EPW039589 ENGLAND (1932). Paddington Railway and Goods Stations and environs, Paddington, 1932

Paddington Basin, 07/10/2014

Westbourne Bridge, 07/10/2014

Westbourne Bridge, 07/10/2014

I can remember as a child after the war, all the houses opposite Paddington Station had been bombed and the site had been cleared right down to the basements, the basements were tarred all around and most probably used as water containers as a reserve for the fire service. As I lived nearby I can remember dozens of porters with their trolleys waiting for trains to come in ready to grab a suitcase for sixpence!

On the other side of the station their used to be lots of horse carts parked (as used in Steptoe & Son)so there must have been stables nearby...

When this photo was taken Paddington station was undergoing a lot of engineering work. You can see the platforms have been extended and the lines were being re-signalled. Today Westway runs from the bottom left hand corner and past the large goods shed in the middle. This also is where the tunnels for the west to east cross London line, which is anticipated to open in 2018, begin.