Memorial plaque, Great Western Railway, 1903. Brass plaque for naming of Park Royal Station, by the Prince of Wales (later George V), on the occasion of his visit to the Royal Agricultural Society and the GWR Works and Sidings for the new Show Yard in May 1903, engraved at GWR Reading works. Dimensions: 457.2 mm x 762 mm. Naming of Park Royal Station brass sign, Great Western Railway, 1903 1903
"Geryk" hand-operated vacuum pump Serial No.15492 by The Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd., London "Geryk" hand-operated vacuum pump Serial No.15492 by The Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd. 1920-1950
Ilford reflex printer, manufactured by Miles Aircraft Limited, Reading, England, serial no. PP12457, registered design no. PH128-1, c. 1950. Fitted with tubular incandescent light bulbs and two pigmy light bulbs. Ilford Reflex Printer 1950
typing pool; incidents; staffing; Divisional Movements Office; reorganisation; family; father, railway clerk; school; visual impairment; free travel; Didcot, Paddington; typing pool, audio recording bank; typing test; boyfriend; oversea work; fashion; recording bank function and breakdown; travel to work; flexitime; Ealing train crash; audio system functions; Paddington office layout; working with sight problems, unsighted people; staff turnover; men typists; interests, partially sighted club; engagement; pressures; effects of train crash; HST trial run; marriage, 1976; community broadcasts; talking newspaper; move to Reading; Paddington work; integration to Divisional Movements Office; building layout; family with railway connections; receptionist; word processors; magnifiers; departmental rules; work load, Paddington; royal trains; Welsh place names; transcribing desk; correcting fluids; supervisors; staffing reductions; move to Swindon or Bristol; field organisation; accident inquiries; redundancy; d.o.b. 1951-10-01; railway work 1970-1983. Didcot; Paddington; Ealing. McMillan, Christine May (nee Howman) 2000-07-31
Vintage gelatin silver print by Maurice Broomfield titled "Examining wallpaper." Undated photograph showing a worker at John Line and Sons Ltd, wallpaper wholesaler. Broomfield's studio stamp, paper label, and Focal Press editorial markup on verso. Examining wallpaper mid-20th century
Notice. Great Western Railway. "The Explosives Act, 1875". By-Laws. Also Offences and Penalties concerning Dangerous Goods: Notice and Conditions Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Merchandise: and Notice that the Company is not a Common Carrier of Coal, Coke, Sand, Statuary and Shoddy Manure). (1952?). GWR ref:750-Est-407-12.52. Black and red text on white background. Printed by Wyman & Sons Ltd, London, Reading and Fakenham. Format: double crown. Dimensions: 30 x 20 inches, 762 x 508mm. the explosives act.... 1952
Signal lever frame, 15 lever, Great Western Railway radial stud locking with London Transport horizontal tappet locking, ex Ladbroke Grove Box, 1897. Signal lever frame 1897
Academic hood of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry, by Stranson and Sons, Reading, and by J. Hardwick, Cambridge, England. Academic hood of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry
Academic gown of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry, by Stranson and Sons, Reading, and by J. Hardwick, Cambridge, England. Academic gown of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry
Rack with 5 Harwell type 2000 units, consisting of a power unit, scaler and G M detector by Dynatron Electronics Limited, Maidenhead, Berkshire, linear rate meter / integrator by Fleming Instruments Limited, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and timer by J & P Engineering (Reading) Limited, Reading Berkshire, England, 1965-1975 Rack with 5 Harwell type 2000 units 1965-1975
Glass infant's feeding bottle, Pyrex brand, in original box, supplied by Maw, Son and Sons Ltd., England, 1955-1970 Glass infant's feeding bottle 1955-1970
Partially completed letter "A" made from glass tubing by Jim Frost, 1997 Partially completed letter "A" made from glass tubing by Jim Frost 1997
Book of prints published in 1847 by Nicolaas Henneman. Talbotypes or sun pictures taken from the actual objects which they represent 1847
Glass infant's feeding bottle, Pyrex brand, in original box, supplied by S. Maw, Son and Sons, 1955-1970 Pyrex infant's feeding bottle 1955-1970
Obstetrical instrument set, for large animals, by Arnolds, England, 1985 Obstetrical instrument set 1985
Interview with Robert Thornton conducted by Richard Malins in Reading on the 12th July 2021. Duration 1hr. 16 min. 59 sec. Career introduction; pre nationalisation structure; move to business structure; creation of architecture and design group; Management Buy out; current role; Development of Modular Concepts; key design issues; signage; British rail corporate identity; use of alphabets and fonts; awareness of Railway heritage; building architecture; Kings Cross St Pancras; Liverpool Street-last British rail in house architectural project; Tiverton parkway Station project; Architecture and Design group role changing; Experience of working with listed buildings; writing his book; changing budget for stations; Station Regeneration Programme; building maintenance and condition of railway station estate is an important benefit of privatisation. Robert Thornton interviewed by Richard Malins 2021-07-12
