Flemington's Northlandz Train Wonderland Reopens After Renovation

FLEMINGTON, NJ — After 10 months and a $250,000 renovation, Northlandz has reopened.

The world's largest model train museum reopened Sept. 26. The facility looks entirely different.

"When we went in there, we saw it and said, this is amazing, and we decided to buy it, preserve it, improve it, and keep it going," said new owner Tariq Sohail. "When we took it over, it was a mess. The carpet was a mess, the lights did not work, and only about 20 of the trains were working."

Now, there are nearly 100 trains running, many in city- and mountain-like settings, which were also renovated and improved upon. There is also a play area for kids, a new gift shop, concession stand, and space for private events.

There are also a 200-piece doll collection, a replica steam train from the 1890s, and a 2,000-pipe organ.

Other renovations at the 15-acre facility include: New landscaping, flooring, paint inside and outside, and LED lighting.

"The great thing about Northlandz is that people can have a different experience every time they come here," Sohail said. "We plan on doing different holiday themes too, like for Halloween and Christmas."

Sohail plans to bring more to the 16-acre site that Northlandz is on. Future projects include a bigger play area with climbing walls, a bounce area, and an arcade. Northlandz only covers about 52,000-square-feet of the property.

Other plans for the property could involve a hotel, movie theater, waterpark, or restaurant. Sohail discovered the property while searching for warehouse space for his distribution business, WBM International.

"Nothing is final here yet, there is a lot of land here," Sohail said. "We just need to know what the demand is here."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com