Whats your LHS like?

[Anonymous]

Well I don't think I can really call the one in my town a hobby shop as all they want to do is order what you want and carry a few things which they want an arm and a leg for, so that reason I either have to drive 45 miles to the next HS that carries about all you want or order from Standard Hobby Supply which I do both of alot.

[simon1966]

K-10 model trains in Maryville, IL (about 18 miles from the St. Louis arch, is a fantastic LHS. A small store, but packed to the rafters with a good assortment. Prices are always in the 20% below Walthers. Also, Ken sells radio control cars, so is already a Horizon dealer and continues to stock blue boxes. The hobby shop has odd hours, but they are ususally open when i am out of work. Behind the store is a huge HO scale layout. Ken is really good with advice and there are always a lot of very knowledgable folk hanging around. http://www.k-10smodeltrains.com/default.htm

The web site has a lot of pictures of the layout on it, well worth a look.

[bogp40]

I am located about 6 miles south of Boston, beside the biggies in the metro area, there are few very good shops within a 30 min drive. These shops are of the one man plus helper variety.- friendly, knowledgeable ,multi scale and have a good selection. One in particular is a fairly new store of about 3yr The Platinum Spike in Cohasset, Ma. My fellow club members as myself, really enjoy this LHS since the owner is one of our members. The new store is 99% completed. It is actually located in the origional baggage/ freight house along the old New Haven line from Boston to Plymouth. The Old Colony Commuter rail, is restoring rail service as I write and will pass within 30 feet of the store. As I was finishing some of the restorations to the building I asked if he would like me to add a large picture window @ trainside to place the bleachers. A 150' demo loop of Lionel and HO is now up and running. Many orders are taken on a meeting night and goodies delivered to same if you like. Even though our club is HO, his shop caters to all scales.

[Anonymous]

In my area, there are six trains-only hobby shops. Another has a wide selection of trains but also carries airplane and car plastic kits. The owner of this shop and the hangers-on tend to be really skilled narrow gauge modelers and the store's train stock reflects that. They also have the really well organized, large stock of detail parts.

Of the group of six, two cater almost exclusively toy train and G enthusiasts. The others have varying mixes of product.

Some owners are very knowledgeable about the product, one is very knowledgeable about how to do and build things, being and MMR. This same one (and the only one of all seven) is really knowledgeable about DCC (primarily Lenz but carries the others).

Pricing tends to mostly be at list, with two exceptions. At one, I can buy sound decoders at nearly the same price I could be on-line.

I seldom have anyone order anything for me, but they all offer that service, with varying degrees of timeliness from 2 weeks to never.

My one gripe with all of them is if I buy a product and find it defective, it is my problem to deal with getting a replacement or a repair.

[jrbernier]

I live in a town of just under 100,000 in total population. I have 1 LHS that sells trains, R/C and plastics. It does not have a great selection of detail parts in stock, but they can order what I want and usually get it in a week. I do get a nice discount, so a lot of my purchases go to the LHS rather than mail order.
About a year ago, the owner died, and the shop operation was in question. His wife and his brother have kept the shop open, and have actually expanded the train section. They carry the usual Athearn/MDC/Accurail/Walthers items, and also Spectrum Steam, P2K, Kato, and BLI engines. I live about 75 miles from a major metro area that has several well stocked shops, but tend to order via my LHS....

Jim

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock
The next one out, in the suburbs but still technically in town, is Bruce's Trains, which is the descendant of a hobby shop I've been visiting for about 25 years. Wide selection of items, staff incredibly helpful and willing to have their brains picked, prices reasonable if not fabulous.

The third one is actually in a nearby city about 20 miles away, Riverside Hobbies in Roseville. It's not quite as big as Bruce's but the selection is quite good and the staff very friendly. Prices tend to be very good, a little lower than the prices I see for things in the Walthers catalog, although the extra drive makes up for the price difference--unless I'm out in that neck of the woods anyhow I usually won't make a special trip.

There is some R/C hobby shop nearby that has some G-scale stuff, but I don't do G scale--neither my wallet nor my garage (nor my backyard) has the capacity for those behemoths...

Bruce's? Fabulous prices? I don't hink so. Everything in that store is MSRP. Except the HO steam which is -10% but plus 8.25% which brings it back up next to MSRP.
The staff is pretty freindly, except for one guy.

