Didcot Railway Centre is expecting trainloads of witches, wizards, ghosts, ghouls, zombies and skeletons as young visitors head to the venue in fancy dress for the living museum’s spellbinding Hallowsteam event on Saturday 29 October and Sunday 30 October.
Visitors will be able to climb aboard a working steam train for a trip to a spooky Victorian station specially decorated with cobwebs, spiders, bats and more. Here, they can see a rare Great Western Railway coffin trolley and step into a haunted carriage. As well as the tracks, there are treats for every child, and, although the Centre doesn’t have any ghost trains, there is the chance to see a diesel engine named "Phantom"!
In addition to the Hallowsteam trail and ghoulish goings on, which include a small extra gift for every youngster in fancy dress and engines sporting pumpkin “Jack-o-lanterns”, the Centre’s other attractions will be open on the three days. Visitors will also have the chance to get up close to the locomotives in the spacious Engine Shed which has remained largely-unchanged since it was built in 1932 and now houses magnificent preserved engines some of which have steps to allow visitors to climb onto the footplate!
The large, well-ventilated carriage shed will also be open with coaches dating from Victorian times to the 1940s that evoke bygone eras. See the VIP Saloon reputed to have been used by General Eisenhower during the preparations for D-Day and later used in the GWR Royal Train!
The small artefacts Museum containing 1000s of exhibits including nameplates, signals, tickets, distinctive posters and beautiful models that tell the story of the Great Western Railway is also expected to be popular – especially the display of vintage tinplate models and other traditional toys with GWR connection.
Further details can be found, and tickets booked, at www.DidcotRailwayCentre.org.uk
