Paddington Maidenhead Passenger Services Begin
The first public Great Western services operated between Paddington and Maidenhead in June.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Biography and Timeline — Page 5
Follow Isambard Kingdom Brunel through 477 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
477Distinct records
5 of 12Page
1838–1840Years on this page
1838
Paddington Broad Gauge Platforms Used
The temporary terminus served trains built to Brunel's unusually wide railway gauge.
Paddington Canal Iron Bridge Designed
Brunel designed an iron bridge at the Paddington Arm as railway works crossed the canal network.
Machinery Fire Delays Atlantic Departure
A fire around Great Western's machinery during preparations for her inaugural crossing delayed the beginning of service.
Brunel Injured During Ship Fire
Brunel was injured during the response to a fire involving Great Western before the first Atlantic voyage.
Steamship Design Retains Auxiliary Sail
Great Western's four masts provided auxiliary sailing capability alongside the paddle wheels during her early transatlantic operations.
1839
Maidenhead Railway Bridge
Maidenhead Railway Bridge opens to traffic and vindicates Brunel's unusually flat arch design.
SS Great Britain
Construction begins on Brunel's iron-hulled transatlantic steamship SS Great Britain.
Box Tunnel
Difficult rock strata and heavy water ingress delay excavation, with less than half of the tunnel completed.
Bath GWR Bridge
The Tudor-Gothic bridge forms part of Brunel's Bristol-Bath railway works.
Brook Road Bridge
Completes Brook Road Bridge for the Great Western Railway near Bath.
Commercial Electric Telegraph
Supports installation of electric telegraph wires beside the Great Western Railway.
GWR Shareholder Challenge Defeated
Brunel successfully defends his engineering decisions when dissatisfied shareholders attempt to remove him from the railway project.
Iron Hull Recommended for Great Britain
Brunel and the building committee recommend changing the new steamship from wood to iron construction.
Paddington-West Drayton Telegraph
The Paddington-West Drayton link becomes an early commercial telegraph installation.
River Avon Viaduct Design Developed
Brunel develops the masonry viaduct carrying the Great Western Railway across the River Avon in Wiltshire.
Brook Road Crossing Built
A railway overbridge at Brook Road formed part of Brunel's engineered approach toward Bath.
Avon Viaduct Masonry Prepared
Railway builders prepared the stonework for an Avon crossing on the Great Western route through Wiltshire.
Chippenham River Crossing Designed
Brunel's engineering plans provided a railway crossing over the River Avon near Chippenham.
Chippenham Viaduct Stonework Advanced
Masonry construction progressed on the rail viaduct required to carry the main line across the Avon valley.
Bridge Anchor Tunnels Constructed
Engineers excavated and built underground anchorage structures to resist the future suspension chain loads.
Hungerford Suspension Bridge Layout Planned
Design work considered a high central suspension span supported by masonry towers and anchored iron chains.
Great Western Passenger Expansion Planned
The steamship underwent a programme of alterations intended to provide additional passenger accommodation.
Ship Lengthening Work Commences
Refitting work in the period from 1839 to 1840 lengthened Great Western and increased her accommodation capacity.
Steamship Refit Increases Internal Space
Alterations to Great Western during the 1839 to 1840 period expanded the space available for commercial operations.
1840
Bath-Bristol Railway Section Opens
The Great Western section between Bristol and Bath opens, using Brunel's broad gauge and associated masonry structures.
Bristol Temple Meads Opens
Opens his original Bristol Temple Meads terminus.
Original Bristol Terminus
Trains begin running from Brunel's Bristol station toward Bath.
Swindon Railway Works
Daniel Gooch proposes locomotive works at Swindon and Brunel supports creation of a major railway centre there.
Screw Propulsion Report Submitted
Brunel submits a detailed report recommending screw propulsion instead of paddle wheels for the new Great Britain.
Wootton Bassett-Chippenham Section Opens
Another section of Brunel's Great Western main line opens between Wootton Bassett and Chippenham.
SS Great Britain
Brunel orders SS Great Britain to be redesigned for screw propulsion instead of paddle wheels.
Archimedes Screw Trials Studied
Brunel studies Francis Pettit Smith's screw-propelled Archimedes during trials and demonstrations at Bristol.
Bath Avon Railway Bridge
The crossing carries the Great Western Railway through the city.
Bath Spa Skew Bridge
Designs the skew bridge immediately west of Bath Spa station.
Bourton Church Bridge Completed
A Brunel-designed accommodation bridge is completed on the Challow to Wootton Bassett section of the Great Western Railway.
By Brook Culvert Completed
Brunel's stone culvert over By Brook is completed as part of the Great Western route through the Box area.
Cheltenham and Great Western Union Bridge
The limestone bridge uses Brunel's characteristic elliptical arch.
Clifton Chain Contract Awarded
The Copperhouse Foundry at Hayle receives the contract to manufacture suspension chains for Brunel's Clifton bridge.
Dorchester Street Railway Bridge
The structure carries Brunel's Great Western route through central Bath.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.