Railroadhobbies needs a wider selection, but has a nice enviroment.

Riverside Hobbies is not for moderl railroaders. Mostly LL garbage and a few random Accurail kits. they cater to mostly RC and airplane people.

[Dayliner]

We have a number of good hobby shops here in the Greater Vancouver (BC) area, and not just general hobby shops, but good train stores. Central Hobbies gets most of my business. (You know they're good when the awning over the door is shaped like a CP Royal Hudson!) It's right under a massage parlour and the atmosphere inside is positively Dickensian, with an almost unnavigable clutter of the best train stuff you will ever find. The folks--both buying and selling--are pretty Dickensian, too. Best part? Walked in today and Bill said "That decoder you wanted is in."

"Where everybody knows your name."

[Anonymous]

I've got 1 20 minutes away, pretty much a Walthers catalog with a door.
I've got 2 35 minutes away. One is a huge Walthers catalog with a door, One is an old school shop, with brass and parts galore.
I've also got one 2 minutes from where I work.( 1 hour from home) Not much train selection, but lots of styrene and brass raw materials and paint.
Not too shabby, all in all![:D]

[Anonymous]

polozi- I enjoy spending time with John (the one telling the Roundhouse story) He's a wealth of information. My two favorite stories are about the steepest grade and about helper service in Akron. I've learned a lot from him. He's also learned some from me about modern railroading.The problem I have with the other store is they don't seem to recieve new stock very much. Though I do like the worker there, though youo must prove yourself first.
Andrew

[Anonymous]

I live in Germany. So my "LHS" is near 200 kilometers away. US modelrailway shops are not often here and with an excelent service I had find only one.

So I must sa that All American Trains at Kaarst is my LHS.

My next shops are in the U.S., thousands of miles away.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 LHS locatated near me with in 5 mins each both have there good points. Neither has a large stock but I can order almost anything I need. My favorite is Trains Etc in Cuyahoga Falls the owner is nice and knows me by name. Chuck is always helpful and he even lets me borrow his train videos with out a rental fee. was in there today and one of his guys gave me a history lesson on a old round house location that I never even had a clue about. I wont take my train needs anywhere else you just cant get that kinda service in most places. They are just too customer friendly!!!

[darth9x9]

My LHS is excellent! Very knowledgable staff with at least one person dedicated to each scale. They can order just about anything I can provide a manufacturer and stock number for. They even shipped me stuff while I was deployed to Bosnia. My LHS's name......M.B. Kleins! www.modeltrainstuff.com

[tstage]

There are two LHS in my neck of the woods that I frequent and both are very good. Both are authentic hobby shops - in the true sense of the word - and I visit and patronize each of them for entirely different reasons.

While one has a better and wider selection of stock (and cheaper prices); the other has a good selection of stock but a very knowledgable train guy who can answer my questions and fix things, if I need him to. While one has an extensive line of modeling books and magazines that I can peruse through; the other has some but is more specialize in the modeling aspect. Even though I might be able to pick up an Accurail kit for a buck or two cheaper at the first store, I'll spend the extra amount at the second store because of the help that I've received from them that day, or in the past.

The real plus of any LHS is the personal contact that you have and establish with them as a customer. The other is the ability to be able to see, touch, hold, and compare the product - and STILL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU NEED TO!!! [:D]

I am very grateful for both of these LHS. Each of them has been very helpful and treat me well as a customer. I will continue to give them as much support as I can reasonable afford. With the economy and the hobby the way it is, any good LHS worth it's weight in gold is going to treat its customer base well - or it won't be in the busness for much longer.

Tom

[jeep35]

Living in the Baltimore area, the best place for HO and N scale is M.B. Kleins (modeltrainstuff.com) on the tnternet.
The store is chock-full of trains and supplies. So much so that moving around the store can be difficult. Excellent selection and prices.

Jim

[n2mopac]

Since I live in smallville USA my LHS looks a lot like a computer screen/web browser. Boy I sure miss those shops in Fort Worth and Dallas though.
Ron

[Anonymous]

My LHS closed. It was something like Madego Trains. It WAS in North Little Rock, but closed sometime around the mid 90s. [:(] I bought my SP SD9 in black widow paint from him. [:)] It was a small store but the owner knew his stuff AND he did advertise in Model Railroader.

