
DATE: Tuesday, September 2, 1997            TAG: 9708300091

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

ALL ABOARD FOR MIKE'S TRAINLAND THIS SPECIALTY TOY STORE, MUSEUM IS A JOY FOR ALL

BRING MONEY. You'll need it.

Yes, the Lancaster Train and Old Toy Museum in Suffolk is open to the public on a donation basis. For free you can admire old snapshots and prints of depots and trains all over the country. But you'll need a pocketful of quarters to make the miniature trains run.

And you'll want to pay. You've just got to see that cute little circus train go through those itty-bitty circus grounds, past the clowns, the lions, the big top. You have to feed the meter to make the coal train chug into the mining town and through several tunnels. You'll want to make'em all work - the LGB, O-gauge, and Standard gauge trains.

The clack-clack of tiny dozens of old model train wheels is connected to the chink-chink of change from your pocket. And to keep the kids goggle-eyed, you'll fork it over. Railroad memorabilia, antique trains and toys that date back through the early 20th century are also on display.

Big money? You'll need that, too. The joy, or the agony, of this toy museum is that you get to it by walking through Mike's Trainland - a miniature train sales mecca and specialty toy store. This is where serious model train collectors shop and have their trains repaired and restored. Trainland carries LGB, Lionel, Marklin brands, John Deere and Ertl farm vehicle toys, Brio trains and building sets, and Playmobil.

Did we mention Playmobil? An entire room is devoted to the miniatures made by this toy company. Shelves and shelves of accessories, dollhouses and action figures line the walls. Dead center is the show-stopper - an enormous scene that segues from Alpine village to medieval castle to pirate island to wild west, stick'em-up city.

Don't even think of leaving here without itching to buy something.

We were overwhelmed. So were the kids.

After half an hour of looking around in Playmobil wonderland they took a breather in the room next door. Here wooden Brio and Thomas toys are set out at inviting playtables. Even our 12-year-old settled down and built something.

We skipped the Christmas shop - just too early in the year to tempt us.

But we agreed to buy a few toys. When we took our loot to the register and paid up, the fellow taking our money laughed and said we could have done much, much worse. Evidently a lot of parents come here and lose their senses.

Outside, if nobody has whined, begged for something expensive, or been otherwise unreasonable, there's another treat - the Lancaster Shortline.

For $1 per person, you can squeeze into wee-tiny metal seats in one of several open cars on a 15-gauge train. A yellow caboose squeaks through a tunnel and around a landscaped oval track. Grown-ups, look to the right. From the train you can see Trackside Nursery - a plant nursery stocked with shrubs, annuals and perennials. And when the ride is over, kids can explore a full-size caboose parked nearby. ILLUSTRATION: IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

Photos

John Aadland of Lynchburg and his 5-year-old son, Matthew, view the

circus train layout at the store's museum.

This circus train layout, complete with big top, lions and clowns,

is just one of several on display at Mike's Trainland in Suffolk.

Graphic

IF YOU GO

What: Mike's Trainland and Lancaster Train & Old Toy Museum

Where: 5661 Shoulders Hill Road, Suffolk

Hours: Museum and store are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.;

Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Train rides run 10:30 a.m. to 5 :30

p.m. daily, and 1:30 to 5 :30 on Sunday. Call: 484-4224