Toy Train Superstore... whats your wish?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Some of the best train stores are located in the most run down neighborhoods. LOW RENT!!!

Maybe the closest thing I've seen to what this topic is looking for is Caboose Hobbies in Denver. ALL TRAINS ALL SCALES!!!! Located in an old grocery store. Don't take my word for it, ask John Kerklo.

The truth is that The Great Train Store (no American in the name), was not that great.
It was realy more of a tourist trap than a train store. I was very familiar with the one at the Mall of America, and even visited the ones in Indianapolis and Washington DC. Their main business was not really trains, it was railroad related items. T shirts, hats, books, videos, etc. The few trains they did have were grossly overpriced, reflecting the high rent locations of the stores.

[guilfordrr]

Hmm, Kooljock. Guess a lot of kids couldn't wait for Christmas/birthday and just smuggled the train out of the store.
[}:)][:D][}:)][:D][}:)][:D]

[Anonymous]

Back in the mid 1960s the old Two Guys discount department stores in NJ deeply discounted Lionel Trains. I never bought much because it looked like plastic junk.
Bill
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Kooljock1]

Guilfordrr,

Yup! Back around '92 or '93 K-Mart carried the LIONEL Chesapeake Flyer set. It was cheap. Poorly displayed. And as I said, usually missing the loco!

Jon [8D]

[Anonymous]

The great american train store was a great idea. I only wished that I had been to their Mall of America location 2 weeks earlier in their going under sale. It was kinda picked over when I rolled in. I did get some cheap buildings and Lionel items.

I think that some brand of big box store could make a go of it with some toy trains. Wal-Mart would fail at trains. They can't carry anything over $ 200 except a gas grill or a lawn mower.

[guilfordrr]

If you have a toy train super-store, that means bye-bye hobby shops, and I always perfered them. [:0]
I just think that Lionel should get hooked up with a department store, just like the good ol' days..........

Kooljock1: Lionel was in K-mart?????

[Anonymous]

Dave V.,
theres bound to be room for one up near NOVA or D.C.!

and yes, it's an impractical business model. but wouldn't it be neat?

[cnw1995]

I loved the Great American Train Stores - and I like Joe's idea of a train-related Chuck E. Cheese - wasn't there a recent thread that noted an O gauge layout was one of C.E.C's attractions - I know there is one in the Crystal Lake (IL) C.E.C. I dimmly recall a note in MR that Great Amer. Train Stores overexpanded and went down...

[Kooljock1]

Back when LIONEL was in K-Mart, we'd see the box window broken and the engine missing too.

But for a train "Super Store", I'd think that the Costco/Sams model is impractical. What might work, is a train-themed large retail store, with layouts, virtual reality simulators, and a restaurant equipped with a separate section for hosting childrens birthday parties a la Chuck E. Cheese..

To be sure, it can't be on "mall" real estate. This was the problem with "The Great American Train Store": to expensive!

This place would have to be a family "destination". And it would ideally have a loading dock in the back for the UPS trucks.

Jon [8D]

[Anonymous]

Engines being stolen from sets? On a large basis? That's a new one.
As for stores...the Michael's in Waldorf ,Md. carried some trains (mostly
HO and some seasonal O items) and a fair assortment of general hobby
gear such as plastic model kits, paints, airbrushes and some supplies
like balsa and basswood, Plastruct, etc. I have since moved out of state
and haven't visited there for a year so I don't really know if that continues,
but I would assume so. There is also a very good hobby shop in the
same shopping center as Michael's so I guess that area is "blessed".

I must agree with other posters here. If there are so many of "us" and our
demand is so "great", then why are hobby shops dying on the vine? I
have relocated to an area in Virginia where there are quite many train
people, but there is no hobby shop. I am in the process of filling the gap
by opening a "cottage industry" of repairing/restoring model/toy trains and
their related equipment at my home. (I'm retired) the nearest hobby shop
is about 2 1/2 hours away, so most of my parts have to be mail-ordered.
This works well for all concerned as I can usually pick my own schedule
and don't have the overhead of a store-front. I'm also blessed with a built-
in clientele.

But it would be great to have a store-front to go to for "spur-of-the-moment"
items.

[Roger Bielen]

Being pragmatic, I don't think any areas other then the northeast ( NJ, PA) that the density of model train hobbiest is sufficient to support such a store. A while back didn't someone try a chain of stores geared to trains with locations in malls and they only lasted a year or two?

Even though it's unlikely to happen it is nice to dream. [sigh]

[SPFan]

A superstore would have everything for all gauges with Live steam running outside.
They would also have layouts with all of the operating accessories which anyone could run. Why is it so few train stores have operating accessories on their layouts?
Pete

[cnw1995]

Hobby Lobby is the only non-hobby store (if you know what I mean - it's more of a craft superstore) that carries trains, and track (N, HO and some O). And every set (K-Line)has the engine taken out - the staff say they are frequently stolen. There's nothing in the local Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco (yes, we live in category-buster heaven), or even Toys R Us. Frankly, I try to frequent the sole remaining local hobby store as much as possible even though I know I 'overpay' for track and related things there - I recognize the trade-off that has been discussed frequently. . .

[FJ and G]

chief,

If model trains are "The World's Greatest Hobby" and there are so many of us, then a super store would seem in order.

As it is, about the only place you can find toy trains is in a hobby shop, that in many locations, is hidden and not in the general vicinity of a large shopping mall or area; i.e., away from places most frequented.

There are more places that you can buy Legos than there are model train outlets!

I think that Lionel a long time ago hit upon the key idea: have an operating layout featured in the window where people can come to gawk.

[ChiefEagles]

I agree with the Super Store. I had mentioned in an earlier post, a Bass Pro Shops of trains. With seasonal sales with the venders attending and answering questions and etc.

[FJ and G]

BTW, Michael's in Woodbridge VA carried trains (HO) until several years ago.

I asked the manager why they were discontinued and he replied that they are the most frequently returned and/or broken items in the store and they were losing money on them.

[FJ and G]

... w/ Sam's Wholesale prices.

a string of 40 diecast ore cars will set you back at least $1,600. And $2K for an Acela.

BTW, when I was a kid, they had trains for sale in the downtown Wollworth's Dept Store. I used to save my dollars shoveling snow and purchase them there. HO, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

dont you wish every major city had a choo-choo train mega store. just like them Lowes or Home Depot's or Sam' s Wholesale??

a HUGE hundred-thousand-acre mega complex with 40 foot ceilings and forklift pallets full or everything hobby related. BIG displays and a guy out front with a pushcart selling hotdogs.

AAHHHhhhhhhh yes!
imagine the possibilities.
which aisle would you go to first?
how much of your saturday would be spent walking through the store?