Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot

Visited on 05.11.16. This place not worth your money and especially your time. The Engine shed and museum were closed, but staff informed us about this after payment was done. The exhibits have not so much information or sometimes without it at all. Carriage display - this is just workshop where they repair old carriages, but not real display (No one coach finished, no one open for visit inside, no any information about them). So, it looks like you paid just for a walk in industrial site full of rubbish in disorder and lack of organisation. Cafe looks unattractive. The interactive stuff at Science learning coach mainly out of order... We were extremely disappointed. Just one star because this is minimum possible in this system. This place deserve ZERO.

I could spend hours here..... The broad gauge track and locomotives are fascinating. One can freely wander around the locomotives in the main shed. On running days, there are unlimited train rides available. The volunteers there are friendly and willing to tell you about things. Decent cafe with sensibly priced food.

This is the best places to go to. To learn about the great western railway. The food top class. I would like to see a model railway layout showing all different types of loco on the GWR.

First visit to Didcot Railway Centre in about 15 years, and I was not disappointed. It was wonderful to see the mighty King Edward II in steam! It was fantastic to get in amongst all of the engines and carriages, sidings and workshops. Lots to explore! The transfer shed was especially captivating. The food was good, although quite expensive. The shop was okay, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a range of products. Entry price was fair, especially when you consider just how much it must cost to run a heavy express steam locomotive for a long day. I'll definitely be visiting again!

I visited on a non steam day. Entrance to the site is through Didcot station and the entrance door is just near the stairs to platform 4 and 5. There are steps up from the station but the rest is flat and accessible for prams and buggies. The museum had many interesting exhibits, but there isn't any time line, or an explanation of how GWR came into being and how it developed, which would help casual visitors. Likewise the carriage sheds and loco sheds have minimal information on most exhibits although some locos do have a full written history. The café/restaurant is of a very good standard with a lot of tasty home made food available particularly on In Steam Days. Prices are fairly reasonable for what you get. On busy days table sharing is likely as there are 8 seats per table. The facilities were all clean and in good condition. There's also a couple of carriages that have been converted into an interactive suite for children, to do with science. Overall an enjoyable visit.