THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503010203
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Mike Twiford, owner of Mike's Trainland in Bennetts Creek, plans to expand his business in the next few years and has taken on partner Steven Chappell to help share the workload.
So when customers mentioned a rumor that the train and specialty toy shop was going out of business, Twiford advised, ``We are not going anywhere.''
In Bennetts Creek for the past 11 years, Mike's Trainland also has been home to the Lancaster Train and Old Toy Museum, which houses thousands of antique toys and trains collected over the past 45 years by A.J. ``Junie'' Lancaster and his wife, Millie.
Lancaster, creator of the ``Winter Wonderland'' at Coleman's Nursery in Portsmouth and founder of the Bennett's Creek Wholesale Nursery, worked with Twiford to bring Mike's Trainland from Coleman's to its location adjoining Lancaster's nursery.
Late last year, Lancaster announced that he was donating his million-dollar collection to the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. That triggered speculation that Twiford's business might not survive without the crowds drawn by the collection.
``We know it will impact us somehow, but we don't know yet what impact that will be,'' Twiford said. He plans to offset the loss by expanding his stock of trains, specialty toys, dolls, and Playmobil products.
``We are going to put in displays that are comparable to what is there now, with just as many trains running, except that they will not be 50-year-old antiques but things people can buy,'' he said.
Betty Burnell, director of museums in Portsmouth, said the Lancaster collection will not move for another two years, giving the Children's Museum of Virginia time to complete its second phase.
When the collection moves, Twiford plans to fill the space with trains running on scenic layouts and an expanded Christmas shop.
In the past year, Twiford - working with Lancaster and the Southeastern Virginia Live Steamers, an association of rail buffs from Hampton Roads - installed a landscaped, outdoor train track with model steam engines and trains large enough for adults and youngsters to ride.
Twiford has added a full-size red caboose, a covered station platform, picnic tables and a refreshment stand to create a mini park suitable for childrens' birthday parties and family outings.
Through the Live Steamers, Twiford became better acquainted with Chappell, a 44-year-old electrician with a lifelong love of trains. Chappell has his own large scale model steam engine and was instrumental in creating the outdoor layout. In May, he became a partner in Trainland. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Mike Twiford, right, of Mike's Trainland, shows a Santa Fe
locomotive to his new partner, Steven Chappell.
by CNB