There are several hobby shops in Little Rock. The only one I have been to, well, let's just say I was not impressed. The others are a drive that I don't care to make. (If you live in NLR you tend to like to stay on THIS side of the river.) [;)]

To be honest with you, I now consider my LHS to be Battlefield Station in Springfield, Missouri. That is where I purchased my entire fleet of Frisco passenger cars (both blue/silver heaveyweight and red/silver streamlined) and all 3 of my Frisco E8/9 units. Plus my FA1/FB1 set came from there too. Now THAT is a good hobby shop. They have tons of stuff to choose from and carry all scales. Plus they also carry RC cars and planes, plus book, vids, mags, well you name it, they have it. [:D] It is an out of state drive but at least when I go I can get a home cooked meal from my parents. [:D] (Fried fish is one of my favorites too and they like to make it for me. [:D] [:p] [:D] )

[Javern]

very mom & pop, door propt open in summer and they wear coats inside in winter as they refuse to heat/cool the place. Stuff stacked everywhere with little or no organization, however when a customer calls and inquires about a product they ( the owners ) know exactly what they have and know where its located.

Depending on what time of day you go there they are eating their meal or evidence of a eaten meal right on the counter. Grandkids are there sometimes making a mess and friends stop by and sit on folding chairs and gossip. Old wooden floors and old light fixtures with just enough lit to see your way around.

[Fergmiester]

One's in a Mobile Home. Amazing what you can get in one of those puppies!

And the other is in an historic building and has about 1400 square feet. 500 of that is the train section. Again they've packed a fair bit of stuff into it. I don't think we have the population or the interest to have a truly train devoted LHS. Someone trid it several years ago but folded.

[CP5415]

I went to my LHS to place another payment on a BB AMD103 today & I found out that he has set aside 4 Walthers Budd cars that he had in stock but is selling to me at Walthers sale price.
What www hobby shop would do that?

Gordon

[Anonymous]

My LHS-The Green Caboose in Alton, is fairly small, but they discount a little bit and offer a good amount of GM&O, NKP, BNSF, KCS, and Wabash models as well as some CB&Q, UP, and TRRA of St. Louis. They also have a fair amount of scratchbuilding supplies. being on the outside of the St. Louis market, competing with the bigger St. Louis hobby shops they don't have a huge amount of business, but they're the closest hobby shop around.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 shops by me. One is Hobby Recycling, which I have only been to once and will never go back to. It was smokey inside and the people were quite rude. The LHS I do go to is Ryders Hobby Shop. It's part of a chain. They have locations all over Michigan. They've got an awesome selection of HO, a whole 2 isles to be exact. N and other scales share 1 isle. I've bought a lot of stuff from them, and will continue to buy. The prices are a bit high, but I don't really like hassling with on-line stores, so it doesn't bother me.
I hope to get a job there when I'm 14. [:)]

[cwclark]

We have 3 really good hobby shops in the Houston area...Papa Ben's, The Houston Roundhouse, and there's one in Spring, Texas that isn't too shabby either...They have it all...I know what you mean about those arts and craft centers...they are good for paints, balsa wood, hobby knife blades, and card stock, but that's about it...Have you seen the train aisle at Hobby Lobby?...no wonder we can't get people involved in the hobby!...Chuck[:D]

[rrinker]

My LHS? A complete JOKE. It's one of those chains, they have 2 or 3 stores in the area, ALL catering pretty much to the D&D crowd and RC Cars. Trains? Oh, they have a few Athearn pieces, some Atlas track, etc - all at full MSRP. No Kadee couplers, none of the useful things.
So I usually buy things at the various shows we have around here, or ebay.

[on30francisco]

The LHS in this area has a separate train section but also caters to other hobbies. They carry a lot of HO supplies and some other supplies in the other scales. They charge list price for their merchandise. While the service is OK, the store can be a little cliquish at times. There is also a hobby shop in Santa Clara called The Train Shop. This shop is strictly model railroading and is very well-stocked with supplies for all scales and gauges. The clerks are courteous and very helpful and their prices are from 10% to 20% below list price. When I'm in the South Bay I usually stop in. Other than patronizing this shop, I usually buy my supplies online.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy

I'm very lucky in this area -- small town, rural about 90 miles southwest of Chicago, BUT there are actually THREE shops within a max of a 12 minute drive from my house! The one I frequent almost exclusively is in Spring Valley, IL, The Valley Roundhouse - Home of the Rock Shop. The owner is single, a retired school teacher, former employee of Rock Island RR, a train nut most if not all of his life. He has a double deck HO layout in the basement of his home, and is building a 20 by 60 foot single deck layout in the basement of his store.

