Southall Station Gallery 2 c1920 - Octobber 2014

Southall station looking west from platform 5 c1920.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection

Built by Park Royal Coachworks of Willesden in 1933 and fitted with an AEC 130hp power unit, this was the prototype diesel railcar built for the GWR and exhibited at the International Commercial Motor Transport Exhibition at Olympia in November of that year. It first conveyed passengers on 1 December 1933 between Paddington and Reading, carrying a large number of news reporters, and entered public service three days later between Slough, Windsor and Didcot. With a top speed of 63 mph, it could carry 69 seated passengers and was finally withdrawn in 1955. It is seen here waiting at the Brentford platform at Southall c1938.
Photo from John Mann collection

On the Class J freight running bunker-first is one of hundreds of Collett '8750' 0-6-0 pannier-tanks in October 1961. No. 3620 was built in May 1939 and withdrawn in June 1965. In the distance the red-brick water-tower is a prominent local landmark.
Photo by Ben Brooksbank

5023 Brecon Castle passing Southall depot with a tanker train in the 1960s. The Brentford branch is seen curving to the right. ‘Brecon Castle’ was built by the GWR and entered service at Old Oak Common shed on 2 February 1934. Withdrawn during early February 1963 from 81C, Swindon shed, it was scrapped at the loco works, Swindon during June of that year. The water softening plant and former coaling stage and water tank are seen between the main line and the Brentford branch.
Photo from Great Western Railway Preservation Group

An express bound for Paddington passes platform 2 at Southall station c1960s. The platform on the far right is the goods loading dock.
Photo from John Mann collection

Southall station looking east in April 1976 before the station was modernised. This included the removal of the canopy on platform 1 and the demolition of half of the street level entrance building.
Photo by Alan Young

Class 56 56039 passing Southall with empties for the waste transfer station at Brentford Town on 28 August 1983. On this day the Great Western Railway Preservation Group ran a DMU shuttle service between Southall and Brentford. Instead of using the branch platform (seen on the right) they constructed a platform out of scaffolding, which is out of view behind the photographer. The building on the left is the Maypole Dairy railway loading shed.
Photo by David Pearson

Looking south-west across Southall station in the mid 1990s. The goods yard is seen in the foreground with the loading dock running diagonally across the picture.
Photo by Brian Mortimer from his Flickr photostream

BR Standard Pacific No 70013 'Oliver Cromwell' hauls the empty stock for the day's Paddington to Newport trip through the Brentford platform at Southall station on 1 March 2009. 70013 emerged from Crewe works on 30 May 1951 and entered service at 32A, Norwich Thorpe shed. It was one of a class of 55 Britannia class locos. After a final overhaul at Crewe in 1967, it worked many ‘end of steam’ railtours including 1T57, the ‘15 Guinea Special’, the final BR-run steam-hauled train on 11 August 1968. Happily this 'Oliver Cromwell' was preserved and can be seen hauling railtours on the main line as well as working on preserved railways.
Photo by Les Bailey from his Flickr photostream

Looking east along the Brentford platform at Southall station in March 2013. This is a dedicated goods line, and the platform is used only for special services. The Maypole Dairy loading shed is seen on the right; only the outer walls now survive, forming part of the Arches Business Centre which
was built on the site in 1989.
Photo by Nick Catford

Restored GWR steam railmotor 93 seen at Southall station on 19 October 2014. In February 1908 GWR steam railmotor 93 was completed at Swindon works. It was one of sixteen built to 'Diagram R', the last batch of steam rail motors These were 70 feet long and 9 feet wide. After running 479,006 miles it was withdrawn in November 1934, the power unit removed and the carriage portion converted into an auto trailer. Now renumbered 212, it operated in this form until May 1956. It was then put into use as a 'Work Study Coach' and later as an static office in Birmingham. In 1970 it was sold to the Great Western Society and moved to their base at Didcot Railway Centre but it was not until 1998 that they were able to make a start on returning it to original condition. The frame of the new power bogie was manufactured in November 2000 at the Tyseley Locomotive works and was then mounted on wheels and fitted with a boiler. In January 2009 it was moved to the Llangollen Railway where the carriage portion was restored and the two portions brought together. Work was completed in 2011 and number 93 has since been operated at Didcot and on various railway lines.
Photo by Nick Catford

Restored GWR steam railmotor 93 is seen at Southall station on 19 October 2014 awaiting departure for Brentford. A shuttle service run by the Great Western Society operated over the weekend
of 18/19 October 2014.
Photo by Nick Catford

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