Which hobby shop is a must in your town?

[ericboone]

Since I just moved to Minneapolis, I've been checking out the local establishments.
The largest model train selection in the area is at Scale Model Supply in St. Paul. I think they have about everything.
A close runner up would be either of the Hub Hobby stores in Little Canada and Richfield.
The best trains only store would have to be Becker's Model Railroad Supply in New Brighton.
The other shops I've been to are pretty small and/or have a pretty small train selection.

[Anonymous]

Apache Junction? I work there. I live in queen creek. Anyways made my first trip to a place called Roy's Train World in Mesa, AZ, I was very pleased when I left, The staff was exceptionally friendly and very willing to answer my plethora of questions. As I am just starting out I found this to be most comforting. I only wish all buisnesses treated customers the same way. stopped by a HobbyTown and a Toy's R Us also neither impressed me and the people at hobbytown are only interested in you if you are buying/talking Radio Control Cars.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rails5

In Northern Virginia, its Grandad's, just off the beltway at the Braddock Road exit.

You beat me to it [:D] -- I second Grandad's!

[METRO]

In Milwaukee, there is the end-all of all hobby shops:

Walthers Terminal Hobby Shop. It's where everything in the Walthers catalogue is kept, they have just about everything that's currently in production.

But if out of print is what you're looking for, there is a good place called Greenfield News And Hobby has still got a lot of old stuff, like a pair of Athearn SD40Fs

And if you really want to find some OLD stock, there are a few Happy Hobby stores that still have old Athearn rubber band drive.

~METRO

[PistolPete]

Any LHS would really be nice. The next town has one with not much selection. The best selection is about an hour down the interstate.

[Anonymous]

Hobby connection in Wausau WI.Nice people run the store and they offer great services and he has a LARGE layout in the basement.

[Anonymous]

When I lived in Omaha, I always enjoyed Scale-Rail, owned by an older man named Frank McDonald. Great guy, didnt have a huge shop, but could order anything you needed (only HO). The best store in that area as far as stock is The Train Cellar in Lincoln. Now that I live in Dallas, im spoiled with Discount Model Trains. This store is probably one of the best in the U.S. Tons of stock and 20% off everything in the store, with some items 40% off.

[vsmith]

In Los Angeles, I would say

Whistle Stop in Pasadena,

and Allied Trains in West L.A.

[Anonymous]

New York City,west 45th street off 5th Ave.Lots of old stuff, boxes of Kemtron ,Cal Scale etc. to look through. Other kits, and scratch built parts to ask for.
Called "The Red Ccaboose"

[Anonymous]

Uncle Nick's, Just outside of Philadelphia on West Chester Pike.

[n2mopac]

Well, there is only one, so I guess it would be Sedalia Hobby. It is a must because there are no other choices except not to use a LHS.

Ron

[Anonymous]

My town (or the one closest to me) only has 500 people in it. However, Oklahoma City (about an hour form here) has two good shops. My favorite is Woodward's Hobby Shop, who has members from local train clubs working there. Whistle Stop Trains is the other shop, but they aren't as easy to get to as Woodward's. If you're ever in OK try these out, you shouldn't be disappointed.

[tstage]

In Cleveland, Wings Hobby on Detroit Ave. and Depot Train & Hobby on W. 130th. Both are terrific LHS's for different reasons.

Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainwreck100

My town (or the one closest to me) only has 500 people in it. However, Oklahoma City (about an hour form here) has two good shops. My favorite is Woodward's Hobby Shop, who has members from local train clubs working there. Whistle Stop Trains is the other shop, but they aren't as easy to get to as Woodward's. If you're ever in OK try these out, you shouldn't be disappointed.

Two very cool[8D] Hobby Shops!

[Big Chief]

When I lived in Omaha, I always enjoyed Scale-Rail, owned by an older man named Frank McDonald. Great guy, didnt have a huge shop, but could order anything you needed (only HO). The best store in that area as far as stock is The Train Cellar in Lincoln.

In Lincoln, NE I would also reccommend Grand Central Limited.  They run a HUGE mail order O gauge business out of the building, but "Randy" (1 of the employees) has a good selection of HO & N.  There is a fair selection in the showroom, but due to limited space there is even MORE upstairs.  FYI - you have to ask for access.  Prices are GREAT!  I don't even compare anymore because the only better bargins I find are at a LHS having a going out of business sale!

