Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre is a railway museum and preservation engineering site in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England. The site was formerly a Great Western Railway engine shed and locomotive stabling point.
Background
The founders and commercial backers of the Great Western Railway supported Isambard Kingdom Brunel's scheme to develop an integrated railway and steamship service which allowed trans-Atlantic passengers and freight quicker passage between London and New York City. However, whilst backing the scheme the railway had to make a profit, and so it took a number of detours and added both mainline and branch line traffic to increase its domestic earnings. This earned the railway the nickname The Great Way Round from its detractors.Whilst the route from London Paddington to Reading was relatively straight, the then obvious most direct route to Bristol would have taken the railway further south, thus avoiding both Didcot and Swindon. However, passenger and freight traffic both to and from Oxford and onwards to the West Midlands in part dictated a more northerly route. Also, Brunel had originally planned to cut through Savernake Forest near Marlborough, Wiltshire to Bristol, but the Marquess of Ailesbury, who owned the land, objected – having previously objected to part of the Kennet and Avon Canal running through his estate. With the railway needing to run near to a canal at its midpoint – as it was cheaper to transport coal for trains along canals at this time – and with the need for the branch northwards to Cheltenham via Stroud, Swindon was the next logical choice for the junction, north of the original route. This dictated that the Oxford junction also be moved northwards, and hence via Didcot. The Great Western Railway built the first rail line through Didcot in 1839 and opened its first station in 1844.
Construction
Due to the technical operational difficulties of running and maintaining a mainline service from London to Bristol, as well as the need for servicing locomotives going to Oxford, Didcot became an obvious midpoint maintenance and stabling point. Having built a timber-framed broad gauge shed on the original site during the railway's development west in the 1800s, in June 1932 a new steel-framed half-brick 4-road through shed, was completed by the GWR under the Loans and Guarantees Act. With shed code DID, it also included a repair shop, coaling stage, sand furnace and turntable and associated offices. During World War II, a standard steel-framed with corrugated iron-panel covered ash shelter was erected: this was dismantled in early GWS days.Operations
After World War II, the site remained virtually unchanged during the nationalised ownership of British Railways, but for taking on the new code of 81E. The standard allocation of locomotives remained the same, with Halls, Dukedogs and Panniers making up the bulk of the depot's fleet.Closure
With the replacement of steam with diesel traction under the Modernisation Plan, the shed became redundant and was closed in June 1965.Formation and site lease
The Great Western Society was offered the use of the former Didcot locomotive depot, taking it over in 1967. In the 1970s, the society negotiated a long-term lease with BR which was to expire in 2019. But this was subject to a six-month termination clause which could force the GWS to quit the site, and which could be operated at any point in time by lease-holder Network Rail.In an attempt to secure a long-term future for the society, in 2002 the GWS opened negotiations with NR to either purchase the site or extend the lease. In a letter dated May 2007, NR informed the GWS that they were prepared to sell the site subject to Office of Rail Regulation approval. It had been thought the site could be subject to need as a depot, either due to: the rebuilding of Reading station; a Crossrail project depot; or the Intercity Express Programme. After expressing some concern at the slow speed of negotiations at the GWS annual meeting in September 2008, NR wrote to the GWS to advise that the site was no longer available for sale, and although a lease extension was still on offer it was still subject to the previous six-month termination clause. The GWS then wrote to their local MP Ed Vaizey, and placed any long-term development plans on hold. Richard Croucher signed a new 50-year lease with Network Rail, therefore preserving the site for at least another 50 years.
Museum and railway centre
Today the GWS have developed the site, which still retains many of the original GWR buildings and features, as both a working steam locomotive and railway museum, engineering maintenance centre, and railway line offering short rides to visitors.Access via Didcot Parkway station brings the visitor into the southern end of the site, at the start of the ramp coal wagons would take up to the coaling stage. Beyond this is the original 1932 four-road engine shed, and beyond this the original repair shed and 1988 constructed locomotive works, both of which have restricted access due to safety concerns. Beyond this lies a Ransomes & Rapier turntable, originally built for the Southern Railway at Southampton Docks, installed in the original pit.
