Back page: God's wonderful railway

This museum celebrates the great days of steam travel

Royal blue: King Edward II ran on the mainline earlier this year

Tucked down the side of the east-bound platform at Didcot Parkway railway station in Oxfordshire is the museum of the Great Western Railway. It spans five generations – from 1835 when the railway was incorporated by an Act of Parliament until 1947 when it was nationalised. 

Given such a lengthy period to cover, there’s no shortage of things to see, from restored locomotives and carriages through to associated paraphernalia such as station signs.

At the heart of the Didcot Railway Centre are the GWR workshops and engine sheds, where an array of locomotives and carriages are slowly being brought back to life. Centre-stage is Hinderton Hall, a GWR 4900 Class 5900 locomotive, built in Swindon in 1931. 

This handsome beast, resplendent in dark green livery, spent much of its life in the West Country, with several boiler upgrades ensuring that it stayed in service until 1963. It was then sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales, before being rescued by a member of the Great Western Society and brought to Didcot in 1971. Fully restored by 1976, Hinderton Hall has seen plenty of service since, and can often be seen running on the main line.

Another fine locomotive is GWR 6000 Class 6023 King Edward II, which emerged from Swindon works in 1930. This royal blue loco has been rebuilt by the Great Western Society in a big project that has taken more than 20 years to complete. The restored machine moved under its own power for the first time in 2011 and ran on the mainline earlier this year. 

What’s nice about the Didcot Railway Centre is that visitors are free to inspect the locomotives from close quarters – there are no ropes preventing access to the magnificent machines that are on display.

The centre is on a 22-acre site, so there is plenty of space for other attractions. For starters, there is a short branch line, laid in the 1970s, that runs down the western side of the museum, from Didcot Halt, near the railway turntable in the centre of the site, to the transfer shed at the north end. On running days, visitors are usually able to ride on a train hauled by one of the centre’s smaller steam locomotives.

The museum does a good job of providing valuable insights on the day-to-day operation of the Great Western Railway, being crammed full of posters and polished brass nameplates. There’s also a display of trackside equipment, ranging from hefty tools through to old sleepers and milepost markers.

If you look carefully, evidence of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s flirtation with atmospheric traction on the South Devon Railway can also be found. The system consisted of stationary pumping engines creating a partial vacuum in slotted cast-iron pipes laid between the rails. The pipe was sealed by airtight valves at each end and a metal strip hinged by leather along the length of the slot. 

The partial vacuum allowed a piston attached to a carriage to be propelled by the greater pressure of the atmosphere behind. This system was intended to be capable of operating trains on much steeper gradients and sharper curves than locomotives could manage.

Atmospheric operation worked between Exeter and Newton Abbot in Devon, but was discontinued after seven months. The cast pipes on show at Didcot were discovered by enthusiasts after having been used for drainage for years.

All in all, Didcot Railway Centre provides an idyllic day out. In addition to the displays, the centre boasts some nicely kept grounds, with plenty of space for family picnics. It’s well worth a visit.

Lee Hibbert

» For more details, see: www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk


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