I highly recommend you take a short detour when your in Washington, and stop at PF&S railway supply just north of Pasco Wa. It’s the largest hobby shop I know with a great selection. I’ve spent hours there!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
Well, that's interesting, have a fun trip.
But I can think of a list of great shops your route does not even get close to.
While not like years ago, the Northeast is still full of great train stores.
Mainline Hobby - Blue Ridge Summit, PA
Tommy Gilberts - Gettysburg, PA
Star Hobby - Annapolis, MD
English's Model Railroad Supply (Bowser) - Montoursville, PA
Strasburg Train Shop (and a great steam ride right down the street, a great museum, and a motel of real cabooses to sleep in) - Strasburg PA
Nicholas Smith Trains - Broomall, PA
Pro Custom Hobbies - Sykesville, MD
Trainworld - Brooklyn, NY
and many more........
Sheldon
BigDaddyIt's surprising how much Floquil is still on the shelves at various places.
I seen a rack of it at my LHS on Wed. I didn't stop and pay attention if it was all Floquil paint or not, I'll have to take a closer look next week.
It looks like he his going through Billings, where my wifey is from. We stopped at the Custer site. I love history, and the story behind the whole event always intrigued me.
Kevin, are you after any thing special? or what ever catches your interest?
Definetly a man on a mission! Don't forget to be scooping up on all those NWSL parts! .
Goog luck, and wishing you and the wifey a safe trip!
Mike.
PS. You do have a trailer with you, right? or at least taking a van?
My You Tube
It's surprising how much Floquil is still on the shelves at various places.
Looks like you are driving by the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Be sure to stop there.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
You NEED to stop in Deshler Nebraska. Spring Creek Model Trains. It looks like your planned route on I-80 will take you close enough to it to not throw you off schedule.
In fact, you could get off of I-29 in NW Missouri and head west on US 136. Shouldn't be a big diversion at all considering you're not stopping in Omaha anyway.
Or US 36 west out of St Joe MO across Kansas to US 81 North.
http://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/
And while in Nebraska, your I-80 route pretty much parallels US 30 west of Grand Island. The double tracked UP mainline runs right along side US 30 for at least 150 miles. Plenty of action along the mainline at any time, so you could railfan while still driving 60mph west along your route, if you took US 30 for those miles. Kearney (Odessa) to North Platte. And N Platte has one of the the largest railroad hump yards in the world.
https://goldenspiketower.com/
(of course, stops cost time, so weigh these stops with the knowledge that the posted speed limit on I-80 in Nebraska is 75 mph!.......but traffic probably goes faster....)
- Douglas
It looks to me like just before you cross from Illinois into Iowa you will be close to Highway 6, which is right along the old Rock Island main, now Iowa Interstate. Let me recommend Green River Hobbies in Geseseo Illinois. A nice little train shop.
https://grhobbies.com/
And the Quad Cities have many fine railfanning opportunities. Can't say the same about the dining but I doubt if you'd be complaining about too many anchovies in the fare.
Dave Nelson
Looks like lots of fun is in store for you!
Those aren't very big bags you are leaving with. C'mon, let's get that credit card warmed up
Cheers, Ed
Keep your right foot on that pedal, Kevin, just to make sure you get there before some of those hobby shops close. Looks like a fun trip, though!I had hoped to make a perimeter trip of the U.S., visiting on-line friends and fellow model railroaders, but I think it's probably beyond my budget (unless I sleep in my car every night).
Wayne
First stop: Miami, Florida.
.
To make this truly a Coast-To-Coast adventure, I had to start at the Atlantic Ocean, and where better than Miami?
I drove across the state and the first stop was Discount Trains in Fort Lauderdale. This store is a cram-packed treasure trove of hobby shopping adventure. It is getting so you can hardly move around.
I found a rack of Floquil Railroad colors on the bottom shelf in the back and bought four bottles of Primer Gray!
Next stop is the best hobby shop in Florida... Ready to Roll Trains in Miami! This store is huge! so much to see and so much inventory. It is a treasure.
Then off the the Zona Blu Sardinian Italian Restaurant in Weston, Florida. I had a Caesar Salad and Linguine with Clams in White Wine Sauce. There were a bit too few anchovies on the Caesar salad, but still very good.
My wife and I checked into the hotel and then went to the Crossroads in Miami Lakes for a bit of the fun nightlife, but not too much fun tonight.
Now we are back at the hotel, and tomorrow we head for Tallahassee.
Stay tuned!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have departed on the adventure of my lifetime!