Image Licensing : The last broad gauge train leaving Paddington Station, 20th May 1892

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.