turtle7: I agree with you 100%! Looks like The World's Greatest Hobby was much more fun when you could visit your friendly brick and mortar train shop where the owner would gladly test run the locomotive he had ordered for you. This doesn't make you a Grumpy Old Man, but makes you yearn to return to those carefree years when you gathered with fellow model railroaders on a sunny Saturday afternoon to talk trains plus grab the latest issue of O Gauge Railroading off the magazine rack!
As a matter of fact, there are still a few left today in the USA. Please support the one near you when you can. Paying a fraction more $$$ for any model can and will save you a lot of unnessasary frustration in the long run. Remember, the Mom and Pop hobby shop is what helped make America one if not the most wonderful place on the planet it has become known to be.
