Buckinghamshire Railway Centre facts for kids
View along the main line towards Quainton Road, showing the two sides of the centre, taken from the footbridge. Main buildings, from left-right: Ministry of Food Buffer-Depot; Brill Tramway platform; Quainton Road; the former building of Oxford Rewley Road
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| Established | 1969 |
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| Type | Operational railway museum |
| Key holdings | Metropolitan Railway E Class No.1 GWR 4073 Class No.5080 Defiant GWR 6959 Class No.6989 Wightwick Hall South African Class 25NC 4-8-4 No.3405 |
| Owner | Quainton Railway Society (Some land leased from Network Rail) |
| Public transit access | Quainton Road or Aylesbury |
The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is a special place where you can explore old trains and learn about railway history. It's a railway museum run by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. You'll find it at Quainton Road railway station, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England.
The centre is split into two parts. Two footbridges connect these halves, and one of them is even wheelchair friendly. Each side has its own demonstration railway line. There are also workshop buildings where trains are fixed and museum buildings filled with exciting exhibits.
Contents
Discovering the History of Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
The story of the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre began in 1962. That's when the London Railway Preservation Society was created. This group started collecting old London Underground vehicles and other railway items. They gathered the biggest collection of things from the London and North Western Railway.
At first, these valuable items were stored in different places around London. This made it hard to look after them or fix them up.
How the Centre Began
In 1969, the Quainton Railway Society was formed. Their goal was to create a working museum at the old Quainton Road station. While other stations on the railway lines north of Aylesbury were being taken down or sold, Quainton Road was saved.
On April 24, 1971, the Quainton Railway Society joined forces with the London Railway Preservation Society. This meant the Quainton Railway Society became the proud owner of a huge collection of historic railway equipment.
Bringing the Station Back to Life
The station building was carefully kept in working order. It was used as a bookshop and a place to buy tickets. The many railway tracks, called sidings, were still there. Even though they were disconnected from the main railway line in 1967, they were perfect for fixing up old locomotives.
The Society worked hard to make the main station building look just like it did in 1900. They then renamed the whole site the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. A smaller building on the old Brill platform, which used to be a waiting shelter, now tells the story of the Brill Tramway. An old building from Wembley Park was even moved and rebuilt at Quainton Road. It now serves as a place to maintain the trains.
Trains on the Main Line Today
Even though the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre runs its own trains on the old sidings, a busy Network Rail line still passes right through the station. This line connects Aylesbury to the Bletchley to Oxford route.
You can often see freight trains carrying waste or materials for the High Speed 2 railway project using this line. These trains travel from London and other parts of England to places like Calvert.
For a few years, from 1984 to 1990, special Christmas shopping trains even stopped at Quainton Road. Also, from 1971 to 1987, and again from 2001 to 2017, special passenger trains ran from Aylesbury to the centre for events.
What You Can See at the Centre Today
The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre has grown a lot. It now has about 170 different locomotives and railway carriages. These are housed in buildings that date from 1874 all the way to the 1960s.
Old warehouses from World War II, which were once used by the Ministry of Food, now display many items waiting to be restored. The Society also has a special library for its members.
The Rewley Road Building
The Rewley Road building was once a busy station in Oxford. It closed to passengers in 1951. In 1999, this historic building was carefully taken apart. The main station building and part of its platform roof were then moved to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
It was rebuilt in 2002 and now offers better facilities for visitors. It also houses the main offices for the Quainton Railway Society.
Seen on TV and Film
Quainton Road is one of the best-preserved old railway stations in England. Because of its authentic look, it's often used as a place to film TV shows and movies.
You might have seen it in programmes like The Jewel in the Crown, the Doctor Who episode Black Orchid, Midsomer Murders, and Taskmaster.
Future Plans
The new High Speed 2 railway line is planned to pass just west of the centre. This won't directly affect the museum. However, it means that the old Brill Tramway line cannot be restored in the future.
Amazing Collection of Trains
The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre has a fantastic collection of old trains. This includes many different types of locomotives (the engines that pull the trains), carriages (where passengers sit), and other railway vehicles. They also have lots of railway items and documents.
Here are some of the cool trains you can see:
Steam Locomotives
The centre has many steam engines, from small shunting engines to larger ones.
- Metropolitan Railway E Class No.1: Built in 1898, this engine is currently being fixed up.
- LSWR 0298 Class 314: Built in 1874, this historic engine is on display.