The centre regularly holds events such as steam and diesel railcar days. Members of the Great Western Society have been active in the preservation of locomotives and rolling stock. Certain 'new-build' projects to create locomotives that did not escape wholesale scrapping have also been undertaken at Didcot, such as the completed Firefly locomotive, a 'Saint' class and a 'County' class locomotive.
There is a small relics museum and archive on site, operated by the Great Western Trust.
The Railway Centre has been used as a period film set and has featured in productions including Anna Karenina, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and The Elephant Man.
Running lines
There are three short lengths of running track, each with a station at both ends:Branchline
This starts at a typical GWR wayside halt, named Didcot Halt, and runs north on the western edge of the site to a platform, named Burlescombe Station, at the transshipment shed. Dating from broad gauge days, the shed was used for transferring goods from broad to "narrow" rolling stock and vice versa. It was moved to its present location carefully from its original site nearby.Broad Gauge Line
The broad gauge line of starts from the transshipment shed, and runs halfway back down the branchline. The 2005 replica GWR Fire Fly is housed within the shed when not runningMainline
Starting from the Main Line Platform opposite the site entrance, using a pre-fabricated concrete station platform from, this runs on the eastern edge of the site to a newly built platform, named Oxford Road Station, near the transshipment shed. The reconstruction of the Brunel-designed building from station on this platform has been commenced.Access
The railway centre is entirely surrounded by active railway lines and has no road connection of any kind. Public access is on foot from a subway at Didcot Parkway station, which links the centre by rail to London and much of southern and central England. Wheelchair and pram access was difficult due to the presence of a flight of concrete steps on Network Rail property. To comply fully with the Disability Discrimination Act, the Great Western Society constructed a ramped access in 2023–24.Collection
Diesel locomotives
Including other non-steam powered vehicles| Class | Number | Image | Status | Notes |
| GWR Railcar | No.22 | Operational | Built at Swindon in 1940. | |
| Hunslet | DL 26 | Operational | Built by Hunslet of Leeds in 1957 for the National Coal Board and arrived at Didcot in 1978. It was the only diesel shunter at the site for many years until the arrival of 08604. Most of its duties tend to be light shunting. Repainted 2023. | |
| British Rail Class 08 | 08604 Phantom | Operational | Built at Derby Works as D3771, allocated to: Longsight June 1959; Stockport Edgeley July 1959; Longsight April 1965, unofficially named Ardwick; renumbered 08604 February 1974; stored Swindon Works 1981; Tyseley TMD February 1984, unofficially renamed Javelin, officially then named Phantom; Bescot November 1988; Derby Etches Park November 1992; withdrawn in July 1993. Sold to GWS and moved to DRC 1994. | |
| British Rail Class 14 diesel-hydraulic | D9516 | Operational | Built at Swindon in 1964. After a post-BR industrial career, bought for preservation by Gerald Boden and based at Great Central Railway and then Nene Valley Railway. Bought from the Wensleydale Railway in 2014. | |
| British Rail Class 31 | 31270 Athena | Operational | ||
| British Rail Class 52 diesel hydraulic | D1023 Western Fusilier | Static Display | Built at Swindon in 1963. In 1973 it became the final diesel hydraulic to receive a general repair at Swindon Works. Upon withdrawal in 1977, it was preserved by the National Railway Museum. Arrived at Didcot in January 2023 on a 5 year loan from York. | |
| GWR 18000 gas turbine | 18000 | Static Display | Built by Brown, Boveri & Cie in Switzerland in 1949 to GWR order. Arrived 29 July 2011. Owned by Pete Waterman | |
