Dave, you should have asked this question on the "Classic Toy Trains" Forum. Maybe you did, but I haven't looked in there yet this morning.
Anyway, there was a website called "Find a Hobby Shop." Kalmbach used to link to it but not anymore. Google it and see what you get. I'll try it myself shortly.
At any rate, Menard's doesn't do locomotives and to my knowledge they have no plans to, which surprises me considering everything else they do in the O gauge line.
I found this, https://www.walthers.com/storelocator Walthers is a model railroading specialty company, most of their product line is HO and N gauge but as the old saying goes "Where there's smoke, there's fire." If a place carrys the Walthers line they probably have other things too.
Found this as well, http://www.hobbyshopfinder.com
This could be a long shot, but are there any antique malls/shops or thrift stores in your area? You may find some used O gauge locomotives for sale in either, but it's problematic whether they'll work or not.
I clicked that Amazon link. $250 for that Lionel set's not a bad deal. It's a LionChief remote control set, that is, it doesn't use the old conventional control transformer method, it operates with a hand-held remote. (You're going to need three AAA batteries for it, it doesn't come with it.)
I prefer old-style conventional control myself, but LionChief works pretty well.
Good luck!
divebardave Well for the first time in many years I am in a house with fellow occupants/family with a Christmass Tree. I just wanted a simple loop with a short train. O gauge is the only gauge that put up with some of the abuse and clumsyness of our residents here. I did find one RS 3 with engine car and caboose https://www.amazon.com/Lionel-Central-Freight-Train-Gauge/dp/B01C35QO5Y for 250.00 expensive yes but good for many years we hope...But I do miss going to the local Hobby Shop and the old man who ran it.
Well for the first time in many years I am in a house with fellow occupants/family with a Christmass Tree. I just wanted a simple loop with a short train. O gauge is the only gauge that put up with some of the abuse and clumsyness of our residents here. I did find one RS 3 with engine car and caboose https://www.amazon.com/Lionel-Central-Freight-Train-Gauge/dp/B01C35QO5Y for 250.00 expensive yes but good for many years we hope...But I do miss going to the local Hobby Shop and the old man who ran it.
Not sure if there is a Hobby Lobby by you. They do carry Lionel O scale sets.
Get a post office box and register it for signed delivery.
Then you can mail order your locomotives and have them delivered to the physical address of the particular post office, which will sign for the delivery 'in your name' and leave a slip in the box for you. Take that slip to a window or package door and they'll hand it to you.
I have happily received large Sunset engines (a Rivets GG1 and early PRR T1), in their original shipping packaging, that way with no problems.
and when I went to Customer Service they said that there was only one train set with a Engine sitting in a store 100 miles away. I would go to a hobby train shop but most have closed years ago around here and the ones that are left are RC Cars
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