-0}}
* {{cite book |last= Nock |first= O.S. |title=History of the Great Western Railway. Volume Three: 1923–1947 |orig-year= 1967 |year= 1982 |publisher= Ian Allan |isbn= 0-7110-0304-1 }}
* {{cite book |last= Sidney |first= Samuel |title= Extracts form Gauge Evidence 1845 |orig-year= 1846: Edmonds and Vacher |year= 1971 |publisher= SR Publishers |location= Wakefield |isbn= 0-85409-723-6 }}
* {{cite book |last= Tourret |first= R |title= GWR Engineering Work, 1928–1938 |year=2003 |publisher= Tourret Publishing |isbn= 0-905878-08-6 }}
* {{cite book |last= Vaughan |first= Adrian |title= Grub, Water and Relief: Tales of the Great Western 1835–1892 |year= 1985 |publisher= John Murray |location= London |isbn= 0-7195-4176-X }}
*{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/railwaysgreatbr00whisgoog|title=The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland Practically Described and Illustrated|first=Francis|last=Whishaw|author-link=Francis Whishaw|edition=2nd|location=London|publisher=John Weale|year=1842|pages=141–162|oclc=833076248}}
* {{cite book |title= Rules and Regulations for the Guidance of the Officers and Men |orig-year= 1904 Great Western Railway|year=1993 |publisher= Ian Allan |isbn= 0-7110-2259-3 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Great Western Railway|<br />Great Western Railway}}
*[http://www.broadgauge.org.uk Broad Gauge Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090118200333/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/story/intro.aspx?storyUid=68 English Heritage ViewFinder&nbsp;– Photo Essay: ''"GWR&nbsp;– The finest work in the kingdom"'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130823070859/http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/getting_involved/membership.html Great Western Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080822041919/http://gwsg.ukmodelshops.co.uk/ Great Western Study Group]
*[http://www.gwr.org.uk GWR Modelling]
*[http://www.steam-museum.org.uk Steam&nbsp;– Museum of the Great Western Railway]
* {{PM20|FID=co/048031|TEXT=Documents and clippings about|NAME=}}

{{Clear}}
{{Great Western Railway}}
{{Big Four pre-nationalisation British railway companies}}
{{Brunel}}

{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

[[Category:Great Western Railway| ]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1833]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1838]]
[[Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1948]]
[[Category:Big four British railway companies]]
[[Category:7 ft gauge railways]]
[[Category:Pre-grouping British railway companies]]
[[Category:Works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel|GWR]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in Wales]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in England]]
[[Category:1833 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1948 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1833]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1948]]
[[Category:Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]

[[cs:Isambard Kingdom Brunel#Great Western Railway]]