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All Aboard the Storybook Land Express!: Rides, Exhibits at Park to Open Friday;

Posted on: Friday, 26 May 2006, 21:00 CDT

By Erin Hendricks, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

May 25--Tom Blanchard's face glows as he runs his hand across the glossy surface of his "pet."

Blanchard's connection to this pet -- an 82-seat Storybook Land Express train, to be exact -- began long before he knew how to drive trains, let alone build and repair them.

"I was born and raised by a railroad," he said. "When we were kids we could walk outside and tell what time of day it was by the number of cars on the train. We knew when it was time for dinner."

Now a member of the James Valley Model Railroad Association based in Aberdeen, Blanchard finds joy in tinkering with models and occasionally driving the Express in his railroad costume at Wylie Park.

"He has a hat, overalls and striped outfit," said his wife, Dee. "The kids like that he dresses so differently."

Starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Wylie Park-goers can take advantage of the Storybook Land Express, in addition to other rides previously boarded up for the winter season. The train weaves through the park, giving visitors a first-class view of its yellow brick sidewalks, the zoo and freestanding Oz characters.

The train, the Wizard Balloon Ride, the carousel and the climbing wall will all become accessible to the public. Gift shops and exhibits such as Dorothy's House, Mary's Gift Shop and Storybook Gift shop will also open.

Firing up: The distinct smell of must wafted through the air as Blanchard and his wife unlocked the train depot for the first time in months. The building houses a train model, a staged area with seating and historical ticket booth with mannequin conductor. The Blanchards stepped across a threshold filled with several piles of bugs before uncasing a steam engine 1920s model train. The train was built by Bob Larson and Dennis White in 2003, Blanchard said.

"Everything has to be in tune here -- if not, the train won't run," said Blanchard, wiping off the miniature tracks.

On a larger scale, the Storybook Land Express is about a mile long and lasts about 12 to 15 minutes. The entire track was put in place by volunteers, Blanchard said.

The train continues to be the most popular ride at Storybook Land to date, said Mark Hoven, parks superintendent for the Aberdeen Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. This popularity remains in spite of attention directed toward the Wizard Balloon Ride, which opened for the first time in June 2005. Last summer, 49,677 riders bought tickets for the train ride, whereas 39,088 visitors took a spin on the Wizard Balloon, according to the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department's annual report.

Hoven said the rides will once again stay open from Memorial Day through Labor Day and the first three or four weekends of September, if the weather cooperates.

Down time: Because the park site sits fairly unprotected from the forces of nature, weather plays a large role in determining who heads out to the park, Hoven said.

"If we lose a weekend to rain, it's really hard to make that up," Hoven said.

He estimates Wylie Park sees about 150,000 to 200,000 visitors a year.

The Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department used the winter months to perform small repairs and general maintenance work on the rides -- gearing them up for the high-traffic season ahead, Hoven said. A portion of that maintenance work included painting the carousel horses and reconditioning the train line.

Both the train ride and carousel are handicapped-accessible, Hoven said. Also, there is no age limit for who can step onto the train. Riders who might otherwise be physically limited have the advantage of seeing all of the park and zoo area, Blanchard said.

Wylie Park is in its 30th year of existence. Developers would eventually like the master plan to include bigger rides in keeping with the theme of the park, Hoven said. This process is difficult, however, because of the amount of time needed to collect donations from individual sponsors.

Revenue generated from ridership goes directly back into funding the maintenance and improvement of Storybook Land, Hoven said.

To direct the success of his beloved pet, Blanchard will remain on-call throughout the summer for maintenance repair in case of technical emergencies. About 15 to 20 volunteers run the Express line once college students start heading home, leaving them in charge of Wylie Park, "Aberdeen's best kept secret," he said.

Blanchard gave his own reasons why the ride draws such big crowds.

"It's a train -- you don't get to ride a train very much out here unless you're a piece of grain or coal," Blanchard said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

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Source: American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)

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