As Christmas approaches, I wonder how many youngsters will be waking up to a new train set on Christmas morning?

We have Liverpool-based Frank Hornby to thank for this Christmas Day gift.

They also made Meccano - another gift that would keep a young engineer happy for many hours over Christmas and into the New Year.

Model trains and Meccano were probably the start of a budding career for many aspiring children who would become the engineers of tomorrow.

Our first passenger railway needed meticulous engineering skill and, just like our first train sets, started life in Liverpool with the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway on Wednesday September 15, 1830.

That was some train set with no fewer than eight trains pulling thirty-two carriages with the Prime Minister of the day, the Duke of Wellington, as a special guest.

It was a novel experience in those days travelling by train and it is surprising how many customs and practices of rail travel survive to this day. Just like today, if you want to travel on the early morning commuter trains it was far more expensive than trains that departed later in the day.

Back in 1830, buying a ticket was a major undertaking and was more like a passport.

Tickets had to be bought a day in advance and you had to provide your name, address, age, place of birth and your reason for travelling.

In those days, passengers were severely pampered with porters to carry your bags and for first class passengers there was a gratis horse-drawn omnibus to take you into the city centre.

So to all those grandparents who are looking forward to playing trains this Christmas, remember there is also a great story to tell!