A visit to Didcot Railway Centre

Tuesday 9th April 2024

I paid a visit to the Didcot Railway Centre over the Easter weekend. Never having been before, it had been on a list of interesting looking places to visit for a long time having always given it a good stare out of the window when travelling on trains between Reading and Oxford on the Didcot Parkway avoiding line which passes alongside the Centre giving a good view of any activity going on.

A variety of special event days are designated through the year featuring steam or diesel locomotives running on short sections of track within the Centre’s 21 acres on which visitors can enjoy unlimited rides up and down travelling in period carriages from the Great Western era.

It’s easy to access the Centre if arriving by train at Didcot Parkway. Instead of heading south through the subway at the bottom of the stairs from the platforms and exiting through the gateline you just head north which takes you straight into the Centre and the welcoming ticket kiosk.

Admission can be pre-booked online and then once you’re through the ticket office, having collected your map and guide, you’re free to wander around the huge site in a relaxed and easy-going style with very few areas off-limits even when a diesel engine is shunting up and down the tracks between the various sheds.

Most visitors head for the ‘Main Line Platform’ just beyond the reception hut and for a ride the short distance to ‘Oxford Road Station’. My visit was on a steam day and sure enough locomotive 4144 was doing the honours.

This locomotive was built in Swindon in September 1946 and, having spent time as the Severn Tunnel banker, was withdrawn from Severn Tunnel Junction depot in March 1965. It was sent to Woodham Bros. of Barry for cutting up but survived until it was bought jointly by the Great Western Trust and one of its members in 1974 and is now based at Didcot.

The carriages were sumptuous to travel in and we soon arrived at ‘Oxford Road’ where, after everyone alighted or took another journey, the train headed back to the start again.

Visitors can then walk over to ‘Burlescombe Station’ on what’s called the branch line, taking in the ‘Transfer Shed’ on the way.

In here you’ll find reminders of the railway’s Victorian heritage with some very early examples of locomotives and carriages.

I don’t think I’ll ever complain about ‘ironing board’ seats in Thameslink Class 700 trains again!

And if you’re thinking those carriages look rather wide. They are. Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway originally used broad gauge 7 foot track only switching to standard gauge 4 ft 8.5 inches in the mid to late 1850s. This is demonstrated by both tracks being laid into the ‘Transfer Shed’ showing the stark comparison and what could have been.

Doing the shuttling honours on the branch line to ‘Didcot Halt’ on Good Friday was 2409 King George built by Hunslet Engine Company in 1942 and used on colliery work in Nottinghamshire…

… which was pulling and pushing a quite remarkably restored ‘auto-trailer’ originating from 1933 and is typical of the auto-trailers built in the thirties for the mass of branch lines that the GWR owned. The interior has been completely re-created using in part recycled oak and the upholstery is a replica of the GWR 1937 pattern.

Here’s a short clip of the locomotive and trailer in action.

As you can see from that clip there’s a wonderful collection of semaphore signals to admire from ‘Burlescombe Station’…

… and as the train heads towards ‘Didcot Halt’ you get a glimpse of some of the sidings on the site where goods wagons are stabled.

There are some lovely nostalgic images alongside ‘Didcot Halt’ and its platform…

… from where visitors can wander over to the ‘Carriage Shed & Traverser’ …

… as well as passing a turntable and some interesting locomotives stabled outside.

Above is 18000, built in 1949 and was only the third gas turbine electric locomotive working between Plymouth or Bristol via Didcot to Paddington until withdrawn in 1960. The power unit worked by drawing air into a compressor, then through an oil fired combustion chamber, the exhaust driving a turnbine which powered a generator driving four traction motors.

This is one of GWR’s 38 diesel Railcars built between 1933 and 1942. No 22 dates from 1940 and could seat 48 passengers with a driving cab at each end. There are two AEC 9.6 litre engines similar to those used in London Transport’s RT bus class. It was withdrawn from service in 1962.

Other exhibits in the ‘Carriage Shed’ included carriages undergoing restoration by volunteers…

… as well as examples of “what it would have been like to…” work on the railways during the 1950s with audio explanations of the duties of various personnel engaged in moving goods around the network.

From the ‘Carriage Shed & Traverser’ visitors can pay a visit to the Signalling Centre (which includes the original Swindon Panel), a fascinating Museum and Archive, a Steam Railmotor Head and a Coal Stage as well as a Café before reaching the impressive Engine Shed where you are free to wander around to view the engines in the collection close up…

… as well as climb on to the footplate of one.

There’s also an example of a Travelling Post Office together with the netting used to collect mail from pouches on the track side as the train passed at speed.

The Didcot Railway Centre is a fascinating place to visit. Its website tells you which locomotives will be in action up and down the tracks for future weekends and Wednesdays so you can plan your visit to have a ride with a favoured locomotive. The Centre is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until mid July.

Admission prices vary according to what activity is taking place. Discovery Days are £11 and Steam/Heritage Days are £19 with reductions for children, over 65s and families.

It’s well worth a visit.

Roger French

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