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It seems that News Years Day is becoming a traditional day to visit a steam preservation railway - this year follows the pattern. Maybe it's because we know there will be few opportunities to see and photograph live steam engines between now and Easter. Well, this year the focus of our steam engine search was in South Oxfordshire where the Didcot Railway Centre occupies the original steam locomotive depot at this important junction on the Great Western Railway (a.k.a. Isambard Kingdom Brunel's "God's Wonderful Railway"). The Centre indeed focuses almost entirely on the old GWR, so don't visit expecting to see anything else! |
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| In a Nutshell:
Date: January, 2007 Weather: Winter sunshine that clouded over. NOTE: This is not a place to visit in wet weather, there is very little covered protection. Route: The walk from the station parking area is quite long and convoluted - you actually pass through and under the modern Didcot Parkway Station where high speed trains blast past at 125 miles per hour! The Centre is well signposted on the nearby road system but, and this is important for foreign visitors, the best way to approach Didcot is by train from London Paddington. Recommended? If you like steam locomotives and railway history, then this is a good day out. If you were raised anywhere near the GWR system, this is a must see! |
| Didcot continues to be an important railway junction. The main London to Bristol and South Wales main line, originally built by Brunel, passes through Didcot while the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton (Old Worse and Worse) connects to the main line from the north. The railway centre sits within the junction, so high speed trains (and a few slower stopping trains) thunder past at regular intervals. Those on the adjacent spur to Oxford travel a lot slower due to the curves. |  |
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The Didcot Railway Centre was conceived early in the resurgence of steam preservation following the infamous Beeching Cuts. As a result, the entire motive power depot has been preserved, compete with unusual remnants of the steam era such as a coal stage and a turntable. The coal stage is a particularly impressive structure. |
| Unlike most steam preservation railways the Didcot Railway Centre doesn't have a significant run of track to offer extended journeys to "somewhere else". However, there is a short "demonstration" run between two halts. This track is adjacent to the Oxford line so it possible to see a modern train next to a steam train with only a fence between them. This photo shows the steam locomotive of the day at the southern terminus of the demonstration line. The train consists of a locomotive and two coaches. Any number of rides are free once the entrance admission is paid. |  |
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The steam engine of the day deserves some space. A "prairie" tank with the 2-6-2T wheel arrangement, Class 51XX number 4144 is a favorite among GWR fans. A powerful locomotive, the class was designed in 1929. Total weight is 78 tons 9 hundredweights. The six driving wheels have a diameter of 5' 8". Two cylinders drive the engine, each having a bore of 18" and a stroke of 30". Maximum operating pressure is 200 psi (a later model, the 61XX Class operated at 225 psi). This arrangement provided a tractive effort at the drawbar of 24,300 lbs.
This photo was taken as the locomotive returned to the shed roads during a "lunch break". |
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GWR Class 51XX number 4144 "on shed" at Didcot - an HDR processed image
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The engine shed is packed with operationing and near operational Great Western locomotives. This example is a Class 14XX 0-4-2T branch line passenger locomotive, number 4866. A very popular class of locomotive, the 14XX series were often used for push-pull auto trains, using special coaches that allowed the driver (engineer) to control the train from a cab. Such auto trains were the forerunners of modern branch line services. |
| Another Great Western steam locomotive "on shed" is the "Manor" Class 78XX 4-6-0 Cookham Manor, number 7808. This was always a favorite class of mine when I lived near Oswestry in the late 1950s, early 1960s. With a light axle load, the Manors were used on lesser lines but were still often required to pull heavy express trains, such as the Cambrian Coast Express from Shrewsbury to West Wales. |  |
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Behind the Engine Shed and Works (where locomotives undergo repairs and restoration) is the Carriage Shed. Here we found a "flying banana" as the early Great Western diesel railcars were nicknamed.
Number 22 was built in 1940 for use on branch lines with limited passenger loads. The single car contained seating for 48 passengers. The color scheme for all GWR passenger stock was "chocolate and cream", so much more refined than the post war "blood and custard" scheme that was imposed on the old GWR system! |
| For the steam locomotive enthusiast, here is a close up, in HDR, of one of the two cylinders on number 4144. |  |
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The engine shed roads also contained a small saddle tank in GWR colors, an industrial engine now numbered 1340 and looking quite splendid - a small person's loco! The main purpose of places like the Didcot Railway Centre is to keep the spirit alive and there is no better way thant through the eyes of the young with their favorite Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive (in the backgound)! |
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Links and FAQs
The following links are recommended for those planning to visit the Didcot Railway Centre. Any special tips?
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