Local Collector Shows Off Toy Trains

Toy trains have been part of our lives and history for a long time. Many of us had toy trains as kids. News On 6 reporter Rick Wells found a man who turned his childhood love of trains into a second career as the chief engineer of his very own Sand Springs railroad.

Cliff McKnight has been fascinated with toy trains since he was a kid and accumulated lots of them.

"I wanted to do something different in my retirement years," said McKnight of the Main Street Toy Train Museum.

What guy wouldn't want to play with trains?

"The best place to start explaining it is in this corner over here," said McKnight.

It's the Sand Springs Tulsa area in miniature, there's the trolley line that ran from Sand Springs to downtown Tulsa, Bell's Amusement Park and the circus.

The walls are lined with antique and interesting pieces. The museum is also a repair shop.

Someone gave him a collection of Batmobiles through the years.

"We need 11 black flatcars and we'll have a bat train," said McKnight.

There's lots of stuff, but the trains are the stars. Everywhere you look there's something happening, kids on the playground, Santa unloading eggnog, even a damsel in distress and don't forget the bell, it's off an old steam locomotive.

The Toy Train Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday afternoons until 6pm. Admission is $2.