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Description
Operating the shuttle service between Windsor & Eton Central and Slough is First Great Western Class 165, 165020.

Windsor & Eton Central station is both one of two terminal stations at the royal town of Windsor, but is one of the most beautiful on the UK network, especially considering that a majority of the structure is now devoted to a shopping centre, with trains now pushed to the very extremity of the longest platform!

Windsor & Eton Central is located almost directly across the street from Windsor Castle, and in the past was the primary entrance point for the royals when they travelled to the town by the Royal Train. The other station in the town is Windsor & Eton Riverside, located on the opposite side of the Castle on the banks of the River Thames.

The station was originally opened on the 8th October, 1849, on the completion of the 2.5 mile Great Western Railway branch line from Slough. Construction however was not as smooth as it could have been, thanks largely to considerable opposition from the powers at Eton College who were convinced that the proximity of a railway would lead the Eton boys astray.

An extension of the branch was planned in 1871–72 to connect to the south via Dedworth and Ascot. It was planned to diverge west from the viaduct, just to the south of the river bridge. Despite reaching an advanced stage of design, and with some property purchased plus the construction of a possible station building, the plans were never completed and were abandoned completely by 1914.

Since its opening, the station's name has been changed twice, first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, then to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. The structure once consisted of five platforms, two island platforms and a single bay platform, as well as an extensive goods yard, with the track access coming from a 2,035-yard brick viaduct and Windsor Railway Bridge, Brunel's oldest surviving railway bridge. The original building was little more than a glorified train shed, but was completely rebuilt by the GWR for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, with a much grander frontage and an interior reminiscent of Paddington.

Rationalisation of the railways during the 1960's and 70's however took its toll on this once mighty station. The grand trains for various destinations across the Great Western network were replaced by a humdrum collection of DMU services to Slough, and the station itself fell into neglect. Removal of freight services saw the Goods Yard removed and replaced with a coach station in the 60's, whilst in November 1968, Platforms 3 & 4 were taken out of use, followed a year later by Platform 2, these being built on to create a car park. The longest platform (Platform 1) remained in use, but was truncated away from the station building in 1982 when British Railways and Madame Tussauds restored the structure to create the 'Royalty and Railways' exhibition. It was later renamed Royalty and Empire, and recalled the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, using displays of wax models and an audio-visual show featuring Audio-Anamatronic figures, the first of their kind seen in Europe at that time. The former ticket office was used as the entrance, and a replica Royal Train was created with a full-size replica steam locomotive GWR 3031 Class named The Queen was built at Steamtown, Carnforth, and this was combined with an ex-South Eastern and Chatham Railway tender and fittings from a GWR tender. This was accompanied by two carriages used to form a replica of the Royal Train. Directly behind the loco was No. 229, a replica coach mounted on an ex-British Railways BG Full Brake underframe and containing waxwork figures of various members of the Royal Family. The second coach was the original Royal Day Saloon No. 9002 that was rescued for the exhibition from a cliff top in Aberporth, Wales.

The exhibition closed in the late 1990's and almost all of the exhibits were taken away. The locomotive The Queen was too expensive to remove, so, rather than being cut up, it was incorporated as a feature of a restaurant on the concourse, and can still be seen today. The remainder of the train was removed however, with the tender cut up for scrap, and Royal Saloon No.9002 preserved at the Museum of the Great Western Railway. It is not known what happened to the replica coach. In 1997 the station was rebuilt again after AXA bought the structure to convert it into a large shopping centre, the current incarnation of the station. Shops and other venues now occupy the former platforms and trackwork, whilst the platform was once again truncated further until now it can only accommodate no more than a three-car train.

Services provided at Windsor & Eton Central are usually no more than a 20 minute shuttle service to Slough, operated primarily by Class 165 and 166 Thames Turbo units of First Great Western.

Description
Operating the shuttle service between Windsor & Eton Central and Slough is First Great Western Class 165, 165020.

Windsor & Eton Central station is both one of two terminal stations at the royal town of Windsor, but is one of the most beautiful on the UK network, especially considering that a majority of the structure is now devoted to a shopping centre, with trains now pushed to the very extremity of the longest platform!

Windsor & Eton Central is located almost directly across the street from Windsor Castle, and in the past was the primary entrance point for the royals when they travelled to the town by the Royal Train. The other station in the town is Windsor & Eton Riverside, located on the opposite side of the Castle on the banks of the River Thames.

The station was originally opened on the 8th October, 1849, on the completion of the 2.5 mile Great Western Railway branch line from Slough. Construction however was not as smooth as it could have been, thanks largely to considerable opposition from the powers at Eton College who were convinced that the proximity of a railway would lead the Eton boys astray.

An extension of the branch was planned in 1871–72 to connect to the south via Dedworth and Ascot. It was planned to diverge west from the viaduct, just to the south of the river bridge. Despite reaching an advanced stage of design, and with some property purchased plus the construction of a possible station building, the plans were never completed and were abandoned completely by 1914.

Since its opening, the station's name has been changed twice, first to Windsor & Eton in 1904, then to Windsor & Eton Central in 1949. The structure once consisted of five platforms, two island platforms and a single bay platform, as well as an extensive goods yard, with the track access coming from a 2,035-yard brick viaduct and Windsor Railway Bridge, Brunel's oldest surviving railway bridge. The original building was little more than a glorified train shed, but was completely rebuilt by the GWR for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, with a much grander frontage and an interior reminiscent of Paddington.

Rationalisation of the railways during the 1960's and 70's however took its toll on this once mighty station. The grand trains for various destinations across the Great Western network were replaced by a humdrum collection of DMU services to Slough, and the station itself fell into neglect. Removal of freight services saw the Goods Yard removed and replaced with a coach station in the 60's, whilst in November 1968, Platforms 3 & 4 were taken out of use, followed a year later by Platform 2, these being built on to create a car park. The longest platform (Platform 1) remained in use, but was truncated away from the station building in 1982 when British Railways and Madame Tussauds restored the structure to create the 'Royalty and Railways' exhibition. It was later renamed Royalty and Empire, and recalled the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, using displays of wax models and an audio-visual show featuring Audio-Anamatronic figures, the first of their kind seen in Europe at that time. The former ticket office was used as the entrance, and a replica Royal Train was created with a full-size replica steam locomotive GWR 3031 Class named The Queen was built at Steamtown, Carnforth, and this was combined with an ex-South Eastern and Chatham Railway tender and fittings from a GWR tender. This was accompanied by two carriages used to form a replica of the Royal Train. Directly behind the loco was No. 229, a replica coach mounted on an ex-British Railways BG Full Brake underframe and containing waxwork figures of various members of the Royal Family. The second coach was the original Royal Day Saloon No. 9002 that was rescued for the exhibition from a cliff top in Aberporth, Wales.

The exhibition closed in the late 1990's and almost all of the exhibits were taken away. The locomotive The Queen was too expensive to remove, so, rather than being cut up, it was incorporated as a feature of a restaurant on the concourse, and can still be seen today. The remainder of the train was removed however, with the tender cut up for scrap, and Royal Saloon No.9002 preserved at the Museum of the Great Western Railway. It is not known what happened to the replica coach. In 1997 the station was rebuilt again after AXA bought the structure to convert it into a large shopping centre, the current incarnation of the station. Shops and other venues now occupy the former platforms and trackwork, whilst the platform was once again truncated further until now it can only accommodate no more than a three-car train.

Services provided at Windsor & Eton Central are usually no more than a 20 minute shuttle service to Slough, operated primarily by Class 165 and 166 Thames Turbo units of First Great Western.