He sells maybe 90 + percent HO, the rest is N. He has multiple sources for stock, tons of knowledge and contacts, and sells everything at 20 percent off what Walthers is asking. He will custom order stuff for you and doesn't pass along the shipping charges, and still knocks of the 20 percent! If a company raises their prices, he keeps his existing stock at the price it was when he originally received it. That means he still has some Athearn blue box kits, for example, selling for under five bucks! This man is a gem and I support him as much as I can. He even gives his better customers Christmas gifts each year in apprecialtion for their patronage. This year I got a Burlington coffee mug and a Bowser kit for a 50', single door CB&Q boxcar. He's slowly getting up in years and last year he had a stroke, so he will be sorely missed once he is gone.

This guy sounds like a great asset to the community as well as model railroading. I wish more hobby shops were operated in the same manner. Reading this post was good for the spirit; thanks for sharing it. You should print a copy of your post and give it to him, just to let him know how valued he is. Great job, CB&Q.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:

ACL, you MOVED to Denver to be closer to Caboose Hobbies huh? Now that's what I call major enthusiasm. Cool, cool, cool.[bow] I would like to think that Denver has other pleasing qualities about it that you factored in when contemplating your move, however.

Well, there WAS a job involved, but I'd already told my wife that this particular job was more attarctive than others because of the LHS situation.

I have also lived in Phoenix and enjoyed "An Affair with Trains" as well as "Roy's Train World" a great deal.

Also great: "Little Choo-Choo Shop" in Spencer, NC; "Charlotte Electric Trains" in Cahrlotte, NC and "Creative Pastime Shop," in (a small town in) SC.

And years and years ago, I was introduced to Lionel in "Park Lane Hobbies" (the original) in suburban Chicago.

[Anonymous]

I am fortunate in that my LHS is only about 8 miles away and the owner is an avid HO railroader. What he sells, he sells at the Walthers price, to include anything that he might have to order for me. If I need it now and don't want to wait until he places a bulk order, I will use the internet, but generally only from manufacturers, since I'm still new at the whole internet and model RR combo.

[CBQ_Guy]

I'm very lucky in this area -- small town, rural about 90 miles southwest of Chicago, BUT there are actually THREE shops within a max of a 12 minute drive from my house! The one I frequent almost exclusively is in Spring Valley, IL, The Valley Roundhouse - Home of the Rock Shop. The owner is single, a retired school teacher, former employee of Rock Island RR, a train nut most if not all of his life. He has a double deck HO layout in the basement of his home, and is building a 20 by 60 foot single deck layout in the basement of his store.

He sells maybe 90 + percent HO, the rest is N. He has multiple sources for stock, tons of knowledge and contacts, and sells everything at 20 percent off what Walthers is asking. He will custom order stuff for you and doesn't pass along the shipping charges, and still knocks of the 20 percent! If a company raises their prices, he keeps his existing stock at the price it was when he originally received it. That means he still has some Athearn blue box kits, for example, selling for under five bucks! This man is a gem and I support him as much as I can. He even gives his better customers Christmas gifts each year in apprecialtion for their patronage. This year I got a Burlington coffee mug and a Bowser kit for a 50', single door CB&Q boxcar. He's slowly getting up in years and last year he had a stroke, so he will be sorely missed once he is gone.

[Anonymous]

What's my LHS like.... Well it's run by an old man in his mid 90's that forgets who i am even though I come in about once or twice a month and have for years. He's really great to deal with and has more knowledge about airplanes than any other person i have met. His son is the train man and together they have a fine little shop. They have a 4x8 layout that has been covered with stuff for years they just keep piling it on to the point it's in layers. Rumor has it that Jimmy Hoffa is under there. Prices are a little high but there are some good bargains if you look around a bit.

Smash49