Collection: STEAM (Museum of The Great Western Railway)

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Transport Collection

  This is the core of the collection and includes steam and diesel locomotives, carriages and freight wagons and road vehicles. As well as the large objects, there are component parts such as name plates, locomotive models and other items. The highlights of the collection are: 4-6-0 Locomotive ‘King George V’, built at Swindon in 1927; 0-6-0 Locomotive No.2516 ‘Dean Goods’ built at Swindon in 1897; 0-6-0 Locomotive No.9400 ‘Pannier Tank’ built at Swindon in 1947; replica broad gauge 2-2-2 ‘North Star’; GWR Diesel Railcar No.4 built in 1897; Robert Stephenson Ltd. 0-4-0 tank locomotive ‘Agecroft’ built in Newcastle in 1951; and GWR ‘Mink’ wagon built in 1914. Other vehicles include a horse drawn GWR wagon; a 1912 Dennis fire engine; track inspection trolleys; bicycles and a range of handcarts. There is material relating to the structure and permanent way of the railways, including fixtures and fittings from stations such as signs, notices, furniture and ticket machines. A large number of items relate to signalling, including 3 broad gauge signals dating from the 1850s, two semaphore signals, a lever frame, lamps, block instruments and other signalling and permanent way equipment such as track chairs.

  Subjects

  Transport

  Science and Industry Collection

  The museum has a large collection relating to the history of the Swindon Railway Works which was active between 1843 and 1986. The collection is very varied including machine and hand tools, furniture, wagons, trolleys and many other items. There is further material relating to the workforce such as apprenticeship indentures, photographs and other memorabilia.

  Subjects

  Science and Industry

  Social History Collection

  There is a wide variety of material including timekeeping equipment from watches to station clocks, war memorials and advertising material. Items relating to the railway workforce include uniforms; headgear; buttons, badges and medals; tools and other items of equipment by workers in their jobs. There are also sporting and other trophies and medals and manuscript and printed ephemera related to the working for the railway, together with a large amount of material related to social activities created by railway staff, such as those of the Mechanics Institute in Swindon. The experience of the railway passenger is represented by tickets, passes, luggage labels, public timetables both in poster and book form, railway china and silverware, cutlery and menus, posters, handbills, notices and miscellaneous material such as jigsaws and signs.

  Subjects

  Social History

  Photographic Collection

  The collection of photographs and postcards is substantial on all aspects of the GWR.

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC