Didcot Railway Centre

A Blast From The Past: Didcot Railway Centre

Oxfordshire is well know for fostering and developing its heritage, especially important sites that contribute to national heritage Didcot Railway Centre is a feature of the town of the same name and is famous for its preservation of the history of the railways in England. This is why thousands of tourists and visitors attend the railway centre year after year!

Didcot Railway Centre is one of the few operating steam train exhibitions in thee UK at the moment and for that very reason it is special. The old station was taken over by the Great Western Society in 1967 and actually features a number of their old locomotives today that reflects on the history of transport well, regardless of whether you are a train enthusiast or not!

The centre has two short tracks there and two stations, all of which have been made or restored to resemble the way a station would be in times gone by. With a coal stage and turntable pit, it will interest young children as well as adults. With the latter, it will be the history, and the former the fact that the station resembles that in the popular children’s’ program, Thomas The Tank Engine!

There are very few railway centres in the UK that give the public an opportunity to experience transport history but this is a magnificent example of the ones that do exist. It is highly accessible because it is open all year round and there are often special steam train events for children at Christmas. There are also lectures and tours held there so you can learn as you look. It may sound a little boring to some people out there, but the Didcot Railway Centre really s fascinating and makes for an interesting day out!