Operated by the Great Western Society

DidcotRailwayCentre.org.uk01235 817200

Opening Times & Special Events

2020

Living Museum of the Great Western Railway

Calendar 2020The Centre is open on days with a coloured background – match the colour to the information panels in this booklet to plan your visit.

Steam Days Discovery Days Spring Exhibition Days

Special Events Day Out With Thomas™

Steam Into Christmas

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January

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March

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May

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November

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February

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August

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Discovery DaysExplore this 21-acre living museum and unearth almost two centuries of railway history. Stroll through the original 1932 engine shed and see magnifi cent preserved locomotives – you can even climb onto the footplates of some! See surviving track from Brunel’s broad gauge railway, discover painstakingly restored buildings, coaches and wagons and learn more about the development of railways and how they changed lives.

There’s a chance to get hands-on in the Science of Railways carriages and the signalling centre where you can fi nd out how trains have been controlled through the ages. Descend into a shelter built to keep Didcot’s enginemen safe in World War Two and experience an air raid, or immerse yourself in the varied collection of fascinating, smaller artefacts in the museum.

Children can let off steam in the outdoor play area, make tracks to the indoor toy train sets 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 180 years of railway progress in just one day!

Open 10.30am – 4.00pm, last admission 3.30pm

Spring Exhibition DaysThere’s plenty to see undercover in the locomotive shed, historic carriage display, signalling centre and Science of Railways carriages plus hot drinks and lunches in the cosy refreshment rooms.

Open 10.30am – 4.00pm, last admission 3.30pm

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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 21-acre living museum with trains dating from Victorian times to the 1960s.

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 our unique steam railmotor, a pioneering diesel railcar, a heritage diesel locomotive or a small branchline steam engine.

Steam DaysIn addition, all the attractions of a Discovery Day are open and there’s also a chance to get hands-on and control trains using the 1960s technology of the Swindon Panel. The equipment, once at the heart of Swindon signalbox has been saved and restored so, guided by one of our experts, you can keep trains running safely and to time on a virtual Great Western mainline!

Open 10.30am – 5.00pm*, last admission 3.30pm*4.00pm in Jan, Feb and Oct

Book tickets online for a 10% discount.

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Group VisitsThe Centre is an ideal location for a group outing. Members of your party can explore under their own steam or book a tour with one of our knowledgeable guides.

A range of snacks, light lunches and hot or cold drinks are available from the refreshment rooms and can be booked in advance for the group or purchased individually on the day – you can even arrange cream tea aboard one of the Centre’s historic steam trains.

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Special EventsOur varied line-up of special events has something to suit all tastes, from enthusiasts to children and from social historians to railway modellers! See our website for full details and the latest information. Book tickets online for a 10% discount.

Sat 15 & Sun 16 Feb | Delivering the Goods

Special demonstration freight trains recall the days when goods traffi c was more important to the railways than passengers. Two steam and two diesel locomotives in action.

Sat 7 & Sun 8 Mar | Day Out With Thomas™

Peep peep! Join Thomas & Friends for a day of family fun. Make tracks to a Day Out With Thomas™, the ultimate Thomas & Friends experience, for a special 75th anniversary party withThomas the Tank Engine.

Thomas and The Fat Controller are coming all the way from the Island of Sodor for a day of family fun as we celebrate 75 years of discovery, adventure and friendship with Thomas & Friends.

Day Out With Thomas™ © 2019 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. © 2019 Mattel. All rights reserved.

Fri 10, Sat 11, Sun 12 & Mon 13 Apr Railcar Rendezvous

Come and witness the extraordinary spectacle of four railcars in action side-by-side as our unique steam railmotor and pioneering diesel

railcar are joined by a splendid Edwardian petrol-electric railcar and a

distinctive German-built diesel railbus.

Fri 8, Sat 9 & Sun 10 May | Bank Holiday Steam-Up

Three or more steam engines. Coal stage demonstrations, double-headed trains and more.

Sat 23, Sun 24 & Mon 25 May | Bank Holiday Steam-Up

Three or more steam engines. Engine shed loco line up, turntable demonstrations and more.

Sun 31 May | Historic Transport Rally

Vintage omnibuses, charabancs, cars, trucks and vans will descend on Didcot to create a colourful spectacle.

Sat 20 & Sun 21 JunMidsummer Festival of Family Fun

A host of activities including a Teddy Bears’ picnic, children’s entertainment, 80th birthday celebrations for Railcar No 22 and special events for Dads on Father’s Day.

Sat 11 & Sun 12 Jul | Railway Modellers’ Weekend

Demonstrations and masterclasses from modelling experts, model railways on display and the chance for modellers to measure and photograph our buildings and vehicles.

Sat 25 & Sun 26 Jul | Sixties Weekend

Relive the fi nal days of steam and the introduction of “modern” diesels, come dressed in the distinctive fashions of the era and dance to a live band playing new-fangled “pop” music.

Sat 29, Sun 30 & Mon 31 Aug | Bank Holiday Steam-Up

Three or more steam engines. Passenger and goods trains, double-heading, turntable demonstrations and more.

