BEST LOCAL HOBBY SHOPS OF MY TIME IN HOBBY

[rolleiman]

Been to the train station.. Indeed a nice little operation.. Is the Blue Caboose still in business??

[rrlcommish]

In the Cincinnati, OH area, Davis Electronics in Milford is an amazing place. I model in HO and they have tons of stuff at very reasonable prices, but they also have a phenomenal amount of O-Gauge stuff. And the staff are very helpful.

I also lived in Columbus, OH for a number of years and The Train Station on Indianola Ave, though not very big in terms of square footage, has ALOT of stuff and is organized very well. And they're pretty friendly too.

[rolleiman]

My favs are long gone. Models Hobby Center in Ferndale, Michigan.. Large 55' tall RR crossing in front for the sign. Further up Woodward ave, just the other side of 14 mile, Train Center of Birmingham. Went downhill a bit when they moved across the street to Royal Oak but I still left a lot of money there. Gone now as well. Joes hobby on Wyoming in Dearborn. Several others, but all gone too. Those are the locals. My favorite out of town place ever visited was M.B. Klein. Caboose is cool, if in the denver area, it's a must see. Mizells should be included in that same trip. Wen't to Orange Blossom Hobbies once when in southern florida on business.. Getting there from Naples was a trip in itself (for an out of towner).

[Anonymous]

Sattler's
Westmont, NJ

[3railguy]

Engine House Services here in Northeast Wisconsin. They have a small but decent selection of N scale (the scale I model). HO is their specialty and they have a ton of good stuff.

Tacoma Trains in Tacoma, WA, was an N scale madhouse for me over the holidays because of their excellent selection of N scale in PNW roads (the roads I model).

[sundayniagara]

Gone, but not forgotten: Orange Blossom Hobbies in Miami. You knew you were accepted when the insults started coming. The long-time train department manager, Augie Hiscano passed away about a year ago. A bunch of us get together once a month and we call ourselves the "Orange Blossom Alumni." We'll never forget the place.
Mark

[reklein]

Roys trains in the Pheonix area, Mesa I think and Eastside trains in Kirkland WA. I think Kirkland anyway.

[tpd0418]

On a family vacation to San Antonio several years ago, I "detoured" through Dallas on the way home, just so I could visit Discount Model Trains. I was very impressed and would love to go again. Unfortunately, Dallas is a LONG way from Statesboro, Georgia.

Pierce Dickens

[on30francisco]

I remember in the 60s The Hobby House in downtown Cleveland, Lenny's in Lyndhurst, OH, and Hillcrest Model Shop in Mayfield Hts, OH. ( both suburbs of Cleveland) Since I now live in the SF Bay Area I go to The Train Shop in Santa Clara.

[R. T. POTEET]

I spent 20 years in the Air Force before retireing 28 years ago and so I traveled around a lot and never really spent a lot of time in any one place. There are, however, a few establishments which made a great impression on me.

I never get to the Bay area (I have a brother lives up there) without going by The Train Shop in Santa Clara. This is Browseville!! I don't always buy anything but the staff is friendly and the selection is out of this world - this guy's got things that everybody else is out of.

There was - in the sixties - a great hobby shop in Sunnyvale but it apparently closed up while I was in Germany in the late sixties and early seventies. Can't remember the name of it but I was introduced to John Allen in there in 1968. This was one of the first locations I remember as having a large selection of N-Scale.

I got into The Original Whistle Stop in Pasadena twice while I was stationed at San Bernardino in the late sixties. It was impressive.

I've been in Caboose Hobbies in Denver twice - once at each of his two locations. The first I remember as being just a little bit on the crowded side and I didn't really enjoy the experience at all. I went back a few years ago and I remember thinking as I walked through the front door that I had better take a sack lunch with me before I started the long walk to the back of the store.

The penultimate of all experiences was Bobbye Halls in Dallas. What a fire-trap - she had things crammed everywhere - and she has to be one of the nicest ladies it has ever been my pleasure to meet. She came up and introduced herself and said she had never seen me in there before. I explained I had never been in there before and I had just married off my youngest daughter the day before and I would probably be in debt to that experience for the rest of my life and I couldn't afford anything at that particular moment and she gave a throaty chuckle and nodded her head and gave me a ten minute tour of the place before she got called away for some store business. I got in there one other time, made a small purchase, and the next time I got to Dallas Bobbye Halls was all closed up.

We have a couple of good local hobby shops here in the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west but they are efficient without being jaw-dopping impressive.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nbrodar

Lin's Junction in Lansdale, PA.

Nick

I hafta second this nomination. Great stock and selection. Very friendly people. Also gotta give props to Jenkintown Trains. These guys will go out of their way for you and answer ANY questions.

[Anonymous]

THe one and only MADISON HARDWARE ON 23rd ST and Lexington ave. NYC.

[dharmon]

Let's see......

I grew up with the Bellaire Roundhouse and G&G Hobbies in Houston.....I wouldn't say Bellaire Roundhouse was youth friendly.....and though I spent alot of money there for my age, they never did seem too warm, but had the best selection. G&G always seemd to be friendliest but selection wasn't so good.

When Trainsource Texas was around they were great......I was overseas, and all I had to do was send a request and they'd get it to me. I understand Trainsource and Bellaire Roundhouse did some sort of merger and acquistions deal......I stopped in once, spent 20 minutes looking around and the guy never even looked up......felt like a kid again...must have been the same guy.

