Old Oak Common

Old Oak Common was without a doubt the largest engine shed on the Great Western Railway and later the Western Region. Replacing a smaller and cramped site at Westbourne Park in the early years of the 20th Century, the new depot was built around four turntables each under cover as well as a large repair shop and coaling plant. It was at Old Oak Common that engines were prepared for the principal trains out of Paddington as well as the suburban services and all manner of shunting turns. Indeed over the years it played host to the majority of different types of steam designs as well as visitors from other railways. Many of these, the regular as well as the unusual are illustrated in this new book, recalling a time when steam was king and Old Oak Common was one of the largest single depots serving the London area.