Walking into Purkey's Toy Trains in Sykesville, Maryland is like stepping back in time. Wiley Purkey spent much time and effort restoring his store to it's original state in 1878, and this is where he houses his model trains supply shop. He sells everything from ready-to-go model trains to a liquid to make your locomotive reek of coal!

Purkey's own layout takes up a full quarter of a room, and is a multilevel layout full of loops, twists, bridges and tunnels, all reeking of authenticity.

Sykesville was a stop on the Baltimore and Ohio Main Line beginning in the 1830's and while passenger service ended here in 1949, the occasional freight train still lumbers through.

Purkey strives for that old-time feel: he offers hand-written receipts and stained-glass windows to his guests, and they are many. Not to be left behind, Purkey has a computerized database (hidden in the back) as well as a web site. He also sells many items on eBay and ships model trains worldwide, and claims to have seen nothing but growth in his small business since he opened the wooden doors in 2000. For more on Purkey's Toy Trains check out the entire article in the Baltimore Sun.