I've only been to Papa Ben's and Larry's a couple of times but the seem pretty good.

Discount Model Trains is probably my favorite. I stop there whenever I can for selection and price.

The Whistle Stop in San Diego is my local choice.....Scott may not have it but he'll order it....as for the other shop....ummm...well they're open Mondays.

And when up in LA, there's MP38. Allied Model Trains has a great selection of stuff and is worth a trip, but full on MSRP.....

Dan

[srud01]

Bills Hobby Shop in Phoenixville PA also was a peanut shop to great peanuts and at the time had a good inventory closed now i sure miss the peanuts

[Adelie]

My list would include:
1) Caboose Hobbies, Denver
2) The Train Shop, Santa Clara, CA
3) MB Klein, Baltimore
4) Peach Creek Shops, Laurel, MD

Also on the list:
Custom Railway Supply, Colorado Springs
Just Trains, Concord, CA
Willis Hobbies, Mineola, NY (Long Island)

And Chuck, I was in the Switch Stand on a visit to St. Louis last year. My last visit there was probably 1978 or so. From what I remember, they moved further east on Manchester. I enjoyed the visit there - brought back memories. The store character hadn't really changed from what I remember.

While we are on the subject of St. Louis, back in the 1970s Checkered Flag Hobbies was great. They were always a full range hobby and craft shop but back then were about 50% trains. They are still around, but probably 20% trains these days. Less impressive, from our perspective.

There was also a hole-in-the-wall named Johnston's Train Shop in South Central St. Louis (near Cherokee Street). They are long gone. The place was owned and run by a somewhat grumpy old lady, but she had some off the wall stuff. Certainly not the best, but always worth checking when you needed some oddball piece of track or part.

[PASMITH]

Reeds Hobby Shop. I visit it every time I am in San Diego to visit my grandkids.

The best of all hobby shop worlds for me was in the mid 80's, when I was working at 1166 Ave. of the Americas in New York City. Within less than a block on 45th St. were THREE of the finest model railroad shops imaginable. These included one of the oldest shops in America ( Down in the basement) and the Red Caboose across the street on the fourth floor that could only be reached by an elevator that took courage to ride in and, which moved into the basement across the street at a later date. The clutter and confusion of the Red Cabboose is described in wonderfull detail on page 43 of Sam Posey's book " Playing with Trains". These three shops were visited every lunch time for four years and were instrumental in the building of my first model railroad.

Peter Smith, Memphis

[Anonymous]

Harper Hobbies, San Bernardino, Ca. Gone now, but had everything, layout and great advise.

[wctransfer]

Hmmm, I see a lot of the guys around me have posted, wjstix,Art and Jim, so i'll chime in.

Beckers Model Railroad Supply: Great guy, great store (if you need it he has it, or can get it) and low prices. Surprised none of you guys mentioned him.

Hub Hobby: Was pretty good that I remembered, maybe one of you can chime in.

Scale Model Supplies: They have EVERYTHING, seems some stuff has been on the shelves since 1995 hehehe. But, I and a few others have had bad experiences with the guys, and gouging of prices. One day someone called in to reserve an item he saw earlier. He picked it up and they upped the price on it, pretty blatent "patch" also. They charge FULL retail, but have what you need.

Alec

[csxns]

And i cant forget the Wilco dept stores they had a train section.

[csxns]

Red Caboose in Gastonia NC.The Whistle stop hobbie shop in Charlotte NC.Southern Rails in Belmont NC and the Hobbie Center in Greenville SC.

[BurlingtonJohn]

Always enjoyed visiting Bobby Hall's when she was open in Dallas.

Whistle Stop in San Diego ... even though Scott is a confirmed AT&SF fan, he still manages to feed my appetite for all things CB&Q, even after I moved 2000 miles away. The Whistle Stop is kind of a 'Cheers' type place, where everybody knows your name.

Regards,
Burlington John
[8D]

[Anonymous]

Shepaug Railroad Company- Leominster Massachusetts

[nbrodar]

Lin's Junction in Lansdale, PA.

Nick

[Blind Bruce]

Does anybody remember Jim Graces hobby shop in Milwaukee? I made the 40 mile trek there as a kid using the old Chicago, Milwaukee and shore line interurban electric trsain. (The North Shore line) Too many years ago.
BB

[tsgtbob]

My vote would have to be Mainline Hobby in Blue Ridge Summit Pa. followed by Tommy Gilbert's in Gettysburg too.

[cwclark]

there are 4 hobby shops in the Houston area that are really good places....1. The Houston Roundhouse, 2. Papa Ben's Train Place, 3. Larry's Hobbies, and 4. The Spring Crossing....there are more, but these are the best of the rest...chuck

[csmith9474]

Caboose Hobbies in Denver is cool, but I do most of my shopping at Custom Railway Supply in Colorado Springs. That is a great train shop with knowledgeble and down to earth staff.

[SilverSpike]

Not sure if they are up and running again after Katrina flooded the place, but Hub Hobby in New Orleans was a great place to find modeling supplies and had a huge inventory of HO scale gear.

Update: Looks like they moved to Metairie, which is just a few miles from New Orleans,

http://www.hubhobbyshop.com/

[Anonymous]

Trainland and Kross Hardware on Long Island.