Only went to Caboose Hobbies once on a whirlwind trip through Colorado. I wished I had planned on spending more money but was a college student at the time and had a lot more trip to go.
I can remember visiting Caboose for the first time in the 80's and thinking that I had died and gone to heaven. I bought mass quantities of detail parts and hard to find items just because they had them in stock. My last visit was about a year before the original owner retired. Not quite as much stock, but still a fruitful trip for me.
Vintagesteamer My earliest memories of going to a hobby shop with my father was Forest Park Hobby here in Kokomo. On special occasions he would take me to Casey Jones trains in Indianapolis or Harmon's Trains in Arcadia(where I eventually became his shop mechanic in my teens). I found Hawkins Rail in Lafayette in my teens when I joined the local HO scale club. Jack was quite a fellow and a good friend. Many other shops in Indy thru the years such as Watts Train Shop for my LGB G scale needs, Big Four Hobbies, Train Central and so forth. Most are long closed up, but those fond memories remain. I also bought AHM/Rivarossi items at the local Ben Franklin five and dime store. I still have my USRA 0-6-0 in well worn condition. Mike
My earliest memories of going to a hobby shop with my father was Forest Park Hobby here in Kokomo. On special occasions he would take me to Casey Jones trains in Indianapolis or Harmon's Trains in Arcadia(where I eventually became his shop mechanic in my teens). I found Hawkins Rail in Lafayette in my teens when I joined the local HO scale club. Jack was quite a fellow and a good friend. Many other shops in Indy thru the years such as Watts Train Shop for my LGB G scale needs, Big Four Hobbies, Train Central and so forth. Most are long closed up, but those fond memories remain. I also bought AHM/Rivarossi items at the local Ben Franklin five and dime store. I still have my USRA 0-6-0 in well worn condition. Mike
That brings back a lot of memories when I lived in Indiana. There were tons of different shops in the 90s and 2000s in Indianapolis that are gone. Big Four was a great shop. Tom Metzgers was also great. There were a few smaller ones too. Big Boy hobbies once had a bunch of Train stuff but gradually it whittled down. There were a couple that I can not remember the names on. There was a small one in a plaza by Washington Square and another in Greenwood that opened up and closed a couple of times but was still on the train show circuit. There was even a mini train shop in an antique mall Sanford and sons. Way before that there was a Great Train Store in union Station and later Circle Center.
I think it is just down to train central and the Hobbytowns now isn't it? The north side hobbytown used to have a great selection but it had shrunk considerably when it moved and I was in the area about 3 years ago. Train Central used to be Varey Trains and was further over on Washington almost out of town then they moved to the stone building then on Shadeland. (Casey Jones trains wasn't related was it seems to me I heard one time it was)
I also had the luck to make business trips to the Denver area, which always included a visit to Caboose Hobbies. A favorite feature was the small layout under plexiglas, where, upon closer examination, one might notice that a group of chimps escaped from a zoo truck and were creating havoc throughout the city scene. I could have spent hours just looking through the wall display of brass detail parts.
(sigh)
Jim
The first real hobby shop I ever visited was Hammer's Hobbies in Decatur, IL. I left with an Athearn NS GP38-2 and a Walther's EJ&E coil car. Still have both! They later moved to Springfield, IL and then closed.
Central Missouri didn't have a lot of train shops but there was a guy operating out of his basement that I bought several Athearn kits from.
Then, on a Colorado vacation, I was able to go to Caboose Hobbies. What a place! I was able to visit a few more times when traveling to Colorado for business, but sadly it's no more. I was able to visit lots of hobby shops over the years but like Caboose Hobbies, most of them are gone now.
My first shop may have been all trains, because that's all I remember although it's possible they had other items. It was Bob's Hobby Shop at 212 N. Walnut in Bloomington, IN. I had been into model rockets in Texas, but had a lot of trouble tracking them down in bushier Indiana after the USAF sent dad to get his MBA at IU. At least when your trains crashed, the parts were found in a rather limited area.
I started with some hand-me-down Lionel inherited from within the family. Took it all to Bob's and he gave me something like $25. Seems small, but was a lot of cash as a 14 yo. I switched to HO starting with that money. One of my first kits was an old Varney flat. I still have the decrepit carbody somewhere, but the box complete with day-glo Close Out price of 98 cents is right here on the desk holding some stuff. I also bought a Mantua 4-6-0 kit that I built but it never was one of my better runners.
Not sure when Bob's closed, but think it was gone be the 1980s IIRC.
Like others, I share some fond memories of Hawkins in Lafayette, too. I started visiting Jack's in the late 80s. Bought my first brass there, a nicely weathered Westside C-25 that is one of my best runners after a motor conversion. Jack also had a pretty good selection of HOn3 for Indiana as I got deeper into that. While it was always MSRP, Jack's deep inventory meant that as prices went up, his stayed the same, so some things eventually became bargains, as well as being in stock when everyone else was sold out.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
My first train store was Hobbies for Men in Beacon, NY., as I grew up just five minutes down the street. Their original store was really small, but I spent many a weeks' allowance there as a 13 year old. Hobbies For Men eventually relocated into a large store on main street which was previously a Woolworths. I don't remember them lasting long after the move to the large store front, only a couple years.
