I'm currently struggling with business/shop names, some examples here.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe no has mentioned one of my favorites, W.E. Snatchem, Undertakers.
It's from an E.L. Moore article in RMC many years ago. I think one of the manufacturers used the design and name for a plastic HO building. I miss his sense of humor.

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

How about a Mexican resteraunt that serves good food "with a kick".

"Julio's Casa de Fuego!"

Up on US 50 near Placerville, there used to be a gas station with an attached restaurant whose sign read "Eat Here - Get Gas".

Andre

[andrechapelon]

Here's a few more.

Andy's Septic Services - "Your number 2 problem is our number 1 business".

Alternately - "We're number 1 in the number 2 business"

Phartz and Howe Baked Beans.

Shawkinah Electric Company - "Let us get into your shorts"

Vi-Agra Building Renovators - "You put it up. We make sure it stays that way"

Andre

[AntonioFP45]

How about a Latin Cuisine resteraunt that serves good food "with a kick". [:0]

"Julio's Casa de Fuego!"

On top of the roof.....a bilboard showing an artist rendition of a guy shooting a 10 foot long flame out of his mouth!!!! [:0][B)][:p][(-D]

[Anonymous]

I have a few which I use first names...Barb's Harley-Davidson, Hal's Hardware, and Stevie's Spas. Hope this helps

[Anonymous]

Ole King and Sons Coal (walthers makes this. I always thought it would be a good idea to have Vulcan Manufactoring, also a walthers, but to have the slogan "Always a Logical Choice". Another good thing I saw in Train Simulator: the Up and Down Burger Joint.
Mc Wendy's Senior (Has a star with sunglasses). Union 67. A billboard that says: Dammitol the route builders choice for pain relief.

[Anonymous]

Count me in the punny class, perhaps because I am a groan man.....

I have Shouza Cement, Lee KIng Plumbing, Viagra Steel Rod Producers, Carrie Oakey Music Company, Poe-Lutin Chemicals, Eaton Ales, Sam 'N Ellah's Food Warehouse, Reily -Bigg Warehouse, etc. While not an industry, I also have a railroad place named "Gozin Tunnel." There are more, but they aren't printable, its late, and I'm tired.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TEFFY

The name of the town at the end of my branchline is Podunk. An old name for small towns.

Bob

My Simmons Pacific railroad starts its branch in Podunk Junction.
If you really want to get some good names watch Looney Tunes you will even find products named after the directors like signs that say Drink Frizz, since Frizz Frealing was a director. Some of the best ones are in the western towns like the Last Chance Saloon followed by the Next to Last Chance Saloon, and finally the Fat Chance Saloon, or the Rigger O' Mortis the Smiling Undertaker. Somewhere I heard of a undertaker with the motto You Plug 'em we plant 'em. On my layout I have the Second Class Saloon, the Suds Bucket (a biker bar), and the Walton and Sons Lumber Company (with the motto A yard of good lumber. I have seen others with more subtlety, like Rusty's Junk Yard. How about Garfield’s Italian food, or Chuck's Barbershop(since Charlie Browns Dad was a Barber).
James[C):-)]
P.S. As you drive along the one of the Highways out here there is a neon sign with just the words EAT GAS. One wonders if this is the consequence of eating there, what they sell, or what you are supposed to eat.

[BRJN]

QUOTE: Originally posted by stokesda
I also have a few street names in mind:

Needmore Road (prototype: Dayton OH)

Post this sign where the pavement ends and the road becomes a dirt track.

[Seamonster]

IMHO punny names can become tiresome and worn out after a while, although I do enjoy "translating" the ones I see and I will use a few myself. I've named some of the businesses after relatives: my son did stand-up comedy for a number of years so I named a comedy club after him, my wife's uncles are retired farmers and ranchers so I named a feed & grain after one of them, and I named a lingeree store after my daughter (don't worry, she's all grown up and doesn't mind), a toy store after one of my grandchildren, and so on.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paugust

I agree that corny names get tiresome after a while, but I still get a laugh at a good pun. So maybe not on my layout, but I do appreciate them on other layouts.

That being said, remember there is a prototype for everything!

Here in Milwaukee, there was a butcher shop on Becher Street called Becher Meats. Which is not funny until you realize that Becher is pronounced Beecher here in Milwaukee. [:D]

Like I said, not for me, but that one is Tempting.