Oral history interview with Michael Siebert, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Reading on 9 June 2021. Duration: 1 hr. 49 min. 16 sec. Education, early career; 1974 Health & Safety Act; fire and explosion expert for Health and Safety Executive (HSE); joined British Rail (BR) as Head of Safety Audit 1990; health and safety development in railways; railway safety regulations; train accident investigation; Career as chemist in private industry and Health & Safety Executive, safety audit with fire & explosion specialism, joined BR to develop safety audit post Clapham accident. Implemented Safety Audit and Safety Validation process on BR pre privatisation and used these systems within Railtrack Safety Case to validate and audit privatised railway companies. Part of massive change of safety culture between 1990 and 1995 pre privatisation. Michael Siebert interviewed by David Maidment 2021-06-09
Academic robes, cap, gown and hood, of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry, by Stranson and Sons, Reading, and by J. Hardwick, Cambridge, England. Academic robes
Salt print calotype positive entitled 'Coley Avenue, Reading', by Nicolaas Hennman, 1847. Hypo-fixed. Coley Avenue, Reading 1847
Absolute Unit Twitter Meme. An internet meme composed of a black and white photograph of a large ram, with additional text: 'look at this absolute unit'. Created on April 9th, 2018 by Adam Koszary for The Museum of English Rural Life. Captured using Connifer web recorder software to show the meme in the context of the twitter interface. WARC file. Absolute Unit Twitter Meme. An internet meme composed of a black and white photograph of a large ram 2018
Royal Train journey instructions and timings from the Passenger Train Office, 1st Floor, Western Tower, Reading. Royal rail journeys between 1959 and 1964 mostly starting or ending at London Paddington station to or from BR Western Region destinations. Includes instructions, specifications and timings, reasons for visits and the member of the royal family travelling. The briefing documents have been stuck into a credit account book with other documents such as staff notices of Royal Trains. Royal Railway Journey Instructions and Timings 1959-1964
Great Western Railway Provident Society Rules, 1950. 36pp. Great Western Railway Provident Society Rules 1950
12" rotary vacuum pump, made by the Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd., London and Reading, 1930 12" rotary vacuum pump 1930
Diorama depicting smallpox eradication in Ethiopia in 1970s, in Lower Wellcome Gallery, 1979, England Diorama depicting smallpox eradication in Ethiopia in 1970s 1979
Academic cap of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry, by Stranson and Sons, Reading, and by J. Hardwick, Cambridge, England. Academic cap of Dr. Jamieson Boyd Hurry
Nicholson molecular models made by Labquip, Reading, 1981, with instruction leaflets Nicholson molecular models with instruction leaflets, 1981. 1981
Type F52 airborne camera as used in the Canberra aircraft. Follow on from F24. Type F52 airborne camera as used in Canberra aicraft
Booklet, "Track Circuits (British Practice)", No 9, published by The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, 1952. Folded pages in green card cover. Good condition. Track Circuits (British Practice) 1951
footplate, cleaner-driver;driver training; depot supervisor; incidents; housing; childhood, London, Swansea; Swansea Eastern depot; cleaning; first firing turn; Second World War; Mumbles railway; lodging; derailment; military special trains; routes, Banbury; meeting wife; grandfather's job, tram driver; move to Chester; home turn; Birmingham; lodgings; phlumonia cabin 1946-47; Old Oak Common; nationalisation, standard locomotive classes; weather, fog; gas turbine locomotives; diesel hydraulic locomotives; tutor drivers, problems, fault guides; tutor drivers; brake tenders; "Long Tom"; "top eight link"; passed fireman; diesel training inspector; radar gun; annual rides; Class 1000 diesel; speed, location in minutes; Class 1000 diesel; auto car turns; VJ Day troop train firing at Old Oak Common; Lambeth link; link vacuum freights; GWR 47XX heavy freight locomotives; condensing tanks; weir pump; Smithfield meat market; London Underground length limit; fireman; driver; lodging; double home turn; landladies; Bert Potter, royal train driver; No. 4 link, Swansea passenger; inaugural Pullman; Britannia Class locomotives, Severn Tunnel; Paddington-Shrewsbury mileage turn; Blue Pullmans; Bristolian; mileage turn payments; conditions, shifts, wife's reactions; accident, West Ealing, 1973, inquiry, inquest; Southall depot supervisor; Southall drivers' duties; preparing train sets, crew diagrams; Ealing; guards' duties, Greenford; ticket machines; Slough, Southall, management alterations; AAM, Train Crews; Slough, platform supervisor; "bridgebashes"; incident, level crossing; retirement; railway housing; d.o.b. 1926-11-20; railway work 1942-1991. Swansea; Banbury; Slough; London. Holder, Albert Edward (Bert) 2000-07-21; 2000-07-28
"Geryk" hand-operated vacuum pump ref. no. 15282 by the Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd., London and Reading "Geryk" hand-operated vacuum pump ref. no. 15282 by the Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd. 1900-1939
Handbill. Great Western Railway/Southern Railway. Discontinuance of Passenger Train Services between Plymouth Friary (Southern Railway) and Yealmpton from 6 October 1947. Published (Paddington Station) September 1947. Printed by Wyman & Sons Ltd, London, Reading and Fakenham. 153 x 253mm. GWR / SR handbill 1947
Leaflet, Great Western Railway, "Holiday Season tickets Issued in Glorious Devon and Smiling Somerset on Any Day From 1st April to October 31st 1937", with prices and maps of the areas covered, printed by Wyman and Sons Limited, 1937. holiday season tickets issued in glorious devon and smiling somerset on any day 1937
A label for, 'Iodised Paper for the Patent Talbotype or Sun Pictures … Mr B Cowderoy, Reading', c. 1845 Iodised Paper for the Patent Talbotype or Sun Pictures circa 1845