Then and now

The death of the broad gauge The image was taken in 1892 from next to the Bristol to London main line, close to what is now Penzance Drive. In the distance is the Boiler Shop of Swindon Works. To the left, the first houses in Radcliffe Street can be seen behind the high brick wall which surrounds the works. Dominating the picture are the lines of broad gauge locomotives waiting to be scrapped after the track guage on Brunel's Great Western Railway was abolished to be replaced by Stephenson's standard gauge of today. The GWR had to buy the extra land west of Rodbourne Road, shown here, to store them. The other photo' shows todays use for the Boiler Shop converted into the Great Western Designer Outlet Centre

Swindon Works: Past & Present a new exhibition of fascinating historic photographs of the Swindon Works now on display at STEAM - the Museum of the Great Western Railway.

Images from the past and pictures taken today from a similar viewpoint or perspective will show the changes which have occurred over the last 150 years.

The exhibition will concentrate on the buildings and areas of the site which survive, STEAM, the National Monuments Record Centre and the largest complex that now remains ­ the Great Western Designer Outlet, and there will be photographs of buildings and views long gone.

"A Swindon railway worker of a century ago would hardly recognise the place today," said Tim Bryan, Curator of STEAM. "Even though many original buildings survive, they are now used for dramatically different purposes ­ from a shopping centre to a museum."

Admission to this special exhibition is free and is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm. Normal admission charges apply for the STEAM displays.

For more information on STEAM, call 466646 or go to www.steam-museum.org.uk