Didcot Railway Centre

See our unique collection of Great Western Railway steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and small relics; and a recreation of Brunel's broad gauge railway. Join us in our rural setting based around the original 1930s engine shed. The Railway Centre is open every weekend throughout the year and open five days a week in the summer.

Visitors will also have the chance to get up close to the locomotives in the spacious Engine Shed which has remained largely-unchanged since it was built in 1932 now houses magnificent preserved engines some of which have steps to allow visitors to climb onto the footplate! 

The large, well-ventilated carriage shed will also be open 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!

A leisurely stroll will take you to a beautifully recreated 1930s branch line station and to a rare section of surviving track from Brunel's Broad Gauge railway, complete with replica Victorian locomotives.

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 a 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 the 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 180 years of railway progress in just one day!