Uniquely among Britain's raiways, the Great Western Railway retained its identity from the time of its incorporation in 1835 until nationalisation in 1948. This was one of the great railways, so much so that for some enthusiasts it was the railway,even attracting such epithets as 'God's Wonderful Railway' among the more dedicated. Even so, the amalgamations of 1923 saw the company absorb many

smaller concerns,so that the post-grouping GWR was in some respects a differeht railway from that which had grown up during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

For many, the GWR was synonymous with holidays by the sea in the West Country, but it was originated in a desire for a fast railway line to London among the merchants and financiers of Bristol.The area and extent of its operations was large, extending as far north as Merseyside,providing most of the railway services in Wales, as well as being the main line to Cardiff, Bristol, Cornwall and, often

forgotten today, Birmingham.

Included in this book are photographs and diagrams illustrating the GWR's equipment, some railway stations, its network, shipping and air services, and bus operations, including Western National.