The Great Western Railway at Swindon dominated the history of the town for almost 150 years. This book gives an evocative selection of photographs from the collection of the new Steam: Museum of the Great Western featuring the men and women who worked at Swindon, as well as a glimpse of life beyond the walls of the factory. As well as rare and unpublished pictures, this volume also takes the reader farther a field than Swindon, providing an insight into the Great Western ‘empire' away from the works itself, including views of stations and structures and trains to be found on a rail journey from the town.