Georges trains in toronto for me
acgilbert The Milwaukee Road Warrior There was a hobby shop somewhere on the north side of Milwaukee that I went to as a kid. It was not Walthers. I want to say it was something like Gorman's or Garman's. First place I remember going to. There was a Gorman Hobby Shop at 8216 W. National Ave. in West Allis, as listed in MR's hobby shop directory Jan. 1962 issue. That's not north Milwaukee but maybe they had moved when you were there.
The Milwaukee Road Warrior There was a hobby shop somewhere on the north side of Milwaukee that I went to as a kid. It was not Walthers. I want to say it was something like Gorman's or Garman's. First place I remember going to. There was a Gorman Hobby Shop at 8216 W. National Ave. in West Allis, as listed in MR's hobby shop directory Jan. 1962 issue. That's not north Milwaukee but maybe they had moved when you were there.
There was a hobby shop somewhere on the north side of Milwaukee that I went to as a kid. It was not Walthers. I want to say it was something like Gorman's or Garman's. First place I remember going to.
That's GOT to be it. I don't know why I remembered it being on the north side, but I was only 7 or 8 and, apparently, didn't have my bearings yet. I remember it was a neat place. I got all of my Athearn blue box power, MRC Tech II, track, etc there.
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
My current hobby shop is Centerline Hobbies on Cape Cod, near the Hyannis Mall. Excellent in service and stock!
My first hobby shop started out in a person's house in the rural area. I can't remember the name of it as this was 25 years ago at least. The shop later moved into town and then moved to a different location in town. It later ended up closing as I recall due to the death of the owner. His ex and her then husband had it for a bit but it didn't last long after that.
However that wasn't the first place I bought train equipment. That honor belonged to our local Ben Franklin store. IMS the owner's name was Grant Wicks and he was a modeler himself. There was a small train section in the back of the store. I got all my pieces from there at the time. I still have an MDC/Roundhouse bulkhead flatcar that I purchased from there all those years ago. (It has been repainted and relettered however to get the lettering a bit closer to prototype.)
My best hobby shop experience probably has to be Whistle Stop Hobbies in Portland, OR. We were visiting my brother who lived in Portland at the time and my Dad was nice enough to take me to the shop. (Long after the above mentioned spots were gone.) I only directly found one thing I was looking for (an Atlas Passenger shelter) however the shop was able to get me some part numbers that I needed for some trucks I needed for a passenger car. (Brought it with me for showing purposes. Another modeler happened to come while Dad was waiting at the counter. He thought that the car was Dad's. Dad corrected him and said it was mine as I was shopping at the time.)
Allied Model Train in Los Angeles Ca,Before they closed mant years back. It looked like Los Angeles Union Station I got to vist the store and bought some Ho stuff.Got me 2 SP SD9"s and a few buildings.Sad it closed up.
Family Fun in Appleton, WI. Opened in about 1955, closed in the early 60s. Four/fifths of the store was toys, the other fifth was a fairly complete hobby shop.
Flintlock76I did a little quick n' dirty on-line research on Polks and it looks like they went out of business in 2013.
Wow. I visited New York City about a dozen times between 1978 and 2013, and I never went to Polk's.
I did make a few visits to FAO Schwartz.
It sounds like I missed out.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
You're welcome!
I did a little quick n' dirty on-line research on Polks and it looks like they went out of business in 2013. RIP Polk's, it was an incredible place!
Flintlock76 Ulrich It must have one of the largest hobby stores in NYC.. if anyone has a name please pass it on. We're going back over 50 years.. so in all liklihood they're long gone. I'm guessing it might have been Polk's Hobbies. I went into the city a few times (I lived in North Jersey) with a friend from high school. As I recall Polk's had at least four floors; one for cars, one for trains, one for planes and one for ships and packed with merchandise. And just like yourself I'm speaking of over 50 years ago, so don't trust my memory 100%. I do recall Polk's was the biggest in the area and the place to go for the hard-to-find. As far as I know they're gone now.
Ulrich It must have one of the largest hobby stores in NYC.. if anyone has a name please pass it on. We're going back over 50 years.. so in all liklihood they're long gone.
I'm guessing it might have been Polk's Hobbies. I went into the city a few times (I lived in North Jersey) with a friend from high school. As I recall Polk's had at least four floors; one for cars, one for trains, one for planes and one for ships and packed with merchandise. And just like yourself I'm speaking of over 50 years ago, so don't trust my memory 100%. I do recall Polk's was the biggest in the area and the place to go for the hard-to-find. As far as I know they're gone now.
That name sounds right! Thanks!
UlrichIt must have one of the largest hobby stores in NYC.. if anyone has a name please pass it on. We're going back over 50 years.. so in all liklihood they're long gone.