Paul

From Milwaukee, one of my favorites is Medusa Cement. Real company, which can be seen from the Empire Builder as it approaches the depot. I think Walthers made a model of it.

I have a different take on lock, stock and barrel.

Lox, Stock & Barrel - Fine Deli Products

[dinner]

This one is from the strange but true department. When my father was growing up, there was a guy that lived down the block from him named Stein. He was in the fur business. "What's so funny about that?", you ask. Well his first name was Frank, middle initial N. Put it all together and his business card read, "Frank N. Stein --- Dealer in hides and furs". Swear to God the honest truth. Dad loves telling that story.

[Anonymous]

The really blatant puns would get old quickly. I do like the idea of using names from local history and favorite songs, movies & books. Some tongue in cheek humor is fine if you don't club people over the head with it.

Springer Check Cashing (you may have to be from Cincinnati when we had our Boy Mayor to get that one)

R. Rogers Taxidermy ( Roy lived in Cincinnati in the 1920's. Remember his desire to be stuffed & mounted on Trigger?)

Holme's Consulting (On the second story of a building on Baker Street)

And for the freelanced town on my layout, Roarke's Drift. Population 4130 (Michael Cain's first movie)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jeff Hartman
Here is my cortobution. If you have a medical complex, Dr. Glassman - optometrist (really exists here in Cincinnati), Dr. Paine - dentist, Dr. McCracken - chiropractor and Dr. Hartman - cardiologist (not me, I am another optometrist).

And let us not forget Dr. Smorgasboard, General Practitioner.

I'd also suggest...
McGuffin Investigations & Security
Clear Fields Logging

[stokesda]

Although not inherently funny, I always thought it would be cool to use names from songs. Examples are:

The Sad Cafe - from an Eagles song
The Sunset Grill - from a Don Henley song (there's actual Sunset Grills all over the place)
The Y'all Come Back Saloon - from an Oak Ridge Boys song

I also have a few street names in mind:

Seven Bridges Rd - another Eagles song
Allison Rd - Gin Blossoms song
Sullivan St - Counting Crows song

Cheers,

[jeffshultz]

Fans of the MacKenzie Bros. will recognize an Elsinore Brewery... and there is a pool shop in Salem, OR, about 3 storefronts back from the tracks, that is called the Cue Ball.

I'm going to tend to go prototype on mine as much as I can.

[Anonymous]

The late Art Curren probally used more tongue and cheek names then anyone, his kitbashing book is full of them, I may use one myself, but will also add family and lots of old style names. It's a good idea to name some busineeses after the town you're modeling also, to give the area an identity. Tongue and cheek name; Wood and Nickel.Novelties.

[grandeman]

You could always have a Robb, Cheatam, and Steele Law office.

I've seen that before (not in the hobby) and mean absolutely no disrespect to Dave Kelly or anyone else.

[Anonymous]

I agree that corny names get tiresome after a while, but I still get a laugh at a good pun. So maybe not on my layout, but I do appreciate them on other layouts.

That being said, remember there is a prototype for everything!

Here in Milwaukee, there was a butcher shop on Becher Street called Becher Meats. Which is not funny until you realize that Becher is pronounced Beecher here in Milwaukee. [:D]

Like I said, not for me, but that one is Tempting.

Paul

[BRAKIE]

One thing about corny and jokey names..They soon get tiresome..Not meaning any offence to anybody none of the names I read in this topic would come close to being used on my layout..The reason being I give my industries and small business names that sounds real-even if I need to use the yellow pages for ideas and then change the business names like so,Elwoods Plumbing would be change to say Brownie's Plumbing and Brownie's Bakery would become Elwood's Baked Goods--Best *** Donuts inTown!

[Rotorranch]

Seymore Butz, proctologist! [:0]

Rotor

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ukguy

Well Im at the point where I am being held up by creating business/shop names with humour for my town. I cant weather (or rather attempt to weather) the buildings until I have the name decals on the walls and such.

Here a a couple of the ones I have come up with.

R.Sole Cleaning Supplies [:D]
Rhydes Motorcycles

I think Rhydes could be too corny, maybe ?

I am also using family names and interests to create some. ie, my wife makes wedding cakes and is a caterer so carols corner cafe (DPM) will become 'Kim's Cakes' with a window display of tiny wedding cakes.

I would be inerested to know what names do you have on your layouts.

