If you have got a train-obsessed toddler, this place is a MUST visit! At Didcot Railway Centre, I seriously felt like I’d been transported back in time – in a good way! Steam trains galore, old tracks, stations, platforms, vintage adverts and so much space! It was amazing! And what was nice was that it was full of little boys just like Tyler who just love trains, and of course the more older and established train enthusiasts 😉
It’s just half-an-hour on the fast train from Slough, and cost us a tenner each using our TwoTogether Railcard. The centre is accessed through Didcot Train Station. It’s very quiet at the entrance, like eerily quiet – but it is the right place! There was a little hut to pay. As it was a Steam Day, admission was £10 per adult, but we used our Tesco Clubcard Vouchers to pay, and children under 3 are free. Steam Days are days when they have steam trains running and you can ride on them as much as you like. You can check their calendar here.
Once in, we walked up the tracks when there were loads of vintage trains to look at. These were my favourite, I love the writing on them. Me and Tyler are pulling a lever of some sort here 🙂
In the centre there was a tea room, museum, giftshop and a science learning centre, and outside seating. We bought some ice cream and carrying on wandering around the train tracks, where we discovered a real working steam train, with the driver dressing autentically too! We could ride on this as many times as we wanted – all included in the admission price. And freakily the train had Greenford printed on the side – my husband’s home town!
This is booking office by the steam train – this would have been a real one in the olden days. There’s me inside, and Tyler’s in there somewhere 🙂
This was inside the booking office. I just really liked how it looked, and these coat hooks – how cool would they look in a hallway!
The steam train ride was about 5 minutes and took us to Burlescombe which was the far end of the centre. This was where they had old stations, one housing trains that were in the process of being refurbished, and the other holding an old steam train – below is the ‘working class’ carriage. Talk about cattle class – imagine commuting on this?! Travellers were advised to sit with their backs to the engine so they didn’t inhale as much steam!
Lots of lovely vintage ads here too.
The whole centre had tracks running through, and they were safe to walk over. It’s amazing as this was actually a real route in the old days. There was so much space to run around too, so much grass and trees. It was really peaceful, such a nice atmosphere here.
This old signpost – love it.
Vintage luggage.
Another steam train running – this was on the other side of the centre.
After we had a look around the whole place, we had tea and cake at the Refreshment Room – it is styled like a tea room from the past, really kooky. Tyler approved of the bread and butter pudding!
Next we had a look around the little museum – lots of vintage signs and posters – and then we bought a magnet from the giftshop before going home. It was such a good day, helped by it being sunny. I wouldn’t go if it was forecast to rain as it’s all outdoors. Tyler thoroughly enjoyed it, as a train-mad boy. He wanted to go again and again on the steam train, and we could! And for me as a designer, seeing all the vintage ads and signs was the highlight for me.
If you fancy visiting, these are the details:
Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ
Twitter: @DidcotRailwayC
Facebook: Didcot Railway Centre
Flickr: Didcot Railway Centre
I haven’t been paid to write this post – I just had to share it with you all, as I’m sure many of you have train-obsessed toddlers!
Sabrina x
I have a train-obsessed toddler too! But it’s be just a bit too far for us for the day 😉 It looks like Tyler had an absolutely fantastic time! And I love your dress–so pretty! ~Jennifer via #whatevertheweather
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Hooray, fellow train-obsessed toddler! Ahh yes I guess you have to live nearer to go, but there are lots of railway centres across the country, you never know there might be one near you. Aw thank you about my dress – I got it from Primark for a fiver 😀 xx
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Perfect for train obsessed toddlers, looks like a brilliant day out 🙂 #whatevertheweather
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Yes it soo is, it’s like train heaven! xx
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Ah, we live 5 minutes from Didcot so have been to one of the Thomas theme days which I would recommend. Lovely photos and looks like you had a fab time. I didn’t know you could use Tesco vouchers, I will have to get some more as Oliver loved it!
Becky x
#Whatevertheweather
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Ahhhh you live so close! Yes you can use the clubcard vouchers – but they’re not valid on Thomas days that’s all. What was it like on the Thomas day? We always thought it might be too crowded so Tyler might not like it? xx
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That does look like a great day out – I love this type of place and would go even without a train mad toddler in tow! I especially love the hotel wagon and Fry’s Chocolate advert on the wall – that was my Dad’s favourite chocolate. #LoveWhereILive
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It was brilliant – I enjoyed it just as much as Tyler, you’re right you could go without the toddler! I loved seeing the vintage bits and bobs, the adverts – so amazing, and they’ve kept them so well there too! xx
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My littlest is really into his trains just now and he would absolutely love this! I think it is so important to teach our children about how far technology has come, and how much the world has changed! But also, because places like these just feed their imaginations even more! Love it! #lovewhereilive
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Oh he would love it if he’s into trains! It’s lovely to see how it was in the old days, a really education! I don’t think Tyler understood that side of things, it was more like ‘Wow a steam train!’ – but yes definately when he’s older he will appreciate it! xx
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This is one of our favourite places, we are lucky to live not too far away and they have great Days Out with Thomas days there which are always running around my son’s birthday. It’s a fab place to explore isn’t it #Whatevertheweather
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Oh yes, we have a train, car and plane obssessed little girl …. and Daddy! 🙂 After reading this, we definitely need to go here. This could even be her birthday treat (yes, she really is THAT obsessed!) Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂 #whatevertheweather
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Ahhh a girl! I’m so happy to hear she is transport-obsessed too – not just those crazy boys! Because I must admit, I think I’m a bit train-mad too heehee 😉 You should so visit here, they’d love it! xx
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Oh this looks fun, I know a certain other little train mad toddler who would love it! My dad is train mad so I got dragged to this type of thing as a child – at the time I would have hated it but now I have Elliot I would love to visit this type of place! (Random fact, I’m named after a steam train…!!) Thanks so much for linking up to #LoveWhereILive xx
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Haha, I wonder who… Wow you have a train-mad dad too – him and Elliot must have great fun together! They would love it at Didcot. Named after a steam train – that is pretty cool 😀 xx
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I love this post and all your wonderful photos! We have had a train filled weekend too, not as nice weather as you though. It’s so lovely that they have restored all the buildings too and that you can walk along areas of the track. I definitely like those tankers with the writing on the side too, they have got such a vintage charm. Imagine sitting in the vintage coaches, with steam billowing by!
Thanks for linking up to #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x
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Thanks so much! I love train weekends 😀 It’s so fascinating visiting old-style train museums, you feel you’ve really travelled back in time! We visited another one in Sussex last week – will have to write that up next, it was so magical! xx
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mmmmmm i love bread and butter pudding. It looks delicious. What a great day out for train lovers and so cool that the steam train had your husbands home town printed on it. My other half would have loved this when he was younger because he was so train obsessed. This looks like so a great place with so much to explore. Your little one looks so happy and that ticket office is adorable! I love seeing how people used to live and finding out about the history of places like this. Thank you for linking this to #whatevertheweather x
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I know! We were so freaked out that it happened to say Greenford! I imagine it looked a look different back in the 1900s! It really is fascinating going to places like this, you feel you’ve really travelled back in time! xx
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Didcot Railway Centre is a living history museum that tells the story of the Great Western Railway from Brunel’s Broad Gauge to the postwar nationalisation of the railways. The modern passenger trains running past the Centre bring us right up to the present day and we are looking forward.
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Yes, it really is an amazing experience. I love being able to get a taste of the past, and right next to the modern passenger trains too. It’s like the past meets the present. 🙂
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