Check out the Deming Sub by clicking on the pics:
Joes Hobby on Grand River, just west of Farmington has a real good selection of HO stuff. Get off I-275 at the Grand River exit, or maybe it says M-5. The store is in a strip mall just east of Halsted Road.
Merri-Seven does have HO, but Joes is bigger and has a much bigger selection. Huge glass case, full of HO locos. Both are good stores.
You actually WANT to get out of your car and go shopping in Detroit Metro?
Chicago is a hop skip and a jump away and alot easier. Safer too.
I second Joe's Hobby. Grand River at Drake in Farmington.
On the west side near 275, Joe's, Merri-Seven and Nankin Hardware are pretty much all there is for HO. There's a Rider's in Livonia, but their train selection is, shall we say, lacking.
Nankin Hardware (Ford Road, just east of Wayne Road) is an unusual place. They have a pretty decent-sized hobby shop in the back of the hardware store. It's one of the few places with a decent selection of blue box Athearn kits, but it's pretty strictly a rolling stock shop, with Athearn and MDC being their high-end material.
Farther west, in Pinckney, is Michigan Model Train Center, but it requires a much greater commitment of time to get there (about an hour each way from Farmington/Livonia).
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
As one who was asking for this info a while back regarding Pittsburgh, I feel an obligation to help out back here at home.
I would highly recommend Joe's Hobby as well. I very well stocked store for HO, N and O. Also a very well stocked place for plastic models and R/C stuff.
The staff is very helpful as well. Here is their address so that you can mapquest the actual location and a road map from your location: 35151 Grand River Ave. Farmington, MI 48335 (248)477-6266
the MerriSeven store is also well supplied but much smaller and more cramped. I think also that their publication selection is very restricted.
You actually WANT to get out of your car and go shopping in Detroit Metro? Chicago is a hop skip and a jump away and alot easier. Safer too.
"Metro Detroit" is not the City of Detroit. The suburbs are quite safe. If you haven't been here, keep your opinions to yourself!
hobo9941 wrote: You actually WANT to get out of your car and go shopping in Detroit Metro? Chicago is a hop skip and a jump away and alot easier. Safer too. "Metro Detroit" is not the City of Detroit. The suburbs are quite safe. If you haven't been here, keep your opinions to yourself!
Oh Ive been through and downtown many a time, I wise up in later years and focus on the Customs into Canada.
I think Winsdor has a hobby shop as well, but the exchange rate is about even this year.
Cheers.
Falls Valley RR wrote: hobo9941 wrote: You actually WANT to get out of your car and go shopping in Detroit Metro? Chicago is a hop skip and a jump away and alot easier. Safer too. "Metro Detroit" is not the City of Detroit. The suburbs are quite safe. If you haven't been here, keep your opinions to yourself!Oh Ive been through and downtown many a time, I wise up in later years and focus on the Customs into Canada.I think Winsdor has a hobby shop as well, but the exchange rate is about even this year.Cheers.
What does I-275 West of Detroit (from the original post) have to do with 'downtown'???
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
What a completely ignorant statement. Thanks for your valuable input.
Robby Modeling the L&N CV Subdivision in 1978 http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd247/robby-ky/CV%20Subdivision%20Layout/
Acd wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate the help.
If you happen to see this and still haven't gone to Joes, it's worth the trip.. If you are near Merri-Seven, then take Merriman up to 8 mile (Baseline), turn left. Go to Farmington Road and turn right. You can then take that up to 9 Mile and turn left. -OR- You can go a little further up to Freedom road and turn left. You'll see what looks like a pedestrian walk across bridge right there. Which ever you choose, go to Drake which will be the first light you come to (on Freedom) and turn right. WATCH YOUR SPEED on Drake, it is a 25mph limit and they DO hand out speeding tickets in this area. When you get to Grand River, turn right. Joes is in the first strip mall to your right on Grand River. 275 to Grand River is Way out of the way if you happen to be near Merri-Seven. The address is 35151 Grand River Ave and the phone # is 248.477.6266 . Enjoy your visit.
Robby wrote:Is Great Lakes the shop that just moved into a new building about a mile from the old shop? I had a day two weeks ago after a class in Troy to go hobby shop searching and found what I think was Great Lakes in the middle of a major move. Looked like it would have been a nice shop except everything was in boxes. Ended up way over at Joes and bought a bunch of scratchbuilding material. Lots of nice HO selection but I couldn't drag much on a plane with me. Also found the Original Soupman hole-in-the-wall and had some darn good dinner.
Yes they did move a mile and a half. I went to the old location and saw that there was nothing there; initially I thought they were closed for the day, then much to my relief, they were just closed for the day. They were still working on opening and putting the stuff away from the boxes, but I managed to find what I needed and then some. It's too bad that the store is 90+ miles away from me or I would go visit it more often! The closest store to me is 20 minutes away in Tecumseh and it's not the best of stores I think. I travel to the suburbs of Detroit sometimes and that's how I know of Great Lakes. I love that store!
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
Ah, for the good old days. Joe's used to have several shops around the metro area. I used to spend hours in the one in Dearborn. I was about half trains and half everything else. Great train guys working there to shoot the breeze with for hours. Always well stocked or they'd order if you wanted.
Used to be several places that just vanished over the years. Whistle Stop on the east side was really big in O gage. But times got hard and they slowly disappeared.