Didcot Railway Centre is so much more than just a train ride!
Explore the golden age of the Great Western Railway and savour the sights, sounds and smells of steam as you explore this 21 acre living museum which includes the largest collection of locomotives, vehicles and artefacts from any one single railway company in the world.
Stroll through the original 1932 engine shed which houses a collection of engines, the carriage shed with an extensive collection of coaches and wagons, and the transfer shed which houses a unique broad gauge exhibit. On some open days Didcot Railway Centre also opens their workshops so you can go behind the scenes and some of the projects they are working on.
Didcot Railway Centre started in the most humble of settings. Four schoolboys were good friends and spent time together at Southall footbridge, which gave a magnificent vantage point over the GWR main line and entrance to the locomotive shed. The 4 loved to watch the trains coming and going and thought it would be a travesty if the fate of these beautiful engines was not preserved in some way. This being the pioneering era, the boys decided that if no one else was willing to do anything about this, they would. They would save a locomotive!
One of the four wrote a letter to The Railway Magazine. The letter was sent in April 1961 and published in August. It asked for support to raise the £1,130 needed to find the purchase of an engine. Money came in, and in May 1962, the Great Western Preservation Society was formed. By 1964 they had raised enough to purchase engine number 1466. The rest as they say, is history. To this day, Didcot Railway Centre still owns 1466, which is an integral part of their collection together with about 30 other locomotives, plus numerous other coaches, wagons and items of memorabilia a lot of which is displayed for the public to enjoy.
They have steam days throughout the year where they run some of their beautifully restored locomotives, if you like it quieter, our discovery days are perfect for exploring without the crowds. They also run special events during the year such as Paddington, Steam galas with visiting engines and much more, so see the calendar on their website for full details of these.
To book, visit www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk
