Didcot Railway Centre

Didcot Railway Centre

General view, including engine sheds, of part of the site
Established	1967
Location	Didcot, Oxfordshire, England
Coordinates	51.613509°N 1.244772°W / 51.613509; -1.244772
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
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

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.

Background

The founders and commercial backers of the GWR supported Isambard Kingdom Brunel's schema 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.

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. 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 m × 20 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 (26 m × 13 m)), coaling stage (43 by 36 feet (13 m × 11 m)), sand furnace (10 by 10 feet (3.0 m × 3.0 m)) and 65 feet (20 m) turntable plus associated offices (210 by 15 feet (64.0 m × 4.6 m)). During World War II, a standard steel-framed with corrugated tin-panel covered ash shelter was erected.

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.

Closure

With the replacement of steam with diesel traction under the Beeching Axe, the shed was closed in June 1965.

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 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. 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).

Running lines

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 towards the transshipment shed. Dating from broad gauge days, it 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 nearby original site.
• 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 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 at the other. 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 railway 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

Locomotives

Sortable table

Class	Number (&Name)	Image	Status	Notes
GWR 7800 Class	7808 Cookham Manor		Static Display	Built 1938
GWR 7200 Class	7202		Under Restoration	Built 1934
GWR 6959 Class	6998 Burton Agnes Hall		Static Display	Built 1949
GWR 6100 Class	6106		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 even originaly purchased as a spares donor for sister engine 6024 King Edward I. Boiler ticket expires in 2020
GWR 5700 Class	3738		Static Display	Built 1937. Out of service August 2013 due to boiler crack
GWR 5700 Class	3650		Static Display.	Built 1939. Boiler ticket expires 2018. Currently out of traffic due to tyre wear.
GWR 5600 Class	6697		Static Display	Built 1928
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 5101 Class	4144		Under repairs	Built 1946. Boiler ticket expires 2025. A problem was found within its frames and is currently being looked at.
GWR 4900 Class	5900 Hinderton Hall		Static Display	Built 1931
GWR 4575 Class	5572		Static Display	Built 1929
GWR 4300 Class	5322		Static Display	Built 1917. Withdrawn in 2014 due to boiler problems, though its boiler ticket expires in 2018.
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 4073 Class	5051 Earl Bathurst		Static Display	Built 1936. Currently wearing its former name, Drysllwyn Castle.
GWR 2900 Class	2999 Lady of Legend		Under Construction	Originally built 1929. Using components from No. 4942 Maindy Hall.
GWR 2884 Class	3822		Static Display	Built 1940. Appeared in the Queen music video Breakthru.
GWR 1400 Class	1466		Static Display	Built 1936. This was the first locomotive bought by the society, and is in the queue for a major overhaul.
GWR 1361 Class	1363		Under Overhaul	Built 1910
GWR 1340 Class	1340 Trojan		Static Display	Built 1897. Ex-Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway. Painted in GWR green livery
GWR 1000 Class	1014 County of Glamorgan		Under Construction	Built 1946
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.
GWR Firefly Class	Firefly		Static Display	Built 2005. Replica of early Broad Gauge 2-2-2
GWR Railcar	No.22		Operational	Built 1940
GWR 18000	18000		Static Display	Arrived 29 July 2011. Owned by Pete Waterman
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.
Hunslet 0-6-0ST	No. 2409 King George		Under Overhaul	Built 1942. Currently being restored and rebuilt into a Thomas the Tank Engine lookalike.
Kitson & Co. 0-4-0ST	No.1338		Static Display	Built 1898. Ex-Cardiff Railway
RS&H 0-4-0T	No.1 Bonnie Prince Charlie		Static Display	Awaiting overhaul. Painted in lined light green livery.
British Rail Class 14	D9516		Operational	Built 1964. Bought from the Wensleydale Railway in 2014.
British Rail Class 08	08604 Phantom		Operational	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

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.

External links

• Official website
• Listed building information:
  • Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England.
  • Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England.
  • Historic England. "Details from listed building database ({{{num}}})". National Heritage List for England.
• Map sources for Didcot Railway Centre