Last week we made a short visit to some of my wife's relatives in Oxfordshire. There was an opportunity to visit the Didcot Steam Museum, so a brother-in-law and I took the chance! We had a very enjoyable three hours there wandering around all the exhibits. It was a "Discovery Day", which meant no locomotives in steam, but access to all the sheds and rolling stock on the site. It also meant there were not so many people about. The museum is mainly Great Western Railway locomotives and rolling stock. There is a small café, which was welcome on a very hot day for cold drinks! If you have an interest in trains - which I do, being a railwayman for part of my working life - I can recommend it highly. I am not old enough to remember mainline steam in the UK, though my brother-in-law is, but it is lovely to see them. I would advise sturdy shoes or boots for walking about the site and be aware of potential hazards, these are not always indicated, especially if you have small children or unsteady grandfathers! Here are some photographs:

I remember these from my railway days - a big powerful shunter used at depots.

This is one of the oldest steam locomotives still in existence, from 1857 I think. Sadly it is not in running order.

The big red lights lit up to accompany a commentary when you entered the cab, so they would not be there in normal circumstances.

This was the fitting which went under the tender to scoop up water from the trough when the locomotive was running at speed and could not stop to take on water as normal. I had never seen one, so had to have a picture!

Very different from modern on-train refreshments now! I was working when they still had restaurant cars serving breakfasts, lunches and meals at the table. Happy days!

I had never seen one of these before either. It is a sort of sliding rail contraption which allows access to and exit from the shed from a single line of track, the cab moving the rail back and forth as required.

This was a wooden 'mock-up' for children to climb all over, which was a great idea.