Didcot Railway Centre

Didcot Railway Centre is a former Great Western Railway engine-shed and locomotive stabling point located in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England, which today has been converted into a railway museum and preservation engineering site.

Didcot Railway Centre

Locomotives 6023, 5322 and 6998 in front of the engine shed
Location in Oxfordshire
Established	1967
Location	Didcot, Oxfordshire, England
Coordinates	51°36′49″N 1°14′41″W
Type	Operational Railway museum
Key holdings	GWR 6000 Class No.6023 King Edward II GWR 4073 Class No.4079 Pendennis Castle GWR Firefly Class Firefly
Owner	Great Western Society (site leased from Network Rail)
Public transit access	Didcot Parkway station
Website	Didcot Railway Centre

Reconstructed mixed-gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge / 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) track

Background

The founders and commercial backers of the GWR supported Isambard Kingdom Brunel's scheme to develop an integrated railway and steam-ship service which allowed trans-Atlantic passengers and freight quicker passage to and from London to 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 branchline traffic to increase its domestic earnings. This earned the railway the nickname The Great Way Round from its detractors.[1]

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. Secondly 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 (see Bruce Tunnel). 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 need for the branch northwards to Cheltenham via Stroud, Swindon was the next logical choice for the junction (and later railway works), 20 miles (32 km) north of the original route. This dictated that the Oxford junction also be moved northwards, and hence via Didcot.[1] The Great Western Railway built the first rail line through Didcot in 1839 and opened its first station in 1844.

Construction

Didcot Railway Centre, Oct 2001

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 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge shed on the original site during the railways development west in the 1800s, in June 1932 a new steel-framed half-brick 4-road through shed (210 by 67 feet [64.01 m × 20.42 m]), was completed by the GWR under the Loans and Guarantees Act (1929). With shed code DID, it also included a repair shop (84 by 42 feet [25.6 m × 12.8 m]), coaling stage (43 by 36 feet [13.11 m × 10.97 m]), sand furnace (10 by 10 feet [3.05 m × 3.05 m]) and 65 feet (19.81 m) turntable plus associated offices (210 by 15 feet [64.01 m × 4.57 m]).[1] During World War II, a standard steel-framed with corrugated iron-panel covered ash shelter was erected.[1]

Operations

After World War II, the site remained virtually unchanged during the nationalised ownership of British Railways (BR), 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.[1]

Closure

With the replacement of steam with diesel traction under the Modernisation Plan, the shed became redundant and was closed in June 1965.[1]

Formation and site lease

The Great Western Society (GWS) 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 (NR).

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 (ORR) 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.[2] As of 6 October 2011 Richard Croucher (Chairman of the Great Western Society) signed a new 50-year lease with Network Rail, therefore preserving the site for at least another 50 years.

Museum and railway centre

Travelling Post Office

A reconstruction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's atmospheric railway, using a segment of the original piping at Didcot Railway Centre

Railways around Didcot
Great Western main line to Paddington Moreton Junction Main to relief line crossovers Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway Didcot East Junction Didcot Parkway Didcot Railway Centre Didcot West Junction Cherwell Valley line to Oxford Didcot North Junction Foxhall Junction Didcot Power Station Milton Park Great Western main line to Swindon

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 70 feet (21 m) turntable and pit, originally built for the Southern Railway and installed at Southampton Docks.

The centre regularly holds events such as steam and diesel railcar days. Members of the Great Western Society are active in the preservation of locomotives and rolling stock. Certain 'new-build' projects to create locomotives that did not escape wholesale scrapping are also undertaken at Didcot, such as the completed Firefly locomotive, a 'Saint' class (using a 'Hall' class chassis and boiler) and a 'County' class locomotive (using a 'Hall' class chassis and an LMS '8F' class boiler).

The Railway Centre is used a period film set and has featured in works including Anna Karenina, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Elephant Man.[3]

Running lines

The former broad-gauge transfer shed is now used as a station building on the branch line

The broad-gauge transfer shed in its original location, with the provender store behind

There are three short lengths of running track, each with a station at both ends:

• Branchline: 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" (i.e. 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in or 1,435 mm standard gauge) 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 7 ft ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) starts from the transshipment shed, and runs halfway back down the branchline. The 2005 replica GWR Firefly is housed within the shed when not running
• Mainline: starts from the Main Line Platform opposite the site entrance, using a pre-fabricated concrete station platform from Eynsham, and runs on the eastern-edge of the site to a newly built platform, named Oxford Road Station, near the transshipment shed. Long-term plans include the reconstruction of the Brunel-designed building from Heyford station on this platform.

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 is practically nonexistent; they have to be carried up a flight of concrete steps. Although this contravenes the Disability Discrimination Act, the Great Western Society is unable to improve it since the site is owned by Network Rail.

Collection

Steam Locomotives

Steam Locomotives

Class	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
RS&H 0-4-0T	No.1 Bonnie Prince Charlie		Static Display	Awaiting overhaul. Painted in lined light green livery.[4]
George England 0-4-0WT	No.5		Static Display	Built 1857, latterly owned by the Wantage Tramway. After inspection, too much original metalwork would need to be replaced to be brought back into working order and so the locomotive remains on display.[5]
GWR Steam Railmotor	No.93		Operational	Built 1908. Restoration completed in 2012. Often runs with trailer carriage No. 92. Boiler ticket expires 2021
GWR 1000 Class	1014 County of Glamorgan		Under Construction	1946 design
Kitson & Co. 0-4-0ST	No.1338		Static Display	Built 1898. Ex-Cardiff Railway[6]
GWR 1340 Class	1340 Trojan		Under Overhaul	Built 1897. Ex-Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway. Painted in GWR green livery. Undergoing overhaul off site[7]
GWR 1361 Class	1363		Under Overhaul	Built 1910. Undergoing a major overhaul with significant work being undertaken on both the boiler and frames.
GWR 1400 Class	1466		Under Overhaul[8]	Built 1936. This was the first locomotive bought by the society. This locomotive is now under overhaul at the Dean Forest Railway and is expected back in service in 2021.[9]
Hunslet 0-6-0ST	No. 2409 King George		Under Overhaul	Built 1942. Currently being restored and rebuilt into a Thomas the Tank Engine lookalike.
GWR 2900 Class	2999 Lady of Legend		Operational	Originally built 1929 (Completed 2019). Using components from No. 4942 Maindy Hall. Will run as a 4-6-0 most of its boiler ticket when complete, but will run as a 4-4-2 for periods of time.[10]2999 was launched into traffic on the weekend of 5–7 April 2019.[11] Boiler ticket expires 2029.
GWR 5700 Class	3650		Under Overhaul	Built 1939. Undergoing a ten-yearly overhaul which began in 2018.
GWR 5700 Class	3738		Static Display	Built 1937. Out of service from August 2013 due to boiler crack.
GWR 2884 Class	3822		Static Display	Built 1940. Appeared in the Queen music video Breakthru. Withdrawn from service in 2010.
GWR 4073 Class	4079 Pendennis Castle		Under Overhaul	Built 1924. This locomotive was repatriated from Australia in 2000 after spending 22 years in the country.
GWR 5101 Class	4144		Operational	Built 1946. Boiler ticket expires 2025. On loan to the Kent and East Sussex Railway for the 2020 season.
GWR 4073 Class	5051 Earl Bathurst		Static Display	Built 1936. Currently wearing its former name, Drysllwyn Castle.
GWR 5205 Class	5227		Static Display	Built 1924. One of the Barry Ten, it was purchased in 2010 to provide parts for the construction of the new-build GWR 4700 Class No. 4709. After donating its axleboxes and fourth axle to the project, it moved to Didcot in 2013 following storage at a private site. Currently on display in ex-scrapyard condition as a reminder of the challenge that preservationists had to conquer. The boiler is to be used for the GWR 3800 Class new-build project.
GWR 4300 Class	5322		Static Display[12]	Built 1917. Withdrawn in 2014 due to boiler problems.
GWR 4575 Class	5572		Static Display	Built 1929
GWR 4900 Class	5900 Hinderton Hall		Static Display	Built 1931
GWR 6000 Class	6023 King Edward II		Operational	Built 1930. Returned to steam in 2010 after completion of a lengthy restoration from scrapyard condition, was originally purchased as a spares donor for sister engine 6024 King Edward I. Boiler ticket expires in 2020
GWR 6100 Class	6106		Static Display	Built 1931
GWR 5600 Class	6697		Static Display	Built 1928
GWR 6959 Class	6998 Burton Agnes Hall		Static Display	Built 1949
GWR 7200 Class	7202		Under Restoration	Built 1934
GWR 7800 Class	7808 Cookham Manor		Static Display	Built 1938
GWR Firefly Class	Firefly		Static Display	Built 2005. Replica of early Broad Gauge 2-2-2[13]
GWR Iron Duke Class	Iron Duke		Static Display	Built 1985. Replica of early Broad Gauge 4-2-2. On loan from the National Railway Museum.
Breakdown Crane	RS1054		Under restoration	Built 1930. Ex LMS Cowan Sheldon 50 ton steam crane

Diesel Locomotives

Diesel Locomotives

Class	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
GWR Railcar	No.22		Operational	Built 1940
Hunslet	DL 26		Operational[14]	Built by Hunslet of Leeds in 1957 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. DL26's residence at Didcot for forty years was recently celebrated.
British Rail Class 08	08604 Phantom		Operational[15]	Built Derby Works as D3771, allocated to: Longsight (9A) June 1959; Stockport Edgely (9B) July 1959; Longsight (9A) April 1965, unofficially named Ardwick; renumbered 08604 February 1974; stored Swindon Works 1981; Tyseley TMD February 1984, unofficially renamed Javelin, officially then named Phantom; Bescott November 1988; Derby Etches Park November 1992; withdrawn in July 1993. Sold to GWS and moved to DRC September 1994
British Rail Class 14	D9516		Operational	Built 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.
GWR 18000	18000		Static Display	Arrived 29 July 2011. Owned by Pete Waterman[16]

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.

Carriages

Type	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
Churchward Auto Trailer	No. 92		Restored to run with Steam Railmotor 93.	Built at Swindon, 1912.
Collett Auto Trailer	No. 190		Operational, although was in workshop on 7 April.	Built at Swindon, 1933.
Hawksworth Auto Trailer	No. 231		Operational, although was in workshop on 7 April.	Built at Swindon, 1951
Bristol & Exeter Railway Broad Gauge Coach	No. 250		Enough of body remains to reconstruct a small compartment.	Built between 1852 & 1892
Dean 4w 1st 2nd Composite	No.290		Restoration began in Summer of 2011.	Built at Swindon, 1902
Dean 4w Brake Third	No. 416			built at Swindon, 1891
Collett Third	No. 536		Operational	Built at Swindon, 1940
Dean 4-Wheel Third	No. 975		Restored	Built at Swindon, 1902. Restoration complete. Restored to recreate a Victorian train.
Collett Third	No. 1111		No plans to currently restore.	Built at Swindon, 1938.
Collett 'Excursion' Third	No. 1289			built at Swindon,1937
Dean 8 Compartment Third Clerestory	No. 1357		Awaiting major restoration in carriage shed.	Built at Swindon, 1903.
Dean Third	No. 1941		Operational.	Built at Swindon, 1901.
Hawksworth Brake Third	No. 2202		Operational.	Built at Swindon, 1950
Hawksworth Brake Third	No. 2232		This vehicle is initially being restored as a locker room for staff.	Built at Swindon, 1950
Dean 6-wheel Family Saloon	No. 2511		Operational. Was rescued and preserved from a house and placed on the underframe of a GWR 6-wheel van.	Built at Swindon, 1894
Churchward “Dreadnought” 9 Compartment Third	No. 3299		One of the first coaches acquired by the Great Western Society. Now requires a major restoration.	Built at Swindon, 1905.
Churchward Non-Corridor Brake Third	No. 3755		Operational, comes out of the shed occasionally. Now in GWR livery.	Built at Swindon, 1921.
Churchward Non-Corridor Brake Third	No. 3756		Under restoration.	Built at Swindon, 1921.
Churchward Toplight Corridor Third	No. 3963		There are no current restoration plans.	Built at Swindon, 1919.
Collett Third - Bow Ended	No. 4553		No plans to currently restore.	Built at Swindon, 1925.
Collett 8 Compartment Bow-Ended Third	No. 5085			Built at Swindon, 1928.
Collett Brake Third	No. 5787		No plans to currently restore.	Built at Swindon, 1933.
Collett All Third	No. 5952		No plans to currently restore. Restoration may commence once 7371 has been completed.	Built at Swindon, 1935.
Dean 6-Wheel Tricomposite	No. 6824		Stored on an LMS 6w underframe.	Built in 1887. Was a convertible coach, originally built for the Broad Gauge.
Collett Composite	No. 7285			Built at Swindon, 1941.
Collett Composite	No. 7313		Restored.	Built at Swindon, 1940.
Collett Brake Composite	No. 7371		Under restoration.	Built at Swindon, 1941.
Hawksworth Brake Composite	No. 7372		Operational	Built at Swindon, 1948.
Collett Brake Composite	No. 7976			Built at Swindon, 1923.
Collett Special Saloon	No. 9002		Operational.	Built at Swindon, 1940. Used by Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower and the Royal Family during WWII.
Hawksworth First Class Sleeping Car	No. 9083		Operational	Built at Swindon, 1951.
Collett Super Saloon	No. 9112 "Queen Mary"		No current plans to restore to service	Built at Swindon, 1932.
Collett Super Saloon	No. 9113 "Prince of Wales"		Under Restoration	Built at Swindon, 1932.
Collett Super Saloon	No. 9118 “Princess Elizabeth”			Built at Swindon, 1932.
Dean Composite Diner	No. 9520		No plans to currently restore.	Built at Swindon, 1903.
Collett 'Centenary Diner'	No. 9635			Built at Swindon, 1935.

Two Broad Gauge replica carriages were also made by the GWS:

Broad Gauge replica carriages

Type	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
Six-Wheeled, Second Class, Broad Gauge Covered Carriage	BG1		On display	Built in 1984
Six-Wheeled, Third Class, Broad Gauge Open Carriage	BG2		On display

Non-Passenger-Carrying Coaching Stock

Type	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
Tool Van	No. 1		Stored amongst the other vehicles beside Swindon's loco shed.	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		Stored amongst the other vehicles beside Swindon's loco shed.	Built in 1908 at Swindon.
Collett Full Brake	No. 111		No current plans to restore.	Built at Swindon, 1934.
Hawksworth Passenger Brake Van	No. 316			Built at Swindon, 1950
Hawksworth Passenger Brake Van	No. 333			Built at Swindon, 1951. Acquired from the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. Now a sales vehicle.
Churchward 'Monster' Carriage Truck	No. 484			Built at Swindon, 1913.
Churchward 'Python'	No. 565		Currently 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		Restoration was almost complete as of 2011. Now operational by 6 April 2019 in GWR livery.	Built at Swindon, 1898
Medical Officers' Coach	No. 1159		Originally a Churchward Passenger Brake Van - Toplight	Built at Swindon, 1925.
Collett Full Brake	No. 1184		Being restored and modified to run with GWR TPO 814. Last bow-ended full brake.	Built at Swindon, 1930.
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. Ex-Southern Railway. Recently painted in the Co-op's green livery with the lettering "MILK C.W.S SERVICE".
Special Cattle Van	No. 752			Built in 1952 at Ashford. Diagram W17.
'Bloater' Fish Van	No. 2671			Built in 1925, Swindon.
'Fruit C' Van	No. 2862			Built in 1939 at Swindon.
'Fruit D' Van	No. 2913			Built in 1941 at Swindon.
'Fruit' Van	No. 47886		Operational with Dean brake system.	Built in 1892 at Swindon.

Wagons

Type	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
Tar Wagon	No. 1		Often used in demonstration goods trains on open days.	Built in 1898
6w Drinking Water Tank	No. 101			Built in 1948.
Department Mess Van	No. 263		Stored amongst unrestored stock	Built in 1905. Rebuilt by BR from a GWR 25t brake van No. 56867.
Oil Tank Wagon	No. 745		Painted in light buff with a red band with WD branding.	Built in 1912 by Hurst Nelson.
'Rotank' Flat Wagon	No. 3030			Built in 1947 at Swindon.
Goods Van	No. 4166		Unrestored, used for storage.	Ex-LMS. Purchased from MoD Bicester for storage by the locomotive department. Stored beside locomotive workshop at the end of line of unrestored stock.
Goods Van	No. 4167		Unrestored, used for storage.	Ex-LMS. Purchased from MoD Bicester 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, not operating.	Built in 1900 at Swindon.
"Toad" Brake Van	No. 17447			Built in 1940 at Swindon.
4 wheel 5-plank open wagon	No. 18553		Operational	Built in 1927 by Sheffield C&W.
'Mite' Single Bolsters	Nos. 32337 & 32338		Non-operational	Built in 1881 at Swindon.
'Coral A'	No. 41723		Awaiting restoration.	Built in 1908 at Swindon.
'Pollen E'	Nos 84997-85000		Restored, on Loan from NRM	Built in 1909 at Swindon
'Crocodile F' bogie well trolley	No. 41934		Few left. Stored outside.	Built in 1908 at Swindon as Crocodile G, modified 1909 as Crocodile F, Diagram C12.
'Hydra D' machinery wagon	No. 42193		Few left in existence. Stored out in the open.	Built in 1913 at Swindon.
Grain Wagon	No. 42239			Built in 1927 at Swindon.
'Loriot L' machinery wagon	No. 42271			Built in 1934 at Swindon.
Oil Tank Wagon	No. 43949			Built in 1901 at Swindon.
16ton 'Toad' brake van	No. 56400		Unrestored	Built in 1900 at Swindon. Originally 14-ton but later 16-ton. Stored amongst other unrestored stock, inside verandah is covered by inside tarp for protection.

References

1. E.T. Lyons. An Historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds: 1837–1947. Oxford Publishing. ISBN 086093019X.
2. "Latest news – Didcot Railway Centre". Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
3. "Didcot is 'most normal town in England', researchers claim". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
4. No. 1 – Bonnie Prince Charlie. Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk (2007-12-25). Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
5. No.5 – Shannon/Jane. Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk (2010-07-11). Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
6. 1338 – 0-4-0ST. Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk (2010-11-01). Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
7. 1340 – Trojan. Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk (2007-10-07). Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
8. "1466/4866". Didcot Railway Centre. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
9. "News Archive - 2013". Didcot Railway Centre. Didcot. 1466 'Now available in Black'. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
10. http://www.thesaintproject.co.uk/Pages/AtlanticOption.html
11. https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/product.php?xProd=24
12. "5322". Didcot Railway Centre. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
13. Fire Fly – 2-2-2. Didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk (2010-11-27). Retrieved on 2011-03-02.
14. "DL 26". Didcot Railway Centre. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
15. "08 604 "Phantom"". Didcot Railway Centre. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
16. "News | Latest News". Didcot Railway Centre. Retrieved 7 August 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Listed building information:
  • Historic England. "Coaling Stage, Grade II (1389009)". National Heritage List for England.
  • Historic England. "Engine Shed, Grade II (1385232)". National Heritage List for England.
  • Historic England. "Transfer Shed, Grade II (1368768)". National Heritage List for England.

• Map sources for Didcot Railway Centre