IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Bridgewater Way, WINDSOR, SL4 1RD

This is the eastern end of a long viaduct on the approach to Windsor & Eton Central railway station, ahead.

The single-platform single-track station is the terminus of a branch from Slough. The station is much reduced from its former glory after it had been completely rebuilt by the Great Western Railway for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Most of the station buildings have been converted to a shopping area. This view http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3587939 shows the eastern entrance to the shops, formerly the main station entrance.

First Great Western's class 165 Turbo suburban diesel multiple unit (DMU) stands at Windsor and Eton Central Station. Windsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor. The station is the terminus of the Slough to Windsor & Eton line and is served by a shuttle service of trains from Slough operated by First Great Western. Windsor's other station, Windsor and Eton Riverside, is the terminus for the South West Trains service from London Waterloo. When it was originally opened on 8 October 1849 it was named simply Windsor, the station was renamed twice: first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, and then, following nationalisation of the railways, to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. Although a small part is still a railway station, most of the station building has been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping centre, called Windsor Royal Shopping. It is situated on the High Street, almost immediately opposite Castle Hill, the main public entrance to Windsor Castle.

Windsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor. The station is the terminus of the Slough to Windsor & Eton line and is served by a shuttle service of trains from Slough operated by First Great Western. Windsor's other station, Windsor and Eton Riverside, is the terminus for the South West Trains service from London Waterloo. When it was originally opened in 1849 it was named simply Windsor; the station was renamed twice, first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, and then following nationalisation of the railways, to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. Although a small part is still a railway station, most of the station building has been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping centre, called Windsor Royal Shopping. It is situated on the High Street, almost immediately opposite Castle Hill, the main public entrance to Windsor Castle. The locomotive is a full-scale replica of the GWR Achilles class 4-2-2 locomotive number 3041 which was built in 1894 and originally named “Emlyn” after Lord Emlyn, Chairman of the Great Western Railway Company. Repainted in 1897 in GWR livery, the 57-feet long locomotive was renamed “The Queen”, especially to pull the six new carriages of the Royal Train. No examples of these locomotives survive today; The Queen (later renamed “James Mason”) was withdrawn from service in 1912. See also Image] and Image

This coat of arms is carried on the full-scale replica of the GWR Achilles class 4-2-2 locomotive number 3041 which was built in 1894 and originally named “Emlyn” after Lord Emlyn, Chairman of the Great Western Railway Company. Repainted in 1897 in GWR livery, the 57-feet long locomotive was renamed “The Queen”, especially to pull the six new carriages of the Royal Train. No examples of these locomotives survive today; The Queen (later renamed “James Mason”) was withdrawn from service in 1912 (see also Image]). The replica stands in Windsor Royal, a tourist-oriented shopping centre occupying most of the building of the original Windsor and Eton Central Railway Station.

This is all that is left for railway use on the site of what is today the Windsor Royal Shopping complex. The station was once a vast place with four long platforms, a grand public entrance, the even grander entrance to the royal waiting rooms Image and a substantial three-storey frontage Image It was last used by royalty in May 1968 after which time it began to fall into decay until the site started to be redeveloped for the shopping complex from 1980 onwards. Ironically the present single-platform station probably handles more public traffic today than the old station ever did during most of its existence.

Windsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor. The station is the terminus of the Slough to Windsor & Eton line and is served by a shuttle service of trains from Slough operated by First Great Western. Windsor's other station, Windsor and Eton Riverside, is the terminus for the South West Trains service from London Waterloo. When it was originally opened on 8 October 1849 it was named simply Windsor, the station was renamed twice: first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, and then, following nationalisation of the railways, to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. Although a small part is still a railway station, most of the station building has been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping centre, called Windsor Royal Shopping. It is situated on the High Street, almost immediately opposite Castle Hill, the main public entrance to Windsor Castle.

First Great Western's class 165 Turbo suburban diesel multiple unit (DMU) stands at Windsor and Eton Central Station. Windsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor. The station is the terminus of the Slough to Windsor & Eton line and is served by a shuttle service of trains from Slough operated by First Great Western. Windsor's other station, Windsor and Eton Riverside, is the terminus for the South West Trains service from London Waterloo. When it was originally opened on 8 October 1849 it was named simply Windsor, the station was renamed twice: first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, and then, following nationalisation of the railways, to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. Although a small part is still a railway station, most of the station building has been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping centre, called Windsor Royal Shopping. It is situated on the High Street, almost immediately opposite Castle Hill, the main public entrance to Windsor Castle.