| British Railways Wickham trolley | B42W | Operational | Built 1956. Type 27A Mk III Permanent Way Gang and inspection trolley. | |
| Diesel Crane | CD24 | Static Display | Built 1949 by Thomas Smith and Sons Ltd, Leeds. |
Other rolling stock
The GWS has an extensive supporting collection of GWR rolling stock, including three of the GWR Super Saloons that serviced the boat train traffic to Plymouth. In addition it has some vehicles for staff and maintenance use.Non-passenger-carrying coaching stock
| Type | Number | Image | Status | Notes |
| Tool Van | No. 1 | In use as staff tool van. | Built in 1908 at Swindon. | |
| Tool Van | No. 47 | Stored under cover with 9083 and 2232, used as a stores van. | Built in 1908 at Swindon. | |
| Tool Van | No. 56 | In use as staff tool van. | Built in 1908 at Swindon. | |
| Collett Full Brake | No. 111 | No current restoration plans. | Built at Swindon, 1934. | |
| Hawksworth Passenger Brake Van | No. 316 | Built at Swindon, 1950 | ||
| Hawksworth Passenger Brake Van | No. 333 | In use as sales vehicle. | Built at Swindon, 1951. Acquired from Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. | |
| Churchward 'Monster' Carriage Truck | No. 484 | Built at Swindon, 1913. | ||
| Churchward 'Python' | No. 565 | In use as a workshop and stores vehicle. | Built at Swindon, 1914. | |
| Travelling Post Office | No. 814 | Not currently operational. | Built at Swindon, 1940. | |
| Dean Full Brake | No. 933 | Operational by 2019. | Built at Swindon, 1898 | |
| Medical Officers' Coach, originally a Churchward Passenger Brake Van - Toplight | No. 1159 | Built at Swindon, 1925. | ||
| Collett Full Brake | No. 1184 | Being restored and modified to run with GWR TPO 814. | Built at Swindon, 1930. Last bow-ended full brake. | |
| Collett 'Siphon G' | No. 2796 | Restored. Operational | Built at Swindon, 1937. | |
| Six-Wheel Milk Tank | S4409 | Operational | Built in 1931 as four wheeler. Rebuilt in 1937 as six wheeler. Chassis ex-Southern Railway. Most recently painted in Co-operative Wholesale Society green livery with lettering "MILK C.W.S SERVICE". | |
| Special Cattle Van | No. 752 | Restored | Built in 1952 at Ashford. Diagram W17. | |
| 'Bloater' Fish Van | No. 2671 | Restored | Built in 1925 at Swindon. | |
| 'Fruit C' Van | No. 2862 | Part restored | Built in 1939 at Swindon. | |
| 'Fruit D' Van | No. 2913 | Built in 1941 at Swindon. | ||
| 'Fruit' Van | No. 47886 | Operational. | Built in 1892 at Swindon. Dean brake system. | |
| 'Mink G' fitted goods van | No. 112843 | Restored. | Built in 1931 at Swindon. |
Wagons
| Type | Number | Image | Status | Notes |
| Tar Wagon | No. 1 | Requires re-restoration | Built in 1898 | |
| 6w Drinking Water Tank | No. 101 | Stored | Built in 1948. | |
| Department Mess Van | No. 263 | In staff use | Built in 1905. Rebuilt by BR from a GWR 25t brake van No. 56867. | |
| Oil Tank Wagon | No. 795 | Restored | Built in 1912 by Hurst Nelson. Most recently painted as Anglo American Oil Co Ltd - Pratts Perfection Spirit. Previously restored as Royal Daylight No. 745. | |
| 'Rotank' flat wagon carrying trailer tank | No. 3030 | Restored | Built in 1947 at Swindon. Most recently painted as Simonds Beer tank. | |
| Goods Van | No. 516673 | Restored, used for storage | Ex-LMS. Purchased from MoD Bicester as 4166 for storage by the locomotive department. Stored beside locomotive workshop at the end of line of unrestored stock. | |
| Goods Van | No. 517791 | Restored, used for storage | Ex-LMS. Purchased from MoD Bicester as 4167 for storage by the locomotive department. Stored beside locomotive workshop at the end of line of unrestored stock. | |
| Four wheel 7-plank mineral wagon | No. 10153 | Restored | Built by Gloucester RCW. Ex-Taff Vale Railway, only surviving TVR wagon. Most likely 1880s because of the handbrake gear. | |
| Iron Mink | No. 11152 | Restored, non-operational | Built in 1900 at Swindon. | |
