teeny tiny trains

 today, i was invited by my friend to join him and his boyfriend on a trip to the twin city model railroad museum! wyrm had initially planned it as a small meet for the comm, but because it ended up just being me and him, we turned it into our own private double date shindig -- but still dressed up!

i initially had a slightly more intricate and on-theme coord planned, but last minute went with something a little more casual because duuude this heatwave + low spoons. wyrm dressed up in a lovely classic number, looking much like the type of person who might ride these little steam engines, except 50 times taller.

open this one at your own risk, there's miles and miles of train photos!!! 

this is the part where you ignore my wrinkled skirt. i fought with my iron and my iron won.

coord rundown

jsk - shoulder ribbon (2010), angelic pretty
cutsew - angelic pretty
bow - angelic pretty
socks - baby, the stars shine bright
shoes - LIEF
bag - baby, the stars shine bright

wyrm - ask him! 

this museum of tiny little trains might seem unassuming at first -- its entrance is located in a strip mall, its storefront sandwiched between a few different bakeries, offices, and other businesses. but when you enter, a long hallway takes you down to a surprisingly large display floor, full of (you guessed it) tiny little trains all chugging away through their equally tiny landscapes.

the first set we saw was a colorful lego city, and after buying our tickets, we ran to it right away. it was a huge table, i'm bad with measurements but it was just massive, most of the displays were. even better, all of the trains could move - and best of all, you could make them move by pressing the provided buttons. i don't know if this is the norm for model train museums, i've never been to one, but i was SO delighted that we got to be the ones setting them off.

notice how the train is chugging along happily while all the cars are stuck in transit? food for thought

every train you see in these photos can move along the tracks!

the other side of the gigantic ski slope.

  

the double decker bus seems lost. i'd love if we had those in the USA, though.

while this would not be the last lego exhibit we saw, most of the other ones were done up in a more realistic style, like this next one.

there was a big focus on little dioramas of peoples' lives here, too.

SKUNKS!!!!!

i was amazed at the level of detail. buildings were fully furnished and even lit inside.

 one model next to this one was exceptionally tiny, much more than even the other tiny dioramas. i unfortunately didn't get a picture of its teeny tiny trains, or much of anything at all, because i was distracted by a hilarious scene taking place next to the chapel... the dead rising from their graves!!

"ARGHHH!!! A HALF-INCH TALL ZOMBIE!!!!!"

 

in addition to the model trains and dioramas, which are for certain the main draw of the museum, there were photographs and entries about their real-world counterparts. it's fitting that model train enthusiasts would have a love for the real inspiration.

wyrm nearly looks like he could have jumped out from these photos.

 

 we continued on, checking out more of the displays. it was amazing how different each one was - even though they all were train sets with a vintage feel, each one had its own unique style and artistic flair. each was stunningly done in its own right, and the level of detail and artistry was truly astounding. many of them even featured loving renditions of other vehicles, like automobiles and boats.

can you imagine how long that bridge must have taken? not only is it pretty, it's structurally sound - look at that train go!

i believe this one was put together by a youth program where they learned to make models and set up running trains. the trains running on this one are their handiwork.

the boat is stationary, but that convincing water really makes it look like it's chugging along.

we both discussed wanting to go on a ferry, but this one is much too small. maybe next time.

 not every train was running on a track - some were on display just on their own. some were up for educational purposes, others were up because they were too delicate, intricate, or old to put on tracks. this allowed us to get a much closer look at them!

 

i was excited because i actually know what the shin kan sen is. well, i feel like most people do.

little guy for scale.

admiring the trains (and big bell.)

 as we continued to peruse the lovingly handcrafted sets, it started becoming clear that many of these artists had a sense of humor... you'll see some of them as this report goes on.

 

this one's normal.

but this one features lightning mcqueen en route to recieve capital punishment for what he's done.

helloooo. my name is *sniff* my name is ralsei. i'm driving a mercedes benz.

 

some historic train accessories and scale boat models were on display in this part of the museum as well, adding variety to an already exciting collection.

