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Prince Richard visited Didcot Railway Centre, where he boarded the footplate of the iconic Great Western Railway locomotive 4079 Pendennis Castle for a short journey along the centre’s demonstration line.
Built in 1924, the locomotive spent decades overseas before returning home in 2000 and being restored to working condition.
It now forms a centrepiece of the living museum, which is located beside Didcot Parkway Station.
The Duke was welcomed to the railway centre by members of the Great Western Society, who preserve and interpret the 21-acre site and its extensive collection of Great Western Railway locomotives, carriages, and memorabilia.
His visit concluded a day-long tour of the county that included stops at the University of Oxford’s vaccine research labs and the Bee House at Milton Park, where he learned about the Didcot Powerhouse Fund.
Volunteers and staff spoke with Prince Richard about the educational work the railway centre undertakes, including its school outreach and interpretive displays that connect young audiences with the story of steam travel.
Didcot Railway Centre welcomes more than 1,500 school children each year and supports families in need with free days out and holiday meals.
It also conserves historic rolling stock and original railway buildings.
