An interesting thread.
If you asked me a station that probably influenced the rest of my life as an enthusiast, modeller, human being etc.. it would have to be Liverpool Street.
I grew up near Croydon, my dad played sport for Lloyds at their ground in Hainault. This meant he had me on Saturday afternoons, while my sister most often went with my mum. So in the mid 1950s it was a trolley bus outside our house to Tooting Broadway to start with, then came the fun... Change at Bank for central line to Hainault - only when pressed for time. Otherwise get out at Liverpool Street, on to the Gidea Park local to Stratford, trainspotting and on to Hainault. The thing that got me most though, was when Dad had to drop in to the office, then we'd walk to Leadenhall Market, coffee in Pino's café, then on to Bishopsgate, then we'd go into Liverpool Street from the small entrance on Bishopsgate, straight on to the footbridge that straddled the platforms! The vastness of the space, the steam, everything made such an impression. Onto the electric to Stratford, racing the N7s in the tunnel on the Chingford/Enfield lines, the station pilots, the shiny Brits on the Norwich trains, the B12s on the Southend/Clacton side etc. It was these days that shaped my interest. After football or cricket, Dad would always time departure from Hainault to make sure we could change at Stratford, nip down to the Silvertown Line to see a J15 or L1, back up to watch the Hook Continental go through, then make our way back home. Awesome, thanks Dad for all that.
I think my birthday present in 1957 went as follows : trolley bus into East Croydon; steam hauled (Oxted Line) into Victoria; on the tube to Waterloo; Bournemouth semi-fast with King Arthur in charge to Woking; Portsmouth electric to Guildford; L1 hauled train to Redhill; then Brighton semi-fast back to East Croydon. Not a long trip distance-wise, but what an impression on a 5-year old kid! Thanks Dad again.
My modelling inspirations come next, and remember in this regard, both London Bridge and Liverpool Street were real stations, with model shops. London Bridge in the forecourt shops and Liverpool St in the arcade. Anyone else remember??
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