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Welcome to the Didcot Railway Centre Page!

Travel back in time to the golden age of the Great Western Railway and savour the sights, sounds and smells of steam as you explore this 24-acre living museum with trains dating from Victorian times to the 1960s.

Please see the calendar on our website for open days. In addition to our steam days and discovery days, we also have many different events throughout the year, including Steam into the 40's, our autumn steam gala, visits from Paddington Bear and more!

On Steam Days, Steam Trains will be operating on at least one of the Centre's two demonstration lines, allowing you to take unlimited rides. On many days, the second line will be running too and may feature a pioneering diesel railcar, a heritage diesel locomotive or a small branchline Steam Engine. 

On our Discovery Days, the trains may not be running however this means that you can intead get a chance to get up close and see them at close quarters. 

You can pick up our colourful Centre Guide, expolre this 21-acre living museum and unearth almost two centuries of railway history. Stroll through the original 1932 Engine Shed and see magnificent preserved locomotives - you can even climb onto the footplates of some!

See surviving track from Brunel's Broad Gauge, discover painstakingly restored buildings, coaches and wagons and learn more about the development of railways and how they changed everyday lives.

There's a chance to get hands-on in The Signalling Centre where you can find out how trains have been controlled through the ages. Descend into our air raid shelter, built to keep Didcot's enginemen safe in WWII and experience an air raid or immerse yourself in the varied collection of fascinating, smaller artefacts in the museum. Don't miss the carriage display with coaches dating from Victorian times to the 1940s that evoke bygone eras. See the VIP Saloon reputed to have been used by General Eisenhower during the preparations for D-Day and later used in the GWR Royal Train!

Children can also make tracks to our purpose built outdoor play area or dress up as a station master. You can relax over lunch or enjoy a snack in the refreshment rooms and don't forget to pick up a souvenir in the gift shop. The modern trains running past the centre complete the picture and mean you can experience over 200 years of railway progress in just one day!

 

Main Address: Didcot Railway Centre, Station Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ

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