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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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Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – Carriage Department; Stores and Clerks Office Elevation and Section

Paddington Station: Carriage Department, stores and clerks offices. Five drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of elevation next bridge, second drawing is of west elevation, third drawing is of south elevation, fourth drawing is of section on line AB, fifth drawing is of north elevation.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.2 – Carriage Department; Plan of First Floor and Roof

Paddington Station: Carriage Department, stores and clerks offices. Two drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of plan of first floor, second drawing is of plan of roofs.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details No.13 – Carriage Sheds Workshops &c Sliding Gates &c at West End

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Seven drawings on one sheet. Drawings for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawings show elevations, plans and details of sliding gates etc at west end.

9/26/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Passenger Station Arrangements Connected with the Water

Drawing is of plan the new Paddington Station with arrangements connected with the water showing hydrants and pipes.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Detail No.18 – Carriage Sheds and Workshops &c Stairs up to Store Room

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. of stairs up to store room. Drawing is elevation of cast iron string.

1/13/56, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details No.16 – Carriage Sheds Workshops &c Cast Iron Column and Wrought Iron Column to Carry Wall over Queens Carriage Shed

Two drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawing is of cast iron column and wrought iron girder.

10/30/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details No.7 – Carriage Shops Workshops &c Wrought Iron Girders to Well Hole of Staircase

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Three drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawings are of wrought iron girder to well hole of staircase. First drawing is of a general plan, second drawing is of elevation of girder E, third drawing is of elevation of girder F.

8/24/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Carriage Sheds Workshops &c – Buildings Next Bishops Road Bridge

Seven drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawings are of buildings next Bishop Road Bridge. First drawing is of longitudinal section, second drawing is of elevation, third drawing is of section at AB, fourth drawing is of plan of first floor, fifth drawing is of section at CD, sixth drawing is of plan of roofs, seventh drawing is of ground plan including Queen's Carriage Shed.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Carriage Sheds and Workshops &c Elevation and Section

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Four drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of section at AB, second drawing is of elevation C to D, third drawing is of elevation E to F, fourth drawing is of section at GH.

12/31/53, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Pit for Machinery to Turntables

Drawing is a plan of pit for machinery to turntables and includes a section with line of rails.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details No.8 – Carriage Sheds Workshops &c – Cast Iron Columns and Girders at East End

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Seven drawings on one sheet for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. cast iron column and girder at east end including details and sections.

9/16/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.1 – Carriage Department; Plan of Stores and Clerks Office

Paddington Station: Carriage Department, stores and clerks offices. Drawing is of plan of ground floor.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Station Water Supply

Drawing is of plan of the new Paddington Station with layout of major water pipes and annotations.

12/9/56, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Carriage Sheds and Workshops &c Wrought Iron Girders and Cast Iron Stancheons

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Three drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawings are of wrought iron girder and cast iron stanchions to wall of two story building next Westbourne Road Bridge.

8/10/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Store Building Plan at Girders

Paddington Station: Store Building. Drawing is of plan of girders for store building.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Detail No.18 – Carriage Sheds &c Railing to Well Holes of Workshop Floor

Paddington Station: Carriage Sheds, Workshops etc. Two drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage sheds, workshops etc. of railing to well holes of workshop floor. First drawing is of an elevation, second drawing is of a plan.

12/11/55, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Additions to Carriage Shops Paddington Front and Back Elevations

Additions to Carriage Shops Paddington. Five drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of front elevation, second drawing is of back elevation, third drawing is of end view, fourth drawing is of longitudinal [section], fifth drawing is of longitudinal section at GH.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Details No.5 – Carriage Sheds Workshops Staircase to Workshop

Paddington Station: Carriage, Sheds, Workshops etc. Two drawings on one sheet. Drawing for carriage, sheds, workshops etc. Drawing is of staircase to workshop and there is a longitudinal section and section at AB.

12/31/44, 11:00 PM

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