were do u get your trains

[guilfordrr]

I've done them all except shows.....New Hampshire is pretty isolated as far as train meets go.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Georgia Boy

I buy mine at the LHS. I had a bad experience once buying off the internet, so now I just go to the hobby shop.

That's too bad, GB.

I have not had any problems.

Some good internet dealers I have dealt with are:

1. Modeltrainstuff (who is MB Klein)
2. Tony's Train Exchange
3. Train Track

As far as e-Bay goes, no problems either. Several of my bids were won from MRR dealers, such as Modeltrainstuff. For individuals, I have a policy of only biding from sellers having a 99.8% or higher approval rating. ALWAYS look at the feedback and the fine print before bidding. But by using this policy (or by luck) I have not had any problems (including the Kato SD40 I just got for $53).

I encourage you to try internet buying again - with the right sellers, you can get some great deals!

[Martin4]

I buy all of my stuff at hobby shops. This is where I can see, touch and try what I would like to bring home. If anything goes wrong, they take care of it. They also are of great help about layout construction, scenery, super detailing; I like to be in touch with real dedicated people. I think we need them.

Martin
Québec City

[Anonymous]

Who is LHS?

[Anonymous]

I've gotten most of my HO rolling stock and motive power from ebay, made some good purchases there. The rest has been from online stores and just a little from my LHS (he never has what I need, so I but elsewhere).

ALL of my wife's N scale has come from ebay, and she has more motive power and rolling stock than I do! All of hers is Kato, P2K and some Bachmann. Lots of Kato track and Aurora buildings. She got great deals on all of it on ebay!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by yahweh55

Who is LHS?

That's forum jargon for: Local Hobby Shop [:)]

[JohnT14808]

QUOTE: Originally posted by yahweh55

Who is LHS?

LHS is Local Hobby Shop, yahweh55....and WELCOME to the forum!! I do have three hobby shops in my area, and unfortunately two of them refuse to place mail orders (take what they have in the store..) and the third has other issues I don't care to discuss. So, I end up driving 70 miles round trip to another LHS, or I order from online stores. So far I have used Flying Scotsman and Discount Trains Online and both have given great service and reasonable prices with low shipping costs. I also recently ordered a Hudson 4-6-4 from IHC, but have not received that order yet.
eBay bothers me a bit, even though I read that many users have not had any problems. Perhaps one day I'll try an auction....and maybe someone will open a local hobby shop dedicated to model trains........

[NZRMac]

On-line stores mostly, My LHS has Bachmann standard line and model power turnouts. He knows very little about DCC.

Ken.

[Anonymous]

I buy all of my Models from Firsthobby.
BNSFrailfan.

[grayfox1119]

I buy from LHS and sometimes online. I like to see and touch, and try out if possible. If you buy from Tony's ( and obviously live near enough to travel there) and can go there, you can try them out.

[Anonymous]

I get the majority of my locos (51 at last count) from internet stores - mostly ModelTrainStuff (M.B. Klein) and Tony's Train Exchange, followed closely by e-Bay (where a good number of these were from MTS again!), folowed by Train Shows (the Galesburg IL Railroad Days show is great!) and finally my LHS.

I come out ahead pre-ordering my locos on-line because my LHS does not do discounts on pre-orders !!

BTW - I have NEVER failed to get my order from MTS or Tony's - which I can't say about many other on-line dealers, including Walthers !!!

I may do more shopping at my LHS in the future, as I have all but two or three locos I need for the layout. So it will become more "impulse" buying when I see it in the store (and thus can also get a discount).

[railroadyoshi]

I have always purchased from my LHS, except for a few from shows
I place my mail orders out of there 2.
If they dont have it in stock, i give them my order and it comes.

Something makes you feel better to pick out something, talk to the perosn at the hobby shop for a while (thats what usually consumes either saturday or sunday afternoon), and carry it home in your hands.

Also, my shop offers 10% discount on mail orders, so i place everything through them
They dont even charge for shipping

-Your local hobby shop is your best resource-
(this from a twelve year old noob)

-Siddharth

[sledgehammer]

I buy mine at the LHS most of the time . I have bought some frome Ebay and A few from train shows as well.

[railroadyoshi]

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP
THEY ARE OUR LIFE LINE!
(especially for us noobs who are in constant need of advice)

I do the opposite of what most do (outside of trains)
I check online to look at something, then go to my local shop and buy it or order it
I dont test something in the shop, go home, and order it off the internet

ACTON MODEL RAILROAD CENTER RULES!

SiddhaRTH

[SP9811]

Used to buy by mail order, pre internet, now I buy online. Mostly buy locomotives online, and some hard to find rolling stock. The rest I get at a hobby shop.

[tstage]

I've bought one online; the other (my first) at my LHS. Most of my supplies and rolling stock kits I do purchase at my LHS. (We really do need to support them as much as possible.) The info I glean from them is priceless and worth the extra few dollars that I have to shell out However, finding a $110 P2K switcher at Trainworld.com for $29.99 is a no-brainer.

Tom

[Anonymous]

LHS. My LHS is great!! Check it out. It's Riverdale Station in Riverdale, Georgia. Check the hobby shop listing in the back of MRR.

[Train 284]

My local hobby shops have a imite supply of what I need, so I often order off th internet and out of catologs