| "Toad" Brake Van | No. 17447 | Part dismantled, stored under tarpaulin | Built in 1940 at Swindon. | |
| 4 wheel 5-plank open wagon | No. 18553 | Operational | Built in 1927 by Sheffield C&W. | |
| "Open A" open wagon | No. 19818 | Restored | Built in 1917 at Swindon. | |
| 'Mite' Single Bolsters | Nos. 32337 & 32338 | Non-operational | Built in 1881 at Swindon. | |
| 'Coral A' crated glass wagon | No. 41723 | Awaiting restoration | Built in 1908 at Swindon. | |
| 20/21ton Loco Coal wagon | No. 63066 | Restored | Built in 1946 at Swindon. | |
| 'Pollen E' | Nos 84997-85000 | Restored, on loan from National Railway Museum | Built in 1909 at Swindon. | |
| 'Macaw B' bogie bolster wagon | No. 70335 | Restored | Built in 1939 at Swindon. | |
| 'Crocodile F' bogie well trolley | No. 41934 | Operational | Built in 1908 at Swindon as Crocodile G, modified 1909 as Crocodile F, Diagram C12. Now rare. | |
| 'Hydra D' machinery wagon | No. 42193 | Stored in open | Built in 1917 at Swindon. Now rare. | |
| Grain Wagon | No. 42239 | Stored under tarpaulin awaiting re-restoration | Built in 1927 at Swindon. | |
| 'Loriot L' machinery wagon | No. 42271 | Operational | Built in 1934 at Swindon. | |
| Creosote Tank Wagon | No. 43949 | Stored | Built in 1901 at Swindon. | |
| 16ton 'Toad' brake van | No. 56400 | Stored amongst other stock in staff use | Built in 1900 at Swindon. Originally 14-ton but later 16-ton. Verandah is covered by inside tarpaulin for protection. | |
| 20ton 'Toad' brake van | No. 68684 | Restored | Built in 1924 at Swindon. | |
| 20ton 'Toad' brake van | No. 950592 | Restored | Built in 1950 at Swindon. | |
| Mink A ventilated van | No. 101720 | Restored | Built in 1924 at Swindon. "Flour Traffic Only - Return to Wantage Road". | |
| Mink A ventilated van | No. 101836 | Restored | Built in 1925 at Swindon. | |
| Mink A ventilated van | No. 145428 | Restored | Built in 1944 at Swindon. | |
| Mink A ventilated van | No. W146366 | Restored | Built in 1948 at Swindon. | |
| Open A open wagon | No. 117993 | Restored | Built in 1930 at Swindon. | |
| Open C open wagon | No. 94835 | Restored | Built in 1920 at Swindon. | |
| Open wagon | No. 143698 | Built in 1945 at Swindon. | ||
| Clay wagon | No. 92943 | Restored | Built in 1913 at Swindon. | |
| 'Tevan' perishable traffic van | No. 79933 | Restored | Built in 1922 at Swindon; converted 1938 from 'Mica B' refrigerated meat van. | |
| 'Mica B' refigerated meat van | No. 105860 | Restored | Built in 1925 at Swindon. | |
| "Fruit B" Banana Van | No. 1055993 | Restored | Built in 1929 at Swindon. | |
| 'Mogo' Motor Car Goods Van | No. 105742 | Restored | Built in 1936 at Swindon. | |
| 'Asmo' Motor Car Van | No. 116954 | Built in 1930 at Swindon. | ||
| 'Cone' Gunpowder Van | No. 105781 | Restored | Built in 1939 at Swindon. | |
| Shunters' truck | No. 100377 | Operational | Built in 1953 at Swindon, converted from underframe of 'Mink A' van. | |
| Ballast wagon | No. 80659 | Operational | Built in 1936 at Swindon. | |
| Ballast wagon | No. 80668 | Operational | Built in 1936 at Swindon. | |
| Ballast wagon | No. 80789 | Operational | Built in 1937 at Swindon. | |
| Chaired sleeper wagon | No. 100682 | Operational | Built in 1939 at Swindon. | |
| Hand crane and match truck | No. 205 | Restored, non-operational | Built in 1894 at Swindon. | |
| Hand crane | No. 537 | Restored, non-operational | Built in 1899 at Swindon. | |
| Pooley mobile workshop van | No. 82917 | In staff use | Built in 1911 at Swindon as standard covered van; rebuilt 1934 for use of Henry Pooley & Co., the GWR's maintenance contractor for weighbridges. | |
| Demountable beer tank wagon, displayed as aircraft propeller wagon | No. B749039 | Restored, non-operational | Built in 1951 at Shildon. | |
| 2 ft gauge slate wagon | No. 67 | Under restoration | Built in 1903 at Swindon. Used for traffic from Manod to Blaenau Festiniog. |