Displaced, Ormandy's train shop and museum could move to Wellington

WELLINGTON — There's still steam in the engine for John Ormandy's model train shop and museum, he believes — just in a different location. "I have to move the museum, because for one thing I cannot keep it open here," the 84-year-old said Friday, packing up boxes at his shop at 10 Public Square in Medina, where he's operated for 31 years. Ormandy was served in February with an eviction notice after a dispute with the landlord over rent. He previously said the rate was going to rise from $600 per month to $2,750. His landlord's attorney could not be reached for comment. Now Ormandy plans to relocate as early as this summer to the former Wellington Implement building, which he owns, at 140 E. Herrick Ave., in Wellington. He said he plans extensive renovations to the building. How long the move takes will depend on what contractor he finds, and whether he can find donations or grants to offset costs of renovations, Ormandy said, "because this won't be cheap. "I'm 84 years old. I'm trying to tackle this all by myself. I need a builder to tackle this job." It will be a homecoming for Ormandy, who operated a model train store in the village until about a decade ago. It will also be an extension of life for one of the few remaining model train shops in Northeast Ohio. There are a few dealers in Lorain County — Uncle Ray's Trains in Sheffield Lake, Ben Franklin in Amherst and Stockyard Express in Oberlin — but fans have been worried for the past couple of decades about the slow disappearance of hobby stores. Ormandy said trains still hold a fascination for people of all ages, though. That's why he intends to enclose a portion at the front of his Wellington store, and lay track so people can view running trains through the window from outside. "That will be a big attraction," he said. Kimberly Marshall, economic development director for Medina, said she would prefer to see Ormandy's operation stay in the city, where it's been a draw. "He's been here for a really long time. If you're a train collector, and I think the museum also has vintage toys, it's a niche thing," she said. "Not everyone has that." Ormandy said he had to close the museum in Medina because it "ran out of money." A court case against his landlord in Medina County Common Pleas Court started Thursday, so the fate of the train store is still in limbo. "I don't know what's what," he said. "I'm sitting tight. (The court case) is not over yet. We presented our case." Marshall was surprised to hear that plans to move the museum to Wellington, possibly train shop as well, were going forward. She said Medina officials had been working to find an alternate location. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com. Reporter Bob Finnan contributed to this story. Contact him at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.