Extra platforms at Gunnersbury and Kew

Yup, it certainly did.

Briefly:-
It opened on the LSWR line from Addison Road to Richmond in 1869 as Brentford Road. Eventually served by six companies, GW, LSW, Met, District, Midland, North London.

From the southern end there was a divergence to join the Hounslow Loop.


(Info courtesy of "Railways Then and Now: The Changing Railway Scene in Britain, Edwin Course, BT Batsford, 1979.)

Additional.

Images and text courtesy of "Railways Then and Now: The Changing Railway Scene in Britain, Edwin Course, BT Batsford, 1979.

www.piccadillypilot.co.uk/Gunnersbury/Gunn1s.jpg (142kb)

www.piccadillypilot.co.uk/Gunnersbury/Gunn2s.jpg (192Kb)

Gunnersbury Station, formerly London and South Western Railway (TQ 198784), in about 1906 (Gunn1s) and in 1950 (Gunn2s)

From an historical viewpoint Gunnersbury is one of the most interesting stations on the suburban system of the LSWR, having been served at various times by trains of six companies - Great Western, London and South Western, Metropolitan, Metropolitan District, Midland and North London. It was opened on the LSW line from Addison Road, Kensington to Richmond in 1869 as Brentford Road. To the south of the station a line diverged to join the LSW Hounslow loop, and to the north there was a connection to the North and South Western Junction line at South Acton. The latter was owned jointly by the LNWR, Midland and North London companies and was used by Midland and North London trains serving Richmond. The GW, Metropolitan and Metropolitan District trains for Richmond all joined the LSW in Hammersmith, the Metropolitan and GW at Grove Road Junction and the District at Studland Road Junction. South of Gunnersbury, all trains went to Richmond, except for the LSW service to Twickenham via the Hounslow loop.

In the first view, taken in about 1906 from the south end of the station, the scene is typical of the LSWR except for the live rails provided for the District trains. Particularly characteristic are the signals and the station canopies. The lines serving Richmond and the Hounslow loop, those to the North London line via the N & SW Junction, and to Waterloo via Kensington, all connected north of the station. Because of this there were two routes through the station, that to the Hounslow loop being on the west side (to the left on the photograph), and that to Richmond on the east side. To Richmond there were two down tracks and one up, but although all three were electrified for the District trains in 1905, only two show signs of use for electric services. The bracket signal serves the two down Richmond tracks, and the arrangement of arms indicates that trains using the platform on which the train is standing could be signalled for either the Hounslow loop of Richmond. In fact, as a signal has been pulled off for an up North London train, it is possible that the train held at the platform was destined for the Hounslow loop. The station buildings are typical of the 1860s on the LSWR, and are visible at the top of the cutting on the left hand side.

By 1950, there has been a number of developments. The station was owned and operated by the Southern Region of British Railways, as successors to the LSWR, but train services were provided, to quote a notice on the canopy over the station entrance, by 'London Transport and LM Region Electric Trains'. These were the successors of the Metropolitan District and the North London Railway trains, the former being electrically operated from 1905 and the latter from 1916. Of the LSW services, that to the Hounslow loop had been withdrawn in 1915, and the Waterloo to Richmond service via Kensington and Hammersmith at the end of 1916. In 1932 the spur to the Hounslow loop was abandoned together with the platforms on either side of the station, all traffic being concentrated on the western of the two island platforms. The surviving buildings are unchanged, but the upper quadrant arm of the down starting signal is typical of the Southern Railway.


www.signalbox.org/gallery/s/gunnersbury.htm may also be of interest.

This line being of LSWR (London & South Western Railway at the grouping it became part of the Southern) origin you might find more info by searching resources dedicated to that company.

The office block dates from c1964 when all railway land not in use was sold off for redevelopment. My earliest recollection (late sixties when I worked just across the road for a brief spell (anyone remember "The Chequered Flag"?)) is that it was in use by IBM.

The office block has certainly been reclad within the last ten years or so. With a steel frame building (as I suspect this is) the outside is simply composed of panels that are hung on to the main structure making it a relatively easy job to refurbish the exterior. The old ones are unbolted (probably using a gas axe ;D ) and new ones attached.