mpzpw3 wrote:Just some information. Hobby Lobby has the 40% off coupon this week on-line. I purchased a 4-pack of fastrack curves. $17.99 regularly, $10.79 with coupon. Tomorrow I will buy another pack, and send the wife in Friday (Yes, I do have a job, just a strange work week!). Was also able to pick up a couple K-line snap switches for under $10.00 apiece, and some snap track for about $.50 apiece, and a remote section for $1.00. All on clearence!
The Hobby Lobby I checked out on line in north Florida had only a few Lionel sets and some Lionel Fastrac from 2003.
Lee F.
DJSpanky,
I did not order my track directly from Lionel but from a hobby store in Jupiter FL back in January. The hobby store guy said he orders stuff from a Lionel vendor rather than from Lionel directly as he can order what he wants or his customers want and not get what Lionel wants to send to him, which means not being stuck with high dollar Lionel items that just sit in his store.
Maybe next time if there is a next time to order track that is what I will do. Currently I am using Gargraves track and switches but want the Lionel issue of Super Streets by K-Line otherwise I would not order track.
About ordering track via the net you can save on large orders however the shipping can be equal to your savings if the stuff weighs a lot.
He said the reason is because lionel requires them to have a layout set up and running, all the time.
There are various levels of dealership and one of them does require an operating layout. The minimum definition of a layout means a loop of track and a transformer on a permament table. It does not have to be scenicked or have operating accessories. You take a picture of the layout showing it to be in a store and mail it for approval. If you want to be an authorized service center there are additional requirements.
Dave Farquhar,
Thanks for the info! The hobby stores you mentioned are in northeast & northwest FL or about a six hour drive one way from West Palm Beach area. All that Hobby Lobby carries is sets or Fastrac by Lionel, track has 2003/05 stock numbers on it. I will stay with the hobby stores in Lantana or Ft. Lauderdale or Miami FL, these are about 20 minutes to 70 minutes away from me.
Florida is a rather large state far as square miles go, Pennsacola is about seven hours by car one way, Jacksonville is almost six hours one way by car. Can not convince the wife to go to these areas for just a hobby purchase.
I am not too pleased with internet buying, at least not ebay!! Rather buy from ChooChoo auctions.com.
I try to buy used track if I find a good deal on it. But, whenever I want new track I buy online from Trainexpress they seem to have the cheapest price and free shipping on orders over $200.00.
"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen
ouch sorry, i have a little dexlexia from this tumor i got. i always try to keep names spelled right, sorry.
but I mainly get my stuff off ebay its cheaper usally, and i dont leave the house that much anyways. But I remeber stooping somewere on one of my trips to savanah and stopping at some huge hobby train shop/hobby shop and they had a huge lionel layout. I took pics so maybe i can search and figure that out....
Well zeke, first of all, please spell my name Grayson . But its really not a big deal though. The place in savannah (bull street station) has a layout set up. It is terrbile, with an amtrack engine and a few cars derailed around the layout. No senery. Ask dennis, he'll agree with me.
I dont know if this makes a differnece or not, but it looks like a k-line train, cause its got super k track. They do have a really nice ho scale layout set up. Nice senery, 2 trains running at the same time.
Another hobby shop in statesboro, georgia (about 70mi from savannah), didnt have a layout but did sell lionel cars and track. They closed however.
i dont know zeke. Just might have to be like me and order all my trains from the internet.
Grayson
dwiemer wrote:Forget Macon. They have one isle with O gauge anything on one side and that is it. All full retail and at most, they have a few sets and a few track pieces. Bull St. Station in Savannah only has a few items as Grayson mentioned, but they do have some scale rulers and some items for doing scenery, but again, that's it.Dennis
Forget Macon. They have one isle with O gauge anything on one side and that is it. All full retail and at most, they have a few sets and a few track pieces. Bull St. Station in Savannah only has a few items as Grayson mentioned, but they do have some scale rulers and some items for doing scenery, but again, that's it.
Dennis
Dennis, I think the only reason is still there since the 80s or 90s is because they sell the artist's supplies. Since you have the college of art and design right around the corner, alot of people will be going there.
However, in my town, a person opened a small (very small) hobby shop in an old building (about 10ft. 20ft. (seriously)). I went and asked him if he sold lionel, he said he was going to get some starter sets in soon. Every time I go and look, they are not there. He is one of those hobby shops with rc planes and boats, not trains.
Phillyreading, about the other hobby shop in savannah, there was one, now that i remember, but it closed about 3-4 years ago.
phillyreading wrote: Dave it would be nice to have a major hobby store down here in south Florida but usually only the smaller hobby shops stay in business or the ones that cater to H.O. & N scale mainly do well. The only place nearby that has a chain type hobby store is either Savanah or Macon GA and that over 400 miles away for me. There is Ready To Roll in north Miami FL and that is a rather large hobby store, about 65 miles away.Lee F.