 

showing my cat this picture next time she complains about her soft mesh carrier

please feed and water the hounds!

we discussed wanting to go on a boat like this. we decided that this one was a better size, and we could probably fit if we squeezed.

 we then came around to what was probably the most impressive display in the museum. here's some pictures!

 

a car wash with a working garage door and lights allows a tiny car to come through and get cleaned, complete with sound.

a playground where the children swing back and forth and actually spin on their toy.

a fire station where, upon sounding an alarm, a firetruck comes out!

but the best part was this -- there was a model model train museum. there was a tiny train museum inside the model on display in the tiny train museum. and you know what's absolutely nuts?

 

oh my gawdddd

the tiny tiny trains in the window actually move. there's a button you can press to make them circle around. i have no idea how there are people skilled enough to make this happen.

 that tiny tiny train museum was probably my single favorite part of the whole trip, but there was still lots of fun to be had.

locked in.

still locked in.

did you know that there are dinosaurs under saint paul and theyre alive and stuff?

deer family.

 the lego models made a return in a display surprisingly devoid of trains -- a little model of the state fair. i've only been to the actual thing once (lack of time and ailing health have prevented me from returning. sad!) but it was fun to recognize a lot of the famous draws of the event.

not a scale model, but surprisingly accurate to and evocative of the real fair regardless.

the cookie buckets!! what's the state fair without the great american tradition of the biblical sin of gluttony?

why are the k pop demon hunters the bus driver all of a sudden?

we also got to see some displays in various stages of progress, giving us a look into how these things are made.

a cute town - this part of the model is finished, and very nice to look at.

"WE'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT! HE'S FUCKING FLATLINING!!!!"

this massive spiral stands unfinished - yet is structurally sound enough to handle the longest train we'd seen thus far.

the impossibly long yet still cutely tiny train passes by a big boat.

tried to take a candid photo, but they saw me and both pulled the exact same face.

"it's huge... my god... it's like we're in some kind of "model train museum...""

 

even as we drew closer to the exit, the excitement didn't stop. we came upon a model of a theme park and all its attractions -- though there was no shortage of trains. unfortunately, the huge roller coaster wasn't in working order. a shame, but it's impressive that out of all these little machines, there was only a singular one that wasn't working. they must really stay on top of maintaining these toy vehicles.

one of the cute carousels.

a ferris wheel! stalled rollercoaster in the back.

one of the trains had a tiny camera. it's hard to tell from this photo, but the camera actually worked, and broadcasted to a little drive-in theater.

 

this hilly village neighbored the theme park.

there was a teeny tiny model by the exit that looked significantly more european than the other models. most of the displays up until now had been pretty strongly american (1950s american, mostly) so this was a really fun change of pace.

these absolutely miniscule models are just as detailed as their large counterparts.

we discussed wanting to visit this city, but figured that at our size, we would be unwelcome.

 

on our way out, we passed by the train doctor's office, though it seemed they weren't in today.

it's like a display in and of itself!

and, of course, we had to go through the gift shop before leaving. it's a museum, it's only proper!! there were quite a few model trains on sale, as well as kits for making your own display at home. i was honestly kind of astounded by how affordable these pieces seemed... though, if it's anything like lolita fashion, i'm sure the collection aspect of it racks up quick.

wyrm enjoys a little wind up choochoo train

as the museum closed, we had no choice but to say farewell to the trains. despite spending a good chunk of time there, it felt like we had barely scratched the surface -- there's so much little detail in each and every display, i feel like one visit isn't enough. i'll certainly have to come back someday - maybe when it's not so stiflingly hot outside.
 

HIII! BYEEEEE.

i had a wonderful time! i'm pretty insanely exhausted from my fun weekend and barely could keep my eyes open to finish this post lol, but the exhaustion is a sign of a weekend well spent. (and my chronic fatigue mixing badly with a heat wave but that's neither here nor theeerrreee.) (if i ignore it it can't hurt me.) (DO NOT DO THIS) (PASSED OUT IN MY HOUSE UPON RETURN!!) (...but do put yourself out there to try fun things you might not have thought of on your own.) (i wish the united states had a better railway system please god) (no more cars) (not clickbait.) (replace all cars with horses and trains 2026!) (I'm going to bed.)