Rights Managed > STEAM Museum of the GWR
Image Licensing : The last broad gauge train leaving Paddington Station, 20th May 1892
Image Downloads From STEAM Museum
The last broad gauge train leaving Paddington Station, 20th May 1892
A posed image of the last broad gauge train leaving Paddington station on 20th May 1892. The service is the 5pm to Plymouth, and the locomotive is Bulkeley (named after Captain Bulkeley, a director of the railway). STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway. © STEAM Museum of the GWR
Media ID 14616815
Filename: HL01a 047 Broad gauge 1892.jpg
Size: 3631 x 1853 (2.6MB)
Date: 1st September 2016
Source: STEAM Museum of the GWR
Unique Reference Number: HL01a 047
1890s Broad Gauge London Paddington Paddington Station Station 1892 Bulkeley
FEATURES IN THESE COLLECTIONS
> Locomotives > Steam > Broad Gauge > Broad Gauge Locomotives in Action
> Locomotives > Steam > Broad Gauge > Other Broad Gauge Locomotives
> Stations and Halts > London Stations > Paddington Station
SECURE PAYMENTS
We accept all major payment options so you can pay for the things you need in the way that is most convenient for you
Made in USA
Safe Shipping, Easy Returns
FREE PERSONALISATION
We are proud to offer a range of customisation including Cropping, Captions, and Filters. Zoom Cropping can be adjusted in the basket
FREE COLORIZATION
You can choose advanced AI Colorization for this picture at no extra charge
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the historic moment as the last Broad Gauge train departed from Paddington Station in London on 20th May 1892. The Broad Gauge system, with its wider rails than the Standard Gauge that would eventually replace it, had been in use since the Great Western Railway (GWR) was founded in 1835. The era of Broad Gauge trains was coming to an end, making way for the more efficient and standardized system. In this scene, the 5pm service to Plymouth is making its final journey from Paddington Station. The locomotive at the helm is Bulkeley, named after Captain Bulkeley, a esteemed director of the railway. Bulkeley, a powerful and imposing Broad Gauge engine, was built in 1857 and had seen many miles of service during the 1860s and 1870s. Its presence here, in the twilight of the Broad Gauge era, serves as a poignant reminder of the past. The 1890s were a time of great change in the railway industry, as the Standard Gauge system was becoming increasingly dominant. The last Broad Gauge train marked the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new one. The steam age was far from over, but the landscape of railway travel was shifting, and this photograph offers a unique glimpse into that transition. This image, taken at Paddington Station in London, is a testament to the rich history of the railway and the role that Broad Gauge trains played in shaping it. Today, it is preserved at the Steam Museum of the GWR, where it continues to inspire and educate visitors about the fascinating story of the railway and its evolution over time.