Didcot Railway Centre

24/05/2026

Dropping the fire of No 32424 ‘Beachy Head’ at the end of a Timeline Events photo charter on Saturday evening. ‘Beachy Head’ is visiting Didcot from the Bluebell Railway and will be performing again during our Heritage in Motion bank holiday weekend tomorrow, Monday 25 May.

24/05/2026

On this day in history – 24 May 1969, a remarkable event happened. We were in the depths of the notorious steam ban. British Rail had announced in August 1968 that steam locomotives would never again run on their lines, when we learned that an ex-GWR pannier tank locomotive was going to run through Paddington station, no less! All right, it was a pannier tank owned by London Transport and it was going to run through platform 15 which was now used by Metropolitan Line trains and no longer linked to the British Rail tracks in Paddington’s suburban station. Neverthess it was worth turning up at 1.20 in the morning to get a photograph of what we asked at the time was the first FIRST steam train at Paddington since the last LAST one had departed nearly four years previously. We were proved correct in that one.

The locomotive L.95 was previously GWR No 5764. The reason for its unusual nocturnal visit was that it was hauling the 12.30am workman’s train from Lillie Bridge, which worked along the Metropolitan Line towards Hammersmith for track maintenance. The train was usually hauled by a battery electric locomotive and our friends on London Transport made sure we were tipped off about the substitution. The locomotive L.95/5764 is now preserved on the Severn Valley Railway.

22/05/2026

90 years ago today, on 22 May 1936, the Cheltenham Flyer was hauled by Castle class No 5043 ‘Barbury Castle’. This photograph shows the train passing over the water troughs at Goring, with a new headboard. We hope the photographer jumped out of the way before they were soaked by spray from the water scoop filling the tender tank.

The caption on the back of this press release photograph by Fox Photos states: “A name board has been fixed to the front of the Cheltenham Flyer crack express of the Great Western Railway. The name board in cream and chocolate colours causes great interest as the giant locomotive speeds along the iron road.”

The Cheltenham Flyer made its afternoon dash over the 77.3 miles from Swindon to Paddington in about an hour.

No 5043 was built in March 1936. In September 1937 the locomotive was renamed ‘Earl of Mount Edgcumbe’ and still carries this name, having been preserved and restored by Tyseley Locomotive Works. The name ‘Barbury Castle’ was later given to Castle No 5095, built in June 1939.

22/05/2026

Join us on 29 May (Friday of May half-term) for free biscuits and unlimited train rides for National Biscuit Day! Find out about the surprisingly connected history of biscuits and our railways on our Biscuit Trail, made in partner with our friends at Huntley and Palmers.

Click the link below to book your ticket:
https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/product.php/1409/national-biscuit-day

21/05/2026

This weekend in history – Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May 1892, the final abolition of the broad gauge took place in the West of England. At that time mixed gauge was already available between Paddington and Exeter, in the Plymouth area, between Truro and Penzance and on certain branch lines. There were also a few new branches which had been built as standard gauge.

This photograph is a reminder of how broad gauge train appeared on its 7ft 0¼in track, in this case running through Dawlish.

The route mileage which had to be converted over the weekend of 21 and 22 May 1892 was 171, of which 42 miles were double track. The men who had been drafted in to do the work stayed in waiting rooms, goods sheds and tents. They were fed with a mixture of oatmeal, water and sugar. No alcohol was provided or allowed.

Each of the 4,200 platelayers involved was presented with a two-ounce pouch of to***co by GWR director Sir William Henry Wills. The Wills to***co company influenced the GWR to name Dean Single No 3030 ‘Westward Ho’ after its popular brand of to***co. 3030 built as a 2-2-2 in 1891 was rebuilt as a 4-2-2 in 1894.

At the end of the broad gauge era there were 111 GWR locomotives and 21 South Devon Railway locomotives which were capable of conversion to standard gauge. The GWR had 426 broad gauge coaches which were capable of being converted, and 129 which were not. The cost of the change to standard gauge was in the region of £800,000 (around £108 million at today’s values).

20/05/2026

90 years ago today, on 20 May 1936, King class 4-6-0 No 6029, formerly ‘King Stephen’, was renamed ‘King Edward VIII’ in honour of the new monarch. These photographs show No 6029 carrying the original name, and the fitting and final polish of the new nameplate 90 years ago before the locomotive re-entered traffic at Old Oak Common.

King Edward VIII had succeeded to the throne following the death of his father, King George V, in January 1936. The King abdicated on 11 December 1936 in the midst of a constitutional crisis caused by his wish to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. He was succeeded by his younger brother who became King George VI. No 6029 carried the ‘King Edward VIII’ nameplates until withdrawn in July 1962, and No 6028 in turn took the name ‘King George VI’.

20/05/2026

Not got your bank holiday plans sorted yet? Didcot Railway Centre's heritage in Motion event gives you unlimited steam train rides on a variety of historic locomotives, access to areas that are normally closed off to the public, and the chance to see our turntable in motion!

Book your ticket now via our website!

19/05/2026

Our Tuesday Treasure this week from the Great Western Trust collection is a paltry poultry leaflet, dated 1897, which might be described as a Frankenstein production as it is an amalgam of four identical leaflets recovered from Hereford station in the 1960s, all in a state of decomposition. To read the full blog please click on the link: bit.ly/DRC-Treasure and scroll down to Tuesday 19 May.

The poultry markets of the four towns mentioned here must have been working flat out to supply vast amounts of meat and other perishable foods to the country’s second city. One of the railway’s great contributions to humanity was to bring fresh food into large conurbations. Diet improved, and the Great Western Trust collection has many such items to illustrate the effect of the railways on the health and longevity of the population.

For good measure our blog also includes two photographs of Leominster station from the Great Western Trust collection, featuring the remarkable signal box perched on a narrow assembly of steel columns and brackets, accessed by a long wooden staircase.

18/05/2026

17/05/2026

This month in history, May 1922, Star class 4-6-0 No 4062 ‘Malmesbury Abbey’ was outshopped new from Swindon Works. She was one of the final batch of 12 Star class locomotives built in 1922 and 1923, and all named after abbeys on the Great Western system.

This photograph, from Mike Peart’s collection, was taken outside Paddington station in the mid 1920s. No 4062 was withdrawn in November 1956.

16/05/2026

One week to go until our Heritage in Motion event! Take unlimited train rides behind several of our locomotives, and our special guest locomotive 'Beachy Head' - kindly visiting us from . You can also see parts of our museum usually not open to the public, including our lifting shop where historic locomotives are restored, and see us using our turntable and traverser to move train around the site.

Visit our website to book your ticket now!