- Peckett and Sons No.1159 Annie: This small engine is undergoing a major overhaul.
- Peckett and Sons No.2105 Rokeby: Built in 1951, this engine is often used for goods trains.
- North British Locomotive Company Coventry No.1: Built in 1939, this engine used to be dressed up as Thomas the Tank Engine!
- Hudswell Clarke No.1742 Millom: Built in 1946, this engine is currently running.
- Aveling and Porter No.3587 Sydenham: Built in 1895, this is another engine being restored.
- GWR 6959 Class 6984 Owsden Hall: Built in 1948, this engine is being restored.
- GWR 6959 Class 6989 Wightwick Hall: Built in 1948, this engine is operational and a real highlight!
- GWR 7200 Class 7200: Built in 1934, this large tank engine is being restored.
- Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No.3890 NCB 66: This was the very last Hunslet Austerity engine built in 1964 and is operational.
- Peckett and Sons No.1900: Built in 1936, this is Britain's smallest standard-gauge steam locomotive!
- Andrew Barclay No.699 Swanscombe: Built in 1891, this is the oldest surviving Barclay engine.
- Bagnall No.2469 Scott: Built in 1932, this engine is on static display.
- Aveling and Porter No.807 Brill: Built in 1872, this was the first engine for the Brill Tramway.
- GWR 5700 Class 7715 (London Transport L99): Built in 1930, this engine is on static display.
- Hawthorn Leslie No.3718 Swanscombe No.4: Built in 1928, this engine is operational.
- Hunslet No.3782 Arthur: Built in 1953, this engine is operational and sometimes runs as Thomas the Tank Engine.
- LNWR 3020 Cornwall: Built in 1847, this very old and famous engine is on loan from the National Railway Museum and is on display.
- South African Class 25NC 3405: Built in 1953, this is a large engine from South Africa.
- Sentinel Waggon Works No.6515 Isebrook: Built in 1945, this engine is operational.
- Sentinel Waggon Works No.9366 Cynthia: Built in 1945, this engine is also operational.
Other Locomotives and Carriages
The centre also has a variety of diesel locomotives, including:
- British Rail Class 04 D2298: Built in 1960, this diesel shunter is being restored.
- John Fowler No.20067 Osram: A diesel shunter on static display.
- F.C. Hibberd "Planet" No.3765: An operational diesel shunter.
You can also see different types of railway carriages and vans, including:
- A Class 115 diesel multiple unit.
- A Post Office Railway (London) 1930 Stock car.
- A London Underground CO/CP Stock unit.
- A New York City Subway car No. 1144, which has been turned into a cafeteria!
- Various passenger carriages from different railway companies like the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, London and North Western Railway, Great Northern Railway, and Great Western Railway.
- Special carriages like a sleeper car and a cinema coach.
- A special saloon (a fancy carriage) No. 9001, which was used by Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower during World War II!
- Non-passenger vehicles like luggage vans, covered carriage trucks, and even a horse box.
Images for kids
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Metropolitan Railway E Class No.1
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LSWR 0298 Class 314
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Peckett and Sons No.2105 Rokeby
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North British Locomotive Company Coventry No.1
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Aveling and Porter No.3587 Sydenham
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GWR 6959 Class 6984 Owsden Hall
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GWR 6959 Class 6989 Wightwick Hall
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GWR 7200 Class 7200
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Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No.3890 NCB 66
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Andrew Barclay No.699 Swanscombe
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Bagnall No.2469 Scott
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Aveling and Porter No.807 Brill
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GWR 5700 Class 7715 (London Transport L99)
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South African Class 25NC 3405
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Sentinel Waggon Works No.6515 Isebrook
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Sentinel Waggon Works No.9366 Cynthia
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British Rail Class 04 D2298
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John Fowler No.20067 Osram
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F.C. Hibberd No.2102
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F.C. Hibberd No.3271 Walrus
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Ruston & Hornsby No.463153 Hilsea
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WCJS 102
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LNWR 112
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LNWR 182
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LNWR 249
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GNR 459
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Great Central Railway 652
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MSJAR 1076
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GNR 1470
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GWR 2242
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BR 5324
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GWR 9001
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LNER 22219
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BR 24993
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BR 35192
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BR 53190
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SR 1108
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LSWR 5025
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LNWR 11388
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BR 86450
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BR 94578
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BR 96403
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LNWR 3020 Cornwall
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London Post Office Railway 1930 Stock No. 803
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