Name: Didcot Railway Centre
Rating: 5.0

Didcot Railway Centre

Didcot Railway Centre, Station Road, Didcot, UK

1-90 Years

Paid

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Description

Didcot Railway Centre is a 21-acre living museum dedicated to the history of the Great Western Railway. Set around the original 1932 Engine Shed, it houses a unique collection of steam locomotives, carriages, wagons, and historic railway buildings. sIt offers visitors an immersive journey into Britain’s railway heritage.

Attractions include the Main Demonstration Line with train rides on running days, the Branch Line, and the historic 1932 Engine Shed. Visitors can explore Brunel’s Broad Gauge Railway, the display of Brunel’s Atmospheric Pipe, the Road Transport Hangar, The Coal Stage, and the interactive Signalling Centre. The on-site Museum showcases Great Western artefacts, tickets, posters, nameplates, and even a working platform ticket machine.

Ticket prices vary by event type: Discovery Days (Gift Aid) – Adult £14.00, Child £8.50, Over-65 £10.00, Family £38.00; Steam Days / Heritage Diesel Days (Gift Aid) – Adult £20.50, Child £13.00, Over-65 £19.00, Family £60.00; Limited Run Days (Gift Aid) – Adult £16.00, Child £9.50, Over-65 £13.00, Family £50.00, with lower Non-Gift Aid options also available.

Overall, Didcot Railway Centre provides an authentic and educational railway experience for all ages. With heritage train rides, hands-on exhibits, and extensive historic collections, it appeals to both enthusiasts and families. It is a fascinating destination to discover the legacy of the Great Western Railway.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Road Transport Hangar: Throughout the duration of the Great Western Railway there was a significant emphasis on the transfer of goods and passengers to and from their railway stations resulting in large numbers of horse drawn and motorised vehicles. From the early days of the GWR horse drawn drays were provided to collect and deliver goods from a customer’s location and over time the horses were replaced with various motorised lorries resulting in a motorised fleet approaching 2500 with trailers approaching 1600.
Brunel's Broad Gauge Railway: Brunel originally built the Great Western Railway to his unique broad gauge of 7 feet between the rails as he thought this would give extra speed and comfort. But as the railway network expanded the Great Western had increasing problems with transshipping goods onto the standard gauge, or 'narrow gauge' as they called it, of the other railways and its broad gauge was finally abandoned in 1892.
1932 Engine Shed: Didcot Railway Centre is based around the original Great Western Railway Engine Shed built in 1932, using loans provided by the government to relieve unemployment, to replace an earlier, less commodious facility. Many features of this original depot survive to this day, together with some later additions. The shed itself is immediately visible once you have entered the Railway Centre.
Brunel’s Atmospheric Pipe: Adjacent to the broad gauge running line is a display on Brunel's ill-fated attempt at ‘atmospheric’ propulsion. The three 22” diameter cast iron pipes are a relic of I K Brunel’s flirtation with atmospheric traction on the South Devon Railway. The tubes were discovered, by the Great Western Society, being used for drainage at Goodrington in Devon and are displayed on broad gauge baulk road at the 1 in 36 gradient of Dainton Bank, the steepest part of the line for which they were intended.
Museum: The Museum houses the Collection of the Great Western Trust with fascinating smaller artefacts illustrating every aspect of the Great Western Railway. It is a wonderful place to discover some of the lesser-known aspects of GWR history. Items include impressive brass nameplates, rare and commonplace tickets, lamps, chinaware from the GWR's station refreshment rooms or luxury dining cars and many of the beautiful posters advertising attractive destinations across the GWR system - there's even a working Platform Ticket machine that uses the ‘old pennies’ and still dispenses platform tickets as a memento of your day!
The Coal Stage: Another building which is very evident as you enter the Centre is the Coal Stage. This building was designed to make it as easy as possible to coal and water the locomotives before sending them out for their turns on the railway network. The large tank at the top of the building supplies water through large diameter pipes to the water cranes which can be seen in front of the Engine Shed.
The Signalling Centre: You can find out how the basic signalling apparatus of the early railways, evolved into the mechanical signalboxes, such as Radstock North Box and Frome Mineral Junction Cabin, on our Branch Line, and then into electrically operated systems, powerboxes and ultimately computer controlled signalling centres. The Signalling Centre offers hands-on opportunities to try some of this equipment out for yourself.
Main Demonstration Line: The main demonstration line at Didcot runs the entire length of the Centre, a distance of nearly half a mile. Starting adjacent to the entrance, it runs along the Centre's eastern boundary, paralleling Network Rail's 'east curve'. On running days you will usually be able to ride on a train formed of coaches from the 1930s hauled by one our larger steam locomotives.
The Branch Line: The Branch Line runs down the western side of the Railway Centre, from Didcot Halt - near the Turntable in the centre of the site, to the Transfer Shed at the north end of the Centre. The line was laid by the Great Western Society in the 1970s, and as well as sometimes providing train rides is also home to a large quantity of preserved Great Western buildings and infrastructure which has been moved to the Centre and which create a wonderful atmosphere, reminiscent of a rural GWR in the golden age of steam.

