Like many boys before the middle 1960s, I had a craze on railway trains, in particular steam trains - fuelled by the stories of anthropomorphic railways by the Rev W Awdry, and from watching the many "tank engines" working at the coal mine just opposite my Granny's house.
But I only took one ride on a proper passenger service steam engine (i.e. not a tourist attraction) - from Newton Abbot station in Devon (top image).
This featured a black, medium-sized engine much as illustrated - but without the side plates at the front - a very plain train...
Only two "snapshot" memories have survived - the first is being terrified as the huge (to me), black, loud, steam-emitting train came into the station and drew-up at the platform right next to me. I burst into tears; which was a bad start to what was supposed to be a special treat outing for a little train-lover.
It seems that trains in books, or observed from a distance, were one thing; but trains up close and personal were far more intimidating.
I then have a blurry mental image of being inside the train, and moving.
That's it: my total experience of the tail-end of the Age of Steam.
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