30-year labour of love keeps John on the right tracks

The display now standing in John Holden's Fylde home is a stunning scale model of a city centre station which has been a 30-year labour of love '“ and is still being added to.
John Holden has built a giant model of Liverpool Lime Street train stationJohn Holden has built a giant model of Liverpool Lime Street train station
John Holden has built a giant model of Liverpool Lime Street train station

The 45ft model of Liverpool’s Lime Street station in the 1940s fills the entire extension of the detached bungalow in St Annes John shares with wife Pauline.

Such is the level of detail, it includes station announcements, model trains, working signals and moving taxis and buses.

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There is even a sound system providing ambient background noise, train hooters and whistles and it also includes surrounding streets and nearby buildings, along with tiny figures of railway workers and passers-by.

John, 69, was born in Southport and moved to the Fylde as a youngster. With fond memories of trips to Liverpool, he first had the idea for the model while still a schoolboy but it was while living in Ansdell that the current model started to take shape.

The couple’s current home was specifically chosen because there was space to accommodate the model.

John said: “It has just grown and grown.”

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