Sat 19 & Sun 20 Sep | Victorian Weekend

Ride in genuine Victorian carriages, see Brunel’s surviving broad-gauge track and replicas of Iron Duke and Fire Fly – the high speed trains of their era – and meet award-winning re-enactors the Ragged Victorians portraying life as it was for the lower classes.

Sat 3 & Sun 4 OctDay Out With Thomas™

Thomas and The Fat Controller return – see 7 & 8 March for details.

Sat 31 Oct & Sun 1 Nov | Hallowe’en Fun

Enjoy a range of spooky activities plus dramatic lighting, special effects and plenty of steam creating the perfect Hallowe’en atmosphere.

Sat 5, Sun 6, Sat 12, Sun 13, Sat 19, Sun 20, Tue 22 &

Wed 23 DecSteam Into Christmas

Take a steam train ride to meet Father Christmas

in a wonderfully decorated festive station.

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SchoolsA visit offers pupils an exciting and unique opportunity to visit a living museum, where they can learn, and gain hands-on experience, related to a variety of topics in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the National Curriculum.

Specially developed educational packages are brought to life by the Centre’s expert guides and include the chance to see and handle artefacts. Popular topics include:

• The Victorians & Early Railways featuring how navvies built the railways, a chance to climb aboard a replica 1840s broad-gauge train, travel in vintage carriages and how the railways changed everyday Victorian life.• World War Two including being evacuated to safety aboard a steam train, surviving an attack in our original air raid shelter and rationing and wartime life.• A Trip to The Seaside for pre-school pupils.• Engineering and Technology for older students.

For KidsThe Centre is an amazing place for kids to explore and spark their curiosity and imagination. There’s a special children’s trail highlighting things to do on site including interactive displays in the Science of Railways carriages and the signalling centre. There’s also the chance to see giant locomotives close up in the engine shed, let off steam in the play area, dress up as a station master or guard in the booking offi ce, use the traditional platform ticket machine in the Museum or take cover in the air raid shelter and hear the warning sirens and the sound of bombs falling all around.

Don’t miss the extra entertainment on many special events days or the Summer of S.T.E.A.M. from 25 July to 31 Augustfeaturing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths themed activities across fi ve weeks including The Mechanicals– an interactive exhibition demonstrating pulleys, levers, gears, ratchets and more, alongside fascinating and beautifully-crafted automata that utilise the basic mechanisms.

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Contact UsDidcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ01235 817200 | info@DidcotRailwayCentre.org.uk DidcotRailwayCentre.org.uk

Didcot Railway Centre is operated by the Great Western Society Limited, Registered Charity number 272616

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

The MBE for volunteer groups

ExperiencesPull on your overalls and climb into the cab of one of our full-size steam locomotives under the expert guidance of our experienced footplate supervisors. Whether you want to realise a childhood ambition, fi nd a memorable birthday treat, celebrate a special anniversary, entertain corporate guests or undertake an unusual team building activity, we have a Railway Experience that’s just the ticket!

Railway Experience DayOn this unforgettable day, you will take the controls of a full-size locomotive at the head of a private passenger train on the Centre’s main demonstration line. Whether it’s shovelling coal to feed the fi re, giving a short blast on the whistle, applying steam power or braking gently, our expert footplate crew will show you the art of fi ring and driving and you’ll have plenty of practice during your time on the footplate.

VIP Day - behind the scenes & footplate tasterJoin us for a very special look behind the scenes on one of our Steam Days. You will have access to areas that are not normally on public view, including a ride on the footplate of the locomotives in action on the day of your visit.

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How to find usDidcot is 53 miles west of London, 10 miles south of Oxford and almost halfway between London and Bristol on Brunel’s original Great Western Railway.

By TrainThere are regular services to Didcot Parkway from London, the southwest, the Midlands and the North – see nationalrail.co.uk By BusLocal buses stop at Didcot Parkway station – see travelinesoutheast.org.ukBy CarThe Centre is signposted from the M4 (junction 13) and the A34, follow the white on brown signs to Didcot Railway Centre. There is ample car parking at the main station car park accessed via Foxhall Road and Basil Hill Road. The car park entrance can be located using turkey.newlywed.audio on the What3Words.com website – please see their website for more details and to download the app.On ArrivalThe entrance to the Railway Centre is through the ticket hall and original steam age subway of Didcot Parkway railway station. Please advise the GWR ticket barrier staff at the mainline station that you are visiting Didcot Railway Centre and they will open the barriers to allow you access. (You will need to show your Railway Centre tickets when you exit the main station after your visit).AccessibilityThe old-style flight of stairs from the subway leads to the Railway Centre entrance and ticket office. Visitors with limited mobility and wheelchair users should consult the Accessibility Page on our website when planning a visit or call 01235 817200 for further information.

Wallingford & Henley

A4130A34 / M4

B4493 Station Road

Prince of Wales Public House

STATION ENTRANCE

DIDCOT PARKWAY CAR PARK

DIDCOTRAILWAYCENTRE

Disabled Parking

Note: All car parks are pay & display

Living Museum of the Great Western Railway

Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NJ