Recently took a day out to travel to Windsor but instead of the train from Feltham I went on a bit of a tour via Hayes and Harlington and then Slough so I could have the short ride over the Thames and into Windsor Central station.
Our journey took us out on the route 90 bus to HAYES AND HARLINGTON station, this was a regular haunt of mine when I was a young boy and a trainspotter, now it's the junction for the trains to Heathrow and appears that a recent addition is the reintroduction of the old parcels bay platform, now platform 5, where there are regular services back to London Paddington formed by class 387 GWR electrics no doubt reliving congestion on commuter services. The picture (right) showing the pending departure of an 8 coach service from the bay platform at Hayes back to London while our incoming service to Reading is about to arrive and will take us up to Slough station where we will change in order to pick up the branch line to Windsor Central.
SLOUGH (Home to the Slough and Windsor Railway Society (below)). Changing trains here at Slough to pick up the short branch line round to Windsor Central station from platform 1. While waiting for the shuttle service noted that the Slough and Windsor Railway society is located across the car park in what appears to be part of the old Grade II listed station and is known as "the manor". 
The Society is the custodian for Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST "Slough Estates Ltd No.3", a 1924-built steam locomotive which operated for 50 years on the Slough Trading Estate Railway and has been loaned out to run on the Middleton Railway in Yorkshire. Our short wait for the Windsor service allows us to enjoy a few passing HST's (just like being a kid) but I miss the variety of waiting for a Class 47/50. The branch line is connected to the London bound main line but rarely used, only for stock movement and the occasional royal service.
Our train arrives and we make the busy six minute trip into WINDSOR CENTRAL GWR Station built 1849 (opened 8th October as Windsor). Completely redeveloped over the years and now just the single platform with max room for three coaches, though the redevelopment work has been designed to still look like a Victorian Station of the GWR. Allowing for the tourists to depart first you step out with Windsor Castle ahead of you and have to walk through the many coffee and gift shops before you can exit properly out onto the main high street with the walls of Windsor Castle ahead of you.
WINDSOR AND ETON RIVERSIDE
Built by London and South Western Railway in 1849 (opened on 1st December 1849) the second station to open in the town that year, now run by the new franchise known as South Western Railway.
They've taken over but are yet to re-brand their stock which will of course take time though they have acquired some of the lovely new trains (Class 707, below) which I was able to hop on and take back home to Feltham.
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