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055/056/057/058/059/060 - Great Western Railway Paddington Station [New Station]

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055/056/057/058/059/060 - Great Western Railway Paddington Station [New Station]

For the London terminus of the Great Western Railway (GWR), Isambard Kingdom Brunel was planning a grand building at Paddington, situated near to both the Grand Junction canal and the Regent’s canal. Instructed by the GWR to economise due to the soaring costs of building the main line, Brunel had to abandon his original plans. A temporary station was created using the arches of Bishop’s Bridge Road as a façade and to provide passenger facilities. This station opened on 4 June 1838, along with the new line which had been constructed as far as Maidenhead. As the main line through to Bristol was opened, and the GWR’s involvement with other companies whose railways joined with the main line increased, the temporary terminus was extended. In 1850, to accommodate the increasing traffic, the GWR agreed to the construction of a new permanent station to be designed by Brunel. Brunel was deeply influenced by the design and construction of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and this can be seen in his use of wrought iron and glass in the three-span roof at Paddington. At the time, this was the largest train shed roof in the world with a main span (102’ 6”) and two smaller ones to the north (70’) and south (68’). These spans are crossed by two transepts, all overlooked by three oriel windows in the station building on today’s platform 1. The station decoration, including the iron tracery on the train shed screens, was provided by Matthew Digby-Wyatt, Brunel’s architect on the project. Fox Henderson & Company, were contracted as builders for the station. The main station building, which included offices, the new boardroom for the GWR and a royal waiting room, was constructed along Eastbourne Terrace. The Great Western Hotel was built along Praed Street, and opened in conjunction with the new Paddington Station in 1854. Brunel’s station was large enough to cope with the expansion of the Great Western Railway over the next 50 years. By the early 20th century new accommodation for increasing amounts of both traffic and employees was needed. On-going works from 1904 saw the footprint of Paddington Station increase, a more defined access area known as ‘The Lawn’ was created and more office space was created by extending the Company’s offices along Eastbourne Terrace. Major changes included the building of ‘Span 4’ between 1913 and 1916 which increased the number of platforms at the station, and today covers platforms 9 to 16. It was designed by the GWR’s engineer, W Armstrong, with architectural features to match Brunel’s original roof as closely as possible. Further expansion of station buildings took place in the 1930s, including a striking new ‘art deco’ office block on the west side of the station, which also remodelled passenger facilities in ‘The Lawn’. During the 1990s Paddington Station was extensively refurbished, with the glass in Brunel’s original roof replaced with polycarbonate glazing panels, the restoration of Digby-Wyatt’s ornamental tracing and significant improvements to The Lawn. A proposal to take down ‘Span 4’ to accommodate facilities for Crossrail was controversial. Between 2009 and 2010 the Edwardian roof was instead restored by Network Rail and Crossrail facilities are now housed underneath Eastbourne Terrace.

Network Rail Corporate Archive

Level of Description: Series

Reference Code: NRCA160588 - NRCA163325

Title: Great Western Railway - Paddington Station [New Station]

Extent and Medium: 183 drawings

Creator: Great Western Railway

Date: 1845-1932

Scope and Content: Drawings from the Great Western Railway for the New Station at Paddington dated between 1845 and 1932. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Contract Number: Paddington New Station

Drawing Number: n/a

Drawing Office Number: n/a

Keywords (Person): Brunel, Isambard Kingdom

Keywords (Country): England

Keywords (Structure Name): London Paddington Station

Keywords (Structure Type): Station

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Title

Description

Date

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.2 – Additional Offices Girders D & G

Paddington Station Additional Offices. Ten drawings on one sheet. Drawings include elevations and plans of girders, cast iron shoes and plan. Drawing is signed by Lancaster Owen.

27 May 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.4 – Additional Offices Girders H, K and R

Paddington Station Additional Offices. Six drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of cast iron column and key plan, second drawing is of elevation, third drawing is of sectional plan of base and columns, fourth drawing is of plan section AB, fifth drawing is of plan on top, sixth drawing for section AB. Drawing is signed by Lancaster [Owen].

27 May 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Proposed Alterations

Paddington Station Proposed Alterations. Drawing is of proposed alterations for the position of lines at Paddington Station as well as a proposed new departure platform. Drawing also contains details of an approximate estimate for new platforms, lines, crossings, switches, signals and general alterations.

29 March 1884

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details Drawing No.2 – Additional Offices Milk Platform Cast Iron Columns and Key Plan

Paddington Station Additional Offices. Ten drawings on one sheet. Drawings include elevations and plans of girders, cast iron shoes and plan. Drawing is signed by Lancaster O[wen].

05 June 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Widening of Passenger Subway under Station

Paddington Station. Five drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of a plan showing subway, second drawing is of section thro' subway under rails, third drawing is of cross section thro' stairs, fourth drawing is of longitudinal section of stairs, fifth drawing is of detail of rail bearer.

11 February 1889

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Detail Drawing No.1 – Additional Offices Milk Platform Cast Iron Columns and Key Plan

25 May 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – Additional Offices Elevation of Girders and Flanges

Paddington Station Additional Offices. Eleven drawings on one sheet. Drawings include elevations and plans of girders, plates, section of floor and arrangements of bolts. Drawing is signed by Lancaster Owen.

05 June 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Offices over Accountants &c

Paddington Station. Two drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of second floor plan for offices, second drawing is of first floor plan for offices.

1855-1890

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – Additional Offices Girders A, B & C

Paddington Station Additional Offices. Ten drawings on one sheet. Drawings include elevations and sectional plans of girders, plates, floor and details of brackets. Drawing is signed by Lancaster Owen.

27 May 1878

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.10 – Details of Purlins

Paddington Station Alterations. Sixteen drawings of details of purlins at ridge. Drawing is signed by Ralph Holliday for Holliday and Greenwood.

28 April 1914

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.6 – Details of New Main Roof

Paddington Station Alterations. Twelve drawings on one sheet of details of new main roof. Drawings include cross sections, sections and details. Drawing is signed by Ralph Holliday for Holliday and Greenwood.

28 April 1914

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.16 – Details of Screen West End of Main Roof

Paddington Station Alterations. Twenty four drawings on one sheet of various sections and details of screen to west end of main roof. Drawing is signed by Ralph Holliday for Holliday and Greenwood.

28 April 1914

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055/056/057/058/059/060 - Great Western Railway Paddington Station [New Station]

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.2 – Additional Offices Girders D & G

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.4 – Additional Offices Girders H, K and R

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Proposed Alterations

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details Drawing No.2 – Additional Offices Milk Platform Cast Iron Columns and Key Plan

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Widening of Passenger Subway under Station

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Detail Drawing No.1 – Additional Offices Milk Platform Cast Iron Columns and Key Plan

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – Additional Offices Elevation of Girders and Flanges

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Offices over Accountants &c

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – Additional Offices Girders A, B & C

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.10 – Details of Purlins

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.6 – Details of New Main Roof

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.16 – Details of Screen West End of Main Roof

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.13 – Details of Roof Purlins

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing – Foundations for 70ft Engine Traverser

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.11 – Details of New Main Roof

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing No.4 – Details of New Main Roof

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.16 Drawing No.5 – Details of End Screen

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Alterations Contract No.14 Drawing – Details of New Roof Girder 60ft Span