leapinlarry posted:

Yes, I also remember Train Express, many mail orders came to Tennessee....

trainroomgary posted:

Yes:  Train Express, they were a K-Line Super Store, all my K-Line Shadow Rail, came from there.

Gary

Quick Train express History- TE used to sell trains at the local tire dealer in my hometown-Schied's.  That's how they got started.  I'd look at trains while dad bought tires.  MPC was in full stride.

I saw an ad in MR for the main store, an hour drive from home.  Dad took me the first time, TE was on Industrial Blvd, Indianapolis, their first store.  (Back then PW was king and I vividly remember $500-700 #681s, Berks, Hudsons lining the shelves!  Hundreds of them.  Here's another one you may enjoy-a mint PW SF F3 ABA combo-$325!).  The first move wasn't in their favor-a fire developed in the tire warehouse the store was attached too.  Through the years, I visited TE at each location as they moved around Indy. 

About once a year, I'd stop by the store-life, job, other priorities kept me out of trains during that time.  In August 2014,  I stopped by to look at the shop and saw the sign on the door- "SALE, Going Out of Business"  

The month before they closed for good, there was still a ton of inventory stock.  Some of the same guys I remembered from childhood still worked there.  The great guy Larry is, his concern was his customers to the end-he had all pre-orders sent to Charles Ro. 

I miss that store.  And, all the childhood moments I had there. 

CNJ 3676 posted:

... Although the store didn't carry model railroading equipment, another of my now-gone favorites (you'll like this one Tom) would the Depot Attic in Dobbs Ferry, NY. The Depot Attic had a fabulous selection of railroadiana. Two of my other favorite sources of memorabilia were Broadway Limited Antiques owned by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Samelson and Mr. Arnold Joseph's Railroad 'N Things, both located in Manhattan. Ah, the memories.

Great thread!

Bob

Bob,

 Glad you mentioned Fred Arone's Depot Attic in Dobbs Ferry (NY). Every Saturday in the 1990's I would be in his basement shop. Fred would usually be at his sink scrubbing one of his many railroad lanterns. I was able to get my collection of Trains magazines from him. If you have never read some of the great writing of David P. Morgan, take a look at some of those early issues.

Tom

We lived in Houston when I got back into the hobby in 1989.  Two stores that supported my reborn habit at that time were Trains & Planes on Westheimer and JR's Hobby Depot on Kirkwood.  God; I could spend hours at JR's visiting with Jerry and other customers!

Both stores are long gone now.

Curt

Really enjoyed stopping into Train Express in Indianapolis. Great guys, great prices and a huge showroom. Not to mention, easy access off of the highway.

Dispensa's Castle of Toys, Oak Brook Terrace, IL. They always had a huge wall of Lionel to drool over. One of those classic family owned businesses with a kiddie land attached. The land was sold in the 1980's and developed into a high rise office tower. The best part about the office tower was that it was built and then unusable for some time due to engineering issues and the building leaning!! Total justice for this kid since his fun summer place to go and awesome toy store had been dismantled!! 

When I was going to the Jersey Shore in Avalon back in the 1990's.I used to stop in at Antique Trains in Turnersville and Trains and Things in Vineland. The late Richard Bimmer who owned Antique Trains was a very interesting character and I am not sure if Ralph Burrell who owned Trains and Things in Vineland is still in business. He also was good to deal with. Maybe someone on this board would know if Trains and Things are still in business.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Tom,

   We had the best 3 Trains shops in the USA right here in Western Pa, and now 2 of them are gone completely, the Iron Horse & Jim's Train Shop are gone, and yes I do miss Frank's place & Train Club most of all, but Jim's was big time also.  Dave at Bill & Walts has long down sized, from his big shop on the Blvd of the Allies, and I miss that Monster Train shop also, his little place in White Oak is nice, but his big store at the foot of the Blvd of the Allies was something special in Pittsburgh, for many many years.

PCRR/Dave

Yep, those 3 were my "local" favorites when visiting Pittsburgh although I only actually set foot in Jimmy's once but I did buy from him by eMail often.  And on several business trips to New York City back in the 70's, a visit to Madison Hardware was icing on the cake!

Bill

Milepost 38 is still around. They were bought by Arnie's trains and moved to