Dave it would be nice to have a major hobby store down here in south Florida but usually only the smaller hobby shops stay in business or the ones that cater to H.O. & N scale mainly do well.
The only place nearby that has a chain type hobby store is either Savanah or Macon GA and that over 400 miles away for me. There is Ready To Roll in north Miami FL and that is a rather large hobby store, about 65 miles away.
Lee, I used the store locator and found a few Florida locations.
http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/store/astate.cfm?hlstate=FL
I don't know if any of these are close to you, but maybe we'll get lucky. Despite the name, Hobby Lobby is more of a craft store than a hobby store (at least in my opinion, for what that's worth) but they do have an aisle with trains.
Sorry to hear about the plight of the traditional hobby shop in your area. I'm concerned about the health of my favorite shop in St. Louis too. I would think there are enough hobbyists in St. Louis to support it, but maybe not.
phillyreading wrote:Jaabat, Here in Florida hobby store are becoming few and closing down in the past six years, almost two years ago BT&L Railroad in West Palm Beach FL closed-it was a hobby shop that dealt with model trains. About six years ago Lee's hobby shop in Stuart FL moved to Port Saint Lucie and closed after five months. Going back over six years ago Orange Blossom Hobbies in Miami FL closed.I only wish I had more hobby stores to go here in south FL.Lee F.
Jaabat,
Here in Florida hobby store are becoming few and closing down in the past six years, almost two years ago BT&L Railroad in West Palm Beach FL closed-it was a hobby shop that dealt with model trains. About six years ago Lee's hobby shop in Stuart FL moved to Port Saint Lucie and closed after five months. Going back over six years ago Orange Blossom Hobbies in Miami FL closed.
I only wish I had more hobby stores to go here in south FL.
What a sad story, Lee. And me without my violin...
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
majicman710,
I lived in Dublin GA for about three years in the mid 90's, Macon has a nice size hobby store on the north side of I-16 on I-75 that goes thru downtown Macon, I forget the name of the store. There should be another hobby store on the east side of Savannah(not Bull Street Station) near a military base and the end of I-16. Also there is another hobby store that has more O gauge stuff on highway 441 near Watkinsville, the name is Memory Station.
magicman710 wrote: phillyreading wrote: The only place nearby that has a chain type hobby store is either Savanah or Macon GA and that over 400 miles away for me. Lee F.Well since i live near savannah (about 10-15 mi from it.) I can tell you that the only hobby shop thats sells O gauge trains is Bull Street Station on Bull street. It has everything you wont for ho and n, but only o gauge track, but does have fastrack. I dont know about macon, they could have one. Grayson
phillyreading wrote: The only place nearby that has a chain type hobby store is either Savanah or Macon GA and that over 400 miles away for me. Lee F.
The only place nearby that has a chain type hobby store is either Savanah or Macon GA and that over 400 miles away for me.
Well since i live near savannah (about 10-15 mi from it.) I can tell you that the only hobby shop thats sells O gauge trains is Bull Street Station on Bull street. It has everything you wont for ho and n, but only o gauge track, but does have fastrack. I dont know about macon, they could have one.
TCA#09-63805
Seems like just about every town up here has a train store that sells O gauge. We had to pick and choose which ones to visit and which ones not to yesterday!
Jim
Dave Farquhar wrote:If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, and if they have Fastrack in stock, and if they happen to be running a 40% off web coupon, you can use that to save quite a bit on Fastrack, provided what they have matches what you need.
Is ordreing from the web really that much cheaper when you have to include shipping costs?
I deal with some auction sites and get really good deals on used Lionel & Williams trains. Sometimes the prices are 40% lower than when thew were new, also don't get caught by the shipping BUG! Shipping BUG is the delay from the time of ordering to the time of receiving an item. I ordered some track from Lionel and have been waiting for almost six months to receive it.
"No childhood should be without a train!"
Fastrack is the right choice for what you are doing. It is much easier for kids to assemble and well suited for floor running. You won't be sorry either. On tubular track, your 2037's spur gears and axles will suck up carpet fibers in no time bringing it to a screeching halt. Fastrack is ferous metal and works with magnetraction.
mpzpw3 wrote: Also enjoying playing with HIS 2037 train set in the meantime on my layout!
I know my Dad did the same thing with mine and my 3 brothers trains come that time of year. I guess maybe Santa wanted to give it a good ops check before the big day!
Here's my HO track storage device...the wall...
Jim,
Have you ever tried a 224E or 226E loco or pre war 2640 passenger cars with the Fastrac switches? These may have deeper wheel flanges than most other Lionel trains.
When giving a train to a young child the last thing that you want to happen is for a derailment to happen! That is why I say to try it first, might not have a problem but there is always that possibility.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month