Facilities

Parking: There are three car park options available.
Food & Drinks: The Refreshment Rooms are open and offering a selection of hot foods along with a simple take-away menu. Food available includes a range of pasties, sausage rolls, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, cakes and snacks. We do have some gluten and/or dairy free and vegan options available. Hot food is usually served until approximately 2pm. We have inside seating and also plenty of picnic tables and benches provided around the site.
Picnic Area: Enjoy your meal out in our ample picnic area: plenty of fresh air, adjacent to the play area and and with good views of turntable.
Shop: From pocket money treats, books, jigsaws and hand crafted leathergoods, you’ll find a good range of items on sale in our shop. Our souvenir range includes notepads and pens, badges, bookmarks and also a good children’s section. For the enthusiast we offer books, DVDs and hotel chinaware, amongst other gifts.
Toilets: The toilets (including accessible facilities) are located within easy reach of the shop and Refreshment Rooms. Baby changing facilities are available within the accessible toilet.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Discovery Days (Gift Aid)

Adult: £14.00
Child: £8.50
Over-65: £10.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £38.00

Steam Days / Heritage Diesel Days (Gift Aid)

Adult: £20.50
Child: £13.00
Over-65: £19.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £60.00

Limited Run Days (Gift Aid)

Adult: £16.00
Child: £9.50
Over-65: £13.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £50.00

Discovery Days (Non - Gift Aid)

Adult: £12.00
Child: £7.50
Over-65: £9.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £35.00

Steam Days / Heritage Diesel Days (Non - Gift Aid)

Adult: £18.50
Child: £11.00
Over-65: £16.50
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £55.00

Limited Run Days (Non - Gift Aid)

Adult: £14.00
Child: £8.00
Over-65: £11.00
Family (2 Adults & up to 2 Children): £40.00

Pricing URL: https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/article.php/11/opening-times-prices

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Visit the website for timing information.

Address: Didcot Railway Centre, Station Road, Didcot, UK

Post Code: OX11 7NJ

Council: South Oxfordshire

County: Oxfordshire

By Car: The Railway Centre is signposted from the M4 (junction 13) and the A34, follow the brown signs to Didcot Railway Centre. It can also be accessed from the M40 and A34. Take the turning for the Milton Interchange. The first one is the main railway station multi-storey car park (Basil Hill Road). This car park is your destination if you follow the brown signs to Didcot Railway Centre. From this car park, leave on foot, via the covered walkway from Level 2 which leads to the front of Didcot Parkway station.
By Bus: Thames Travel run daily services from: Oxford and Abingdon. Wallingford.
By Train: Great Western Railway trains serve Didcot Parkway with direct services from London Paddington, Reading and Thames Valley, Oxford, the Midlands, Swindon, Bath, Bristol and South Wales.