|
|
|
|
|
|
| Didcot Railway Centre Newsletter - January 2020 |
 |
Happy New Year and welcome to the latest newsletter from Didcot Railway Centre.
This month, we invite you to some exciting events and also offer you some great deals if you order your tickets online in advance. We also invite you
to discover the benefits of volunteering for our new Costumed Interpreter role.
Meanwhile, if you would like us to feature a specific topic in these newsletters, please do email us and we will strive to oblige!
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
|
 |
Graham E. Hukins
Marketing & Events Manager
Didcot Railway Centre
|
|
|
| |
| News and Events |
DELIVERING THE GOODS
15 & 16 FEBRUARY 2020
|
 |
Kick starting our 2020 season, we invite you to our Delivering The Goods weekend to enjoy a special demonstration of freight trains and wagon movements that recall those days when goods traffic was more important to the railways than passengers.
Visiting locomotive No. 31 "Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons" is making its first working visit away from Fawley Hill and will provide a rare opportunity for visitors to see wagons being worked up the steep incline to the Centre's coal stage.
The second steam locomotive in action will be GWR "Prairie Tank" No 4144 - a large and powerful tank engine built at the Great Western Railway's famous Swindon Locomotive Works in 1946.
Diesel locomotives D9516 and 08604 will also be running and shunting during the event.
Visitors will also be able to see "William Street Yard" - a working model layout of a goods yard that featured in the grand final of Channel 5's Great Model Railway Challenge.
Click here to book »
|
|
|
DAY OUT WITH THOMAS™
7 & 8 MARCH 2020
|
 |
Join us for the ultimate Thomas & Friends™ experience. Thomas and The Fat Controller
are coming all the way from the Island of Sodor for a special 75th anniversary party.
Take a train ride with Thomas, the number 1 blue engine. Meet The Fat Controller who will be keeping all of the celebrations in order and join Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty & Dusty in a birthday singalong.
Plus lots more to enjoy, including:
- Watch re-enactments of classic Thomas stories with The Fat Controller
- Unlimited train rides behind Thomas
- Entertainment from Rusty and Dusty
- See Toad the brakevan
- Balloon modellers
- Rides behind other steam engines
- Children's activities
- Explore the Engine Shed
- Other Thomas & Friends-themed activities
Book your tickets online BEFORE 31 JANUARY to qualify for the Early Bird discount!
Click here for your Early Bird discount »
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
HALF TERM STEAM DAYS
19, 22 & 23 FEBRUARY 2020
|
|
Come and enjoy our Steam Days at Didcot Railway Centre during February Half-Term. Trains will be running on Wednesday 19 February and over the weekend of 22 & 23 February.
See our collections of engines, carriages and wagons and ride in our 1930s coaches on the Centre's two demonstration lines. Trains will be running on both of them from 10.30am offering unlimited rides.
Children can dress up as a station master or guard in our Welford Park Ticket Office and can watch the trains from the train-themed play park in our picnic area. You will have plenty of opportunity to take photos from vantage points alongside the tracks as well from the running coaches.
New for 2020 - If you book online, you can now save 10% on the ticket prices.
Click here to book »
|
|
|
COSTUMED INTERPRETERS
VOLUNTEERS WANTED!
|
 |
Join our volunteer team and become one of our Costumed Interpreters and help bring the golden age of the Great Western Railway alive!
As part of our 2020 calendar of open days and special events, we would like as many people as possible to be dressed in period style clothing and tell the story of the railways. You could come dressed as an engine driver, signalman or passenger. With our Victorian broad gauge track, 1932 engine shed and station platforms, there are plenty of opportunities to bring history alive.
Not only will you make lots of new friends but volunteering in such a role can help with your CV.
There will be a meeting at the Centre on Saturday 1 February at 11:00am if you would like to find out more and get involved.
For more information please contact Thomas Macey at info@didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk or phone 01235 817200.
|
|
|
|
|
| Five Star TripAdvisor Reviews |
We are very proud to receive so many complementary and helpful reviews from our visitors and to have been awarded entry into the TripAdvisor Centre Of Excellence Hall Of Fame. Here are a few more five star reviews that were posted recently:
Used to go there a lot when my grandson was small as he was always interested in trains Thomas the tank his favourite.
Reviewed 2 weeks ago by maggie702018.
"We visited didcot railway centre a lot,as a small boy my grandson was really into trains,he loved to talk to all the people who ran it and they all being enthusiastic themselves always made time time to answer his questions.
He liked the signal box and all the leavers they had to pull.
We spent many hours just looking and wandering about in the summer.
A great place to take children."
Christmas Thomas Day
Reviewed 4 weeks ago by ReadingReviewer2014 from Reading.
"Absolutely fantastic day, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the 3 year old, parents and grandparents. Santa was lovely, the toy was perfect, unlimited Thomas rides were a dream come true. The signal box exhibition was also really fun. Spent 3 hours there and the 3 year old thought it was fantastic."
Thank you all for your lovely and useful feedback and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
|
|
|
|
| About Didcot Railway Centre |
Explore this 21-acre living museum and unearth almost two centuries of railway history. Stroll through the original 1932 engine shed and see magnificent preserved locomotives - you can even climb onto the footplates of some! See surviving track from Brunel's broad gauge, discover painstakingly restored buildings, coaches and wagons and learn more about the development of the railways and how they changed everyday lives.
There's a chance to get hands-on in the Science of Railways carriages and in the signalling centre where you can find out how trains have been controlled through the ages. Descend into a shelter built to keep Didcot's enginemen safe in WWII and experience an air raid or immerse yourself in the varied collection of fascinating, smaller artefacts in the museum.
Children can let off steam in the outdoor play area, make tracks to the indoor toy train sets or dress up as a Station Master. You can relax over lunch or enjoy a snack in the refreshment rooms and don't forget to pick up a souvenir in the gift shop. The modern trains running past the centre complete the picture and mean you can experience 180 years of railway progress in just one day!
Winter Opening Times: We are open from 10.30am - 4.00pm every weekend and also during the February Half Term.
Please see website for further details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
