TexasSP posted:I hobby shop the size of an old bowling alley, sounds fun and dangerous........
About half of the space is devoted to trains, all scales. Three rail is about a quarter of the train space. Personally, I ignore the trains, as they don't really excite me. Very little three rail scale stuff, contrary to what the name would imply. I go there for paint and sundry items.
Maybe the coolest and most unique things at Scale Model is way in the back. You have to go through the door by the magazine rack, and to the right, there's another door. It's only active on the weekends, but you can still see in even when it's dark. SLOT CARS! They have a couple big tracks, and you can rent cars and track time when it's open. Good idea to call first.
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From a three rail perspective, maybe the most interesting place in town is Steve's Train City in Hopkins, a western suburb of Minneapolis.
The problem is three fold, first you have to find his hole in the wall location. I went to high school in Hopkins, and know the downtown fairly well. I had trouble finding it the first time. It's around the back of the building that has its front on Main Street.
Next, you have to figure out his hours and catch him.
Finally, he has a lot of stuff in store rooms, not on display. He's kind of shifted over the years, from a standard retail model, to doing more train shows. He knows what he has, and even where it is, but you have to get past his somewhat gruff exterior. I've known him for years, and he's a good guy.
