Day trip to London

I was wondering if anyone could help me. In February I am going to London to visit a friend and have a few hours spare in the day. At some point during the day I will be at Waterloo and Paddington stations. Does anyone know if there is any free museums near that have any steam engines? I know next to nothing about London and wouldn't know where to begin looking. I am looking forward to visiting these stations anyway but have never been to London. I have been to The National Railway Museum in York and Swanage station many times and was wondering if there is anything like these places in central London??
Any help or information would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks Richard

 

Central London's not really that well supplied with steam. However, you can get to Didcot from Paddington in 40 minutes and if it's open and operating then Didcot Railway Centre is well worth a visit, it's the home of the Great Western Society with many loco's, two running lines, museum, etc. Check out their February calendar here: Didcot Railway Centre | Events | Calendar of Events and their home page here. Didcot Railway Centre | Homepage

 

Take a train to Southall and you may get a glimpse of what's on shed, 15 mins from Paddington, on the left side of the track.
5972 Olton Hall is on display in Hyde park, but don't know how much longer.
1hr30 from wwaterloo will get you to mid hants, around the same to Bluebell, Eridge Vale and by tube will get you almost to Epping Ongar.

As Steve said above, there's not a lot. Best would be to watch uksteam.info and see what's moving, some weekends there's a lot of steam on railtours around the capital, I saw 4 in a day once!?. Just before christmas I saw 2 Brits within an hour of each other, then 35028 a bit later.... For example March 3rd 2012 looks good.

 

A FREE museum with steam locos in London is ...The Science Museum...
On show is Rocket, Columbine and Puffing Billy
details on web site...Science Museum, London
Take the District or Circle Line to South Kensington. At South Kensington follow the subway right to the museum entrance which is FREE entry. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as there is a lot to see- It is also linked to the National Railway Museum at York being Government funded.

The other transport museum in Central London is payable entrance London Transport Museum in Covent Garden which has no. 23 Metropolian rly 4-4-0t but a fine collection of buses, trams, trolleybuses, etc. web site London Transport Museum
Nearest tube station is Covent Garden and a few mins walk.

 

Always love a visit to the science museum just to view all those historic beam and mill engines as well as Rocket etc as said above.

 

Kew Bridge steam museum is also worth a shout. It is a pay to get in but depending on when you visit but they have operational steam both pumping engines and a short steam railway.

Kew Bridge is the nearest national rail station.

Duncan

 

(Slightly OT) Years ago I used to go to North Woolwich station where there was a railway musuem, including a steam engine (an ex-GER shunting engine I believe). However, now it seems that it has shut. What happened, and what happened to the collection?

(Edit - see Saddle tank 229 GER North Woolwich Railway Museum | Flickr - Photo Sharing! for a photo, not mine).

Tom

 

I think most of it went to either mangapps farm or east Anglian railway museum. The black five went to colne valley.
The impressive GE terminus is slowly becoming derelict.

 

GER 229 is currently at the Flour Mill awaiting restoration.