Art and Photo, in Sherbrooke, QC. They sold mostly art supplies, but they also had Triang trainsets.
In 1972 my parents took me to a hobby shop in Manhattan, NY. I don't recall the name of it, but it had several floors of train displays. I remember being blown away by the sheer number and quaility of the models on display. It must have one of the largest hobby stores in NYC.. if anyone has a name please pass it on. We're going back over 50 years.. so in all liklihood they're long gone.
Officially the Toy Train hobby shop that used to be inside Knott's Berry Farm, as a little kid I could spend hours inside looking at all the old and new model trains. First hobby shop I took myself to? Earls Hobbies in Bellflower. I would ride my bike there from Cerritos. Later I added Hobby Warehouse, the Military Shop and another shop name long lost to history in Artesia. Once I got a car the Train Shop in Hobby City and a couple others long gone that were once around SoCal.
Have fun with your trains
Whistle Stop in Pasadena, CA around 2000.
Brasseur electric trains in old-town part Saginaw, Michigan back in the 80's. Still open and thankfully avoided two major fires that wiped out a whole city block. Also went to Riders hobby in Flint with my dad as a kid. Recently went back there visiting Michigan and the store was modern, nicely updated with a great selection.
Flintlock76My first hobby shop was the late, lamented Highway Hobby in Ramsey NJ <SNIP> Highway Hobby had everything though. <SNIP> Highway Hobby closed in the early 2000s.
That all sounds exactly like Orange Blossom Hobbies in Miami.
What an amazing store that was.
Sad that it is gone forever.
My first hobby shop was the late, lamented Highway Hobby in Ramsey NJ, although at the time I wasn't into trains, I was into model airplane building, specifically First World War aircraft. Highway Hobby had everything though. Trains, planes, automobiles, ships, tanks, you name it. As soon as I was old enough to drive I was up there once a week.
Highway Hobby closed in the early 2000s, the owner wanted to retire and his kids didn't want to take over the business. C'est la vie.
The first hobby shop I remember going to was when I was in about 4th grade. I had a Lionel 0-27 trainset with a steam engine. I wanted a modern diesel locomotive for my birthday. My mother took me to a hobby shop in Portland that had trains and planes. When I looked through the shelves with the Lionel stuff I could only find one diesel and it was from a railroad I never heard of so I was kind of disappointed. Then my mom pops up with a guy who worked there and they had a pair of Santa Fe locomotives in the warbonnet livery. I was so happy. They were exactly what I wanted. Aparently they had been part of a train set but the person who bought the set didn't want the locos. So I got two brand new locos that I loved even though they weren't in boxes. I didn't care. I was happy! That's the kind of thing that can only happen at a local hobby shop but never at a regular department store.
The store was called Troxel Bros. Models, on 202 S. Western Avenue in Los Angeles.Over 40 years ago when my dad and I built my first permanent layout (a 4x8' in HO scale), we would go there and buy supplies. To this day, the smell of fresh cork roadbed and lichen would send me back. The store had a lot of Athearn blue boxes, and it was run by this older gentleman who ran the store by himself and would play classical music on the radio in the background. During Jr. High school, I would ride the bus or my bike there to get some Athearn blue boxes, back when a boxcar was only $4 or $5. The store moved around the corner around that time, to 4319 W. 2nd Street. The store closed down for good in the early 2000s decade when the owner retired. I always thought the owner was one of the Troxel brothers but it turns out his name was Ed Kielty, and some time ago, he bought the store from the brothers, who founded the original store in the 1940s and apparently were big players in the model railroad scene in Los Angeles (they built an O scale layout that was on display at the California Museum of Science and Industry that was one of the famous public layouts in the area at the time.I was in HO scale at the time but I looked at N scale with a curious eye. The smallness of it capitvated me for some reason but N scale in the '80s and early '90s looked too toylike for my tastes. Flash forward to today, where I'm all about N scale. I guess looking at the N scale display at the store was me glancing into the future.The original storefront on Western Avenue was demolished to build a new elementary school. The second locaton on 2nd street is a holistic health supply store.
My first shop was Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg, MD. It is located along the former right-of-way of the B&O Brunswick Line. It was where my parents took me and where they bought me my birthday and Christmas presents of various engines, rolling stock, track, structures, etc besides Toys R' Us and KB Toys back when they were around selling toy trains in house. If it wasn't for my parents and that first store I would not be here over 30 years later. When I got older I too used my own money to give them my business.
Now the owner is retiring and closing the store down May 1st. He is now the last dedicated train store in the area now that the other store, Potomac Trading, lost its owner last year and liquidated everything this past month. The only place left will be Hobby Works but they are a general hobby merchandise store. Their model train selection is pitiful and they only sell current production stuff sold close to MSRP (I would know I used to work for them in my college days for extra spending cash) and it isn't even the high-end but the entry-level generic items ala regular Bachmann and Walthers Trainline. They don't even do repairs or any custom work as far as I can tell but if they do it is for everything else but trains.