Didcot Railway Centre - Didcot

Chris Selway

Mixed experience for me but those who love steam trains will enjoy it.
First issue was the lack of accessible parking. The bays by the main station were shut off for some reason and, after looking for accessible parking in the private spaces nearby, eventually found a few bays that had been set aside in a different car park down the road. None of the bays were wide enough for a wheelchair user and it was really unclear about whether we had to pay or register the car or not. We went along to the entrance to Didcot Parkway and a member of staff assured us that we did not need to pay or register the car as long as the blue badge was on display.
Fingers crossed I won't get a fine!
There was an interesting display of the workings of the signal box by a young lad who was clearly in his element and full of enthusiasm for steam trains.
Paths through the site are narrow and a bit uneven in places, but manageable with help up some of the steep ramps.
The ride on the Pendennis Castle was limited to the rear carriage with very little view, other members of the family enjoyed the short ride in a Hogwarts Express style of carriage.
Wonderful to see the old trains, but the amount of fumes generated by the one running steam train weren't always welcome (just not used to the smell of burning coals anymore).
The coffee shop seemed a bit expensive and flies everywhere, but probably down the unusually warm weather for the time of year.
These places take a lot of effort to maintain and most of the staff are usually volunteers, their work is really appreciated as it's often hard to find people who are prepared to keep things rolling.

Sue Pickwell

Fully accessible with mobility scooter and staff willing to help at all times. Great selection of trains to be seen with a short ride on both steam and diesel trains. Cafe excellent refreshments. Recommend the pasties and cakes. Dog friendly everywhere except cafe, of course.

Matthew Bond

Lovely place, we are not train enthusiasts but we enjoyed our visit. Lots too see and do, spent 5 hours here until it closed. Volunteers are first class and really know there stuff. I recommend for all, kids, train lovers etc. Some carriages were only able to see from outside but this did not spoil our adventure here. Train rides either 3rd class or 1st class, victorian train with open air carriages, or open carriages with a roof so at least dry when it rained!. Picnic areas, cafe which was lovely and prices very reasonable, good tea as well, better than Costa!!!. Not overly busy which was good. Certainly full of nostalgia and history, the Volunteers have all worked really hard, you can see. Very interactive and full of surprises. Read the map given so as not too miss anything, it's all worth viewing. Easy car parking within a short walk, only £4,50 for 24 hours.

John Gregory

It was an absolutely amazing day at the Steam Gala weekend. So much to see and do and able to have unlimited rides on 2 of the demonstration lines. Had lunch in the canteen, quite expensive but probably some of the funds go towards the museum. Would definitely return plus easy access directly from the main railway station without having to exit.

Mike Day

Had been on my wishlist for years and, now retired, seemed a good time to visit. Ample parking in the multi story (paid in advance by app) and a short enclosed bridge/ walkway direct to the mainline station. Access to the centre is visible the subway below the tracks giving an instant nostalgia to the day out. A fantastic opportunity to ride 2 steam locos and see plenty more on display and undergoing restoration. A must for vintage spotters and steam enthusiasts.

Wei Hoang

Fun and nostalgic to see old trains, travelling on the old steam train to the other side of the museum. Then grabbing a coffee at their cafe before looking around the museum. The RAF bunker was interesting to see too

C

Such a wonderful day out for all ages and luckily we caught good weather. Recommend wearing comfortable shoes as we did not expect it to be as big as was so lots of walking. 100% recommend the cafe too - their pasties and cakes were delicious!

4468

I visited Didcot Rail Centre for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. I visited on a steam day when two table engines were in steam and to my utter delight the Class 08 shunter was also operating on the shorter of the passenger lines. The 08 has been a favourite of mine since childhood!

At first it was a little disorientating, you've spent your life avoiding train lines and it's not 100% clear that you're free to be as close as the concrete path allows you to be. There are steam trains traversing the tracks and points right next to you and it feels like you're breaking rules walking down towards the sheds but you're not.

To me it's impressive just how much they have got on site in terms of locos, rolling stock, railwayana etc.

The signalling centre was interesting and allows you and kids to get hands on with signal levers and associated signal box equipment!

Don't skip over the WW2 bunker near the ladies toilets! I almost missed it but the display there was fascinating. I loved the old radio broadcast they played, giving it a genuine feeling for what it might've been like during those times. Very clever use of lighting to highlight display cases during the automated audio descriptions of the objects being displayed.

So much to see and do and it never felt cramped or over crowded. I can't wait to visit again.

I loved the ease and unrestricted access to the train rides.

The staff or volunteers that I interacted with were friendly and polite, the whole place felt like a good place to be.

Simply put if you are in the area it's well worth a visit, I got there by train arriving at Didcot Parkway and it couldn't be easier to reach.
If you arrive by car then parking will be in the town not at the museum centre and you can access the museum via Didcot train station, just let the people know at the ticket barriers that you are visiting the museum and they'll let you through.

Looking forward to returning some time in the near future. As someone who grew up in what was once LNER territory I left with a new appreciation and love for GWR!!