"You may want to see what I say today about the old Hammersmith & Chiswick railway station..."Interesting stuff! However, you say that trains ran to Paddington. Actually the through trains from Hammersmith & Chiswick station ran to the City via the amazingly tortuous route of South Acton, Willesden Junction, Islington, Hackney, Bow and Stepney to their destination at Fenchurch Street. By the way, the station site, where Ravensmede Way is today, is in Chiswick High Road, not King Street. It was actually closer to the old Chiswick village by the river than Chiswick station.The history of the branch line is a fascinating story, well described in some detail in these books:"Railways and Transport of Hammersmith and West London" by Frank Goudie and Douglas Stuckey (Forge Books, ISBN 090466225X)"London's Local Railways" by Alan A Jackson (David & Charles, ISBN 0715374796)Of course, the present Hammersmith & City Line had "proper" steam trains to the City from Hammersmith from 1864 until the line was electrified in 1906, and the District similarly from 1874 to 1905. At least they went by fairly direct routes.
Richard Jennings ● 6605d