WHO knew that a threepenny stamp would be the start of a 50-year-old legacy in Didcot?

Four teenagers wrote to a railway magazine in 1967 with the hopes of starting the Didcot Railway Centre.

Angus Davis, Graham Perry, Jon Barlow and Mike Peart, were all 16 when they became the founding fathers of the centre, which is now visited by thousands of people across the country every year.

But what has kept its heart beating for half a century, enabling it to grow and become one of the town's local treasures?

Ann Middleton, centre manager, said without their team of experienced volunteers the four friends' beginnings would have amounted to nothing.

She said: "Really they are the life and soul of this place.

"They are so dedicated and knowledgeable, I do not know what we would have done without them.

"Something we are obviously always keen in pursuing is encouraging younger members of the community to start volunteering so our more experienced volunteers can pass on their knowledge.

"This will keep the centre alive, hopefully for another 50 years."

During its half a century the centre has appeared in hundreds of films and documentaries, most recently Academy Award winning 'The Danish Girl' and BBC Four's three-part series ' Trainspotting Live.'

But it is not just film stars like Eddie Redmayne and Keira Knightley that have boarded the centre's impressive collection of steam trains.

In 2003 royalty graced the centre as the Princess Royal inspected the engines and the staff.

Ali Matthews, who would have been 10 when Princess Anne visited, has been volunteering at the centre for seven years.

Now 23, the driver and shunter from Reading, said it was important for the centre to continue to grow for another 50 years.

He said: "I did work experience at school here and I just never ended up leaving.

"The people really make the centre what it is, there are some very passionate people on site.

"The centre is a big part of Didcot and it plays an important part in being a living memory of what railways used to be like.

"I would definitely encourage more young people to get involved because you can be a part of history."

As well as delighting visitors with their knowledge and taking them on steam rides, the centre's volunteers also restore former steam engines and bring them back to life.

Ron Hows, who turns 70 in April, said he loves being a part of the country's heritage.

He added: "Restoration is an important part of history.

"Most of the children that come down and visit us have never seen a steam train before.

"It is so important that once we have gone, those of us that remember seeing them when we were children, they are not forgotten by a generation that can hop on a train and get to London in less than an hour."

The centre will be celebrating its golden era in April with a gala event that runs from Friday, 14 to Monday, 17.

For more information visit: didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk