Reading the July 2011 Railway Modeller, I came across another ‘almost’ Minories design, and a very attractive one at that.  This is the ex-LSWR station of Windsor and Eton Riverside.  Windsor had an LSWR and a GWR terminus, both angling, no doubt, for the royal patronage to get to Windsor Castle.  Both were just a few hundred yards from the station.  The LSWR terminus is slightly smaller, with the attraction of being next to the River Thames, and having the castle as a backdrop.

Here’s the track layout around 1900….

National Library of Scotland – Creative Commons

The castle lies just to the south-west.  Note the queen’s waiting room on the south wall of the station, and the Thames to the north.  Here’s what it looks like today, with two platforms still in operation, and a South West Trains service at one of them.

The Railway Modeller plan is for modern days and suggests moving the station a little closer to the Thames, so that the river forms a foreground feature, and moving the castle slightly east, so it forms a background to the station.  Reasonable enough changes, if you are not concerned with total accuracy.

Most of the ornate station buildings are still in place, as is the curved south wall of the station with its large, high, doors for mounted soldiers with funny pointed hats, and the royal waiting room itself.  I’ve added a few non-commercial photos below.

I think this would make an excellent model in electrified days (the third rail was added in 1930.)  The same layout would allow Southern steam and multiple units and also early BR livery with the same track layout and scenery.