Have fun & be safe
Karl.

What about a Law Firm or Holding company named: Locke, Stocke & Barrele or of course the old chestnut Dewey, Cheatum & Howe.

[BRJN]

Speaking of Warner Bros animated characters...

My dad is about to retire from a railroading career. To celebrate, we kids are thinking about building him a model railroad. My proposed theme (which I haven't passed around yet) is "What if Penn Central had worked?" This is because Dad used to be a PC employee.

What if is fun because you can play with real facts. C&O used to use RoadRailer stuff back in 1950s but dropped it. In 1971 they sold the patents &c. Suppose the Penn Central diversification unit had picked up the new company and put it to work.

Also suppose a vandal (management opinion) or grafitti artist (local shop opinion) decies to paint a famous character on the long side of a locomotive. With a little serendipity and creative insubordination, the next RoadRailer train leaving town could have the RoadRunner on its engine. Hence the service's new nickname. [^]

To beat the joke over the head, we could invite the grafitti artist back to paint Wile E Coyote, running fast and straining hard, on the side of a caboose. [:D]

[rf16a]

A train club I visited at one time had a business called Lennon and McCartney's Rubber Soles, named after The Beatles album Rubber Soul.

On my round to it/ someday/ maby/ list, I was going to do an Acme Manufacturing Co. building, with Wile E. Coyote walking up the front steps. Road Runner would be behind the desk in the front office.

I may name some of my industries after family and friends.

On a friends layout, we have a few places named in honor of deceased friends who were members of our informal club.

[mecovey]

Some of the businesses on my railroad include:
Allard Ice (ice dock and plant named for my wife's maiden name "Allardyce")
NICOAL (New Island Coal at New Island, WV) named for my daughter Nicole
Brit & Ehine Coal and Lumber (named for my grandaughter Brittany Nicole)
Black Beauty Consolidate Coal (named for the product we use as live loads in hopper cars i.e. Black Beauty)

[Anonymous]

I went researching bad puns for possible business names. I found a few goodies I had to share even though they may be slightly off topic.

Mountain Trucking
The truck driver passed his mountain driving skills test. He was pleased to have made the grade

Ampere Forever
Scientists may come, and scientists may go, but Ampere's name will always be current.

Friar Tuck's Graduation
If Friar Tuck, while attending divinity school, had gotten Ph.D.s in both comparative theologies and Greek philosophy, would he then have graduated as a really deep, fat friar...?

Cold Mathematician
Did you hear about the mathematician who turned off his heating because he wanted to be cold and calculating?

Drilling for Oil
Drilling for oil is boring.

Church Denominations
My church accepts any denomination. But they prefer tens and twenties.

Train Tracks
I can always tell when a train has been through town. I can see its tracks.

Explosives
A man started work at an explosives factory, but he soon got fired.

Hospital Shock
As I was leaving the hospital, I got an electric shock from my credit card.
But the doctor said not to worry about it; it had just been discharged.

Channel Tunnel
The first attempt to build the Channel Tunnel was started in France in the 1890s. It would have been the longest steam train tunnel in the world, but they stopped when they realised they'd Britain off more than they could choo.

[WickhamMan]

Honest to god, I grew up in an area with a family whose last name was Amigone. Of course, they were undertakers :

Amigone Funeral Home (www.amigone.com)

Here is their logo:



Of course, my childish favorite is: G. Howey Pharts Air Conditioners

[Anonymous]

I plan on using family names too. I was figuring on associating the family name with their hobby or profession. However, I'll have to be selective so as not to overpopulate the town with one or two names.

In real life I regularly pass by Frank Crash' s Auto Salvage. I'll have to take a pic one of these days.

[BigOzzy86]

In my hometown there was "Harry Johnson" Insurance Co. Always made me laugh.... and I dont know of anyone who actually purchased insurance there... but the building and sign were up to date.

[tommyr]

I name my buildings & Indudtries After family members & friends. One exception is my sawmill-- I R Knotty Lumber.

[Wdlgln005]

Some real companies have goofy names.
Like Rain 2 Day, irrigation.
Dirt Diggers, Dirt Doctors, construction

Standard Candy co makes GooGoo clusters

For our hosts, I made up a broadcasting network:
KMRT-AM,FM, plays train tunes all day, 484 on the dial
KMRT-TV Channel 4, runs train video all day