The Ghost of Christmas Past: When the InterCity 125 Ruled the Living Room.
There is a specific kind of magic that belonged to the 1980s. It wasn't just the music or the neon, it was the weight and substance of the gifts under the tree. This year, as I looked through some old photos and caught a glimpse of a familiar yellow-nosed locomotive, I was transported back to a cold morning in 1987 . I was eight years old. That age where the line between "believing" and "knowing" is paper-thin, but the excitement is absolute. I remember the rush of adrenaline as I ran downstairs in the dim early light. There, nestled among the wrapping paper and the glow of the tree lights, was the big one: the Hornby InterCity 125 Electric Train Set . A Masterpiece in Miniature For those who didn't grow up with a Hornby box under the tree, it’s hard to describe the presence it had. It wasn't just a toy, it was a world in a box. The livery was the classic "Executive" dark grey and yellow, exactly the same as the real High Speed Trains (HSTs) t...