[bb4884]

I live in Denver, within a mile from  Caboose Hobbies. That is a well known store, and if you are into O scale, there is Mizell

http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/index.php

http://mizelltrains.com/

[ARTHILL]

I'm with ericboone,

Beckers in New Brighton for HO

Scale Models for everything else

[WCfan]

Hobby Connection has a HUGE slection and is most famous here.

Popes Hobby land has better prices with a fare size slection.

[on30francisco]

In the San Francisco Bay Area I'd say visit The Train Shop in Santa Clara which is south of SF. They are a dedicated model railroading shop, carry all scales, and are priced from 10% to 20% below MSRP.

[csmith9474]

Wow!! This is an old one. Since it was brought up, Custom Railway Supply here in the Springs is one of the best train shops I have been to. Great selection, awesome sales, unbeatable service, and that little discount makes it worth the while.

[ShadowNix]

In the San Francisco Bay Area I'd say visit The Train Shop in Santa Clara which is south of SF. They are a dedicated model railroading shop, carry all scales, and are priced from 10% to 20% below MSRP.

 

The Train Shop rocks... I stopped there my last visit to San Fran... took Cal train and it was a short cab ride from the station there!  Lots of blue bloxes... GREAT selection and prices!

 Brian

[river_eagle]

Train Haus just west of St. Louis out I-70 in the Warrenton mall.

[steemtrayn]

ANY HOBBY SHOP! PLEASE!

Hudson Shores in Blauvelt, NY is only 30 minutes away from you.

[EL PARRo]

Tjwo. One in Sacramento, one in Roseville, seven miles away. Bruce's Trains in Sacramento has wonderful stock, and a gang of guys that work there that really know their stuff. And Roseville has Railroad Hobbies, which is very well stocked. Both shops have competitive prices, and if you're looking for consignment brass, both of them usually have some good deals on locos. Roseville tends to specialize in Western RR's, (UP, SP, WP, ATSF, some Rio Grande) while Bruce's is pretty generic about the lines he carries (he's a Pennsy freak). From some of the comments I've gotten on these threads about LHS around the country, I think we're pretty damned lucky out here in the Sacramento Valley.
Tom

I've been to both of those stores. In fact, I was just at Bruce's on Tuesday. Unfortunately, they're both a little too far from where I live (Galt) to go to regularly.

The LHS that I frequent is Roger's Railroad Junction in Lodi. They don't have as big of a selection as the two stores twhite mentioned, but they can order anything you want, they've got good prices, and the people there actually know what they're talking about if you ask them a question.

[AzBaja]

Roy's Train World in Mesa, AZ is a great place. It's been in the same location for 35+ Years now.  I used to go as a kid,  now I take my little girl

[james saunders]

Brisbane, Australia

 

Hobbyrama Pty Ltd, they sell all sorts of stuff but have a large range of WS and HO/N model trains. (US and British prototypes) Thats where I get all my scenery supplies from.

 Austral Modelcraft a large range of Walthers kits and alot of US prototype gear, on the southside, too far for me to go to.

 Horizon Hobbies, is now my local hobby shop for my loco's/rollingstock as I model Queensland Rail in Hon3.5.

 

James 

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Columbus, Ohio

The train staion is a great store, all trains nothing else

http://www.trainstationohio.com/ 

[loathar]

Columbus, Ohio

The train staion is a great store, all trains nothing else

http://www.trainstationohio.com/ 

I shopped at the Train Station a lot when I lived in Columbus. One of my friends helped build that layout in their front window.

Wally World is the closet thing to a LHS where I live now.

[Bill54]

I would recommend that they get back on the freeway, unless they wanted to laugh at the pathetic selections at the local hobby shops.

There's only one LHS near my home (5 miles away) and their selection sucks.  Actually they don't have much at all to choose from.  Im not just talking locos and rolling stock but hardly any paints, scenic supplies, track etc. 

The next closest LHS is 55-60 miles away.  The last time I was there they had a large selection of everything.  However, I've noticed in the last two issues of MR their listing is no longer there.  I don't know if they are still in business or just didn't renew their listing. 

There are a couple of other LHS's a little further away but I haven't checked them out.  Maybe this summer.

Bill

[MisterBeasley]

Maine Trains in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

www.mainetrains.com if you're interested.

It's a small shop with narrow aisles, full of HO and some N.  There's an 8x8 foot in-store layout, too.  Gerry knows all the regulars, and gives us discounts.  He'll order anything he can, and gives the sale price on Walthers flyer items.

Gerry and his son Mike also do repairs, upgrades and custom painting work.  Sometimes I walk in and they're "testing" their work.  We all know they're just playing with trains at that point.