Experience a Bygone Era at Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot
We were surprised by how much there is to see at Didcot Railway Centre. Happily, many of the buildings at Didcot are mentioned in the Thomas the Tank Engine books and our visit really brought these stories to life.
Didcot Railway Centre
As well as two operational railway lines and a science exhibition,
a turntable, a workshop, a World War 2 air raid shelter
and an engine shed full of enormous locomotives you can touch and, in some cases, climb into.
Didcot is home to a large collection of locomotives from the Great Western Railway. Many of these have evocative names like Trojan, Teddy Bear, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Fire Fly and Lady Of Legend.
Steam Days
The engines can be seen on any visit but are operational only on certain days of the year, when they can be seen shunting or pulling carriages.
To see when the engines are running, please see the Locomotive Roster on the Didcot Railway Centre website.
The Buildings
The Centre still has many of the original buildings from the Great Western Railway Engine Shed that was built in 1932, including the engine shed, turntable and Coal Stage.
The Engine Shed
My children loved being inside the Engine Shed and enjoyed being able to climb inside the cabs. We couldn’t believe the size of the engines. Some have wheels taller than I am – I had no idea!
Coal Stage
This was built to give the engines water and coal and you can often see engines being coaled during an operational day.
The Branch Line
This is a short, operational railway line that runs from Didcot Halt station, past a signal box, to a transfer shed.
The Main Line
At half a mile, this is the longer of the two operational railway lines and runs from the main platform to Oxford Road station. You can either alight here and walk back through the Centre or stay on for the ride back.
Day Out with Thomas
We visited during December for a Day Out with Thomas, which is a day when Didcot is taken over by Thomas the Tank Engine, the Fat Controller and friends.
It was a magical day. We met the Fat Controller before riding on Thomas the Tank Engine to meet Father Christmas.
Pendon Museum
If you are interested in railways then consider combining your visit with a trip to the nearby Pendon Museum, which is home to some exquisitely modelled railway landscapes.
Wilgrove Halt Play Area
Conveniently located next to the picnic area, Wilgrove Halt is small play area for children from 2 to 12 years old that has trains and train station offices to role play in.
Mistakes?
I would be the first to admit that I don’t know much about trains and railways. If I have made any mistakes in this post then please let me know so I can make the corrections!
Visit the Didcot Railway Centre website
Further Information
Nearest Town: Didcot, near Oxford
County: Oxfordshire
Nearest Postcode: OX11 7NJ
Adult Cost Range: Various
Child Cost Range: Various
Free if: Under 3 years
Opens: Various times throughout the year. Please see the Didcot Railway Centre website for details.
Where to Eat: Try the cafe, a local pub or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice creams, picnic area, toilets and accessible toilets.
How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly
Parking: Large car park
Cost of Parking: From £1.40 for the first hour.
Information Written: December 2019
Ratings
Our visit to the Didcot Railway Centre (on a day when the engines were operational but without Thomas), in Didcot near Oxford, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.
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