Great Western Railway
Logo of the Great Western Railway, incorporating the shields, crests and mottoes of the cities of London (left) and Bristol (right)
Map of the railway pre-grouping (1920)
History
1835Act of incorporation
1838First train ran
1869–927 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge
changed to
4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
1903Start of road motor services
1923Keeps identity though the Grouping
1935Centenary
1948Nationalised
Successor organisation
1948British Rail, Western Region
Constituent companies
See full list of constituents of the GWR
1854Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway
1862South Wales Railway
1863West Midland Railway
1876Bristol and Exeter Railway
South Devon Railway
1889Cornwall Railway
1922Rhymney Railway
Taff Vale Railway
Cambrian Railways
1923Midland & S W Junction Railway
Key locations
HeadquartersPaddington station, London
LocaleEngland; Wales
WorkshopsSwindon
Wolverhampton
Major stationsBirmingham Snow Hill
Bristol Temple Meads
Cardiff General
London Paddington
Reading General
Route mileage
Mileage shown as at end of year stated[1][2][3][4][5]
1841171 miles (275 km)
18631,106 miles (1,780 km)
18762,023 miles (3,256 km)
18992,504 miles (4,030 km)
19192,996 miles 68 chains (4,823.0 km)
19213,005 miles (4,836 km)
19243,797 miles (6,111 km)
19253,819 miles 69 chains (6,147.5 km)

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was incorporated by an act of Parliament in 1835 and nationalised on 1 January 1948. During this time it amalgamated with, or purchased outright, many other railway companies. These are listed here in two groups. The early amalgamations (mostly between 1843 and 1900) often involved railway companies that were already being financially supported by the GWR. The Railways Act 1921 brought many new companies into the fold including many successful Welsh lines.

List key

(date) – the date on which the company was amalgamated into, or purchased by, the GWR.
♠ – Companies that were already operated by or leased to the GWR or one of the other absorbed railways before amalgamation. Note: This list is incomplete.
‡ – Companies operating wholly or partly on the 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge at the time that they combined with the GWR. The broad gauge was finally abandoned on 21 May 1892.

Early amalgamations and purchases

Railways Act 1921

The Railways Act 1921 provided for the compulsory amalgamation of many of Britain's railways. 27 of the larger railways (termed "Constituent Companies" by the act) would amalgamate on or before 1 January 1923 to create four larger railways (termed "Amalgamated Companies"). About 100 of the smaller railways (termed "Subsidiary Companies") would be absorbed by either the Constituent Companies or the Amalgamated Companies. In what was termed the "Western Group", the Constituent Companies were:

These amalgamated on 1 January 1922, and the company continued to use the name Great Western Railway, and its new board of directors included representatives from all seven of the constituent companies. There was no board representation for the Subsidiary Companies, which were:

After the grouping, two organisations voluntarily sold their operations and locomotives to the GWR. Both of these worked the railways of Swansea Docks:

Later, the GWR purchased the Corris Railway from the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company Ltd, together with associated road services and vehicles.[6]

References

  1. ↑ MacDermot, E T (1927). "Appendix 1". History of the Great Western Railway, volume I 1833-1863. London: Great Western Railway. Reprinted 1982, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-0411-0
  2. ↑ MacDermot, E T (1931). "Appendix 1". History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway. Reprinted 1982, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-711004-12-9
  3. ↑ "A brief review of the Company's hundred years of business". Great Western Railway Magazine. Great Western Railway. 47 (9): 495–499. 1935.
  4. ↑ The Railway Year Book for 1920. London: The Railway Publishing Company Limited. 1920. p. 154.
  5. ↑ The Railway Year Book for 1926. London: The Railway Publishing Company Limited. 1926. pp. 154–172.
  6. ↑ Cozens, Lewis (1972) [1949]. The Corris Railway. Leicester: The Corris Railway Society. p. 27.
  • The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part 3: Absorbed Engines 1854-1921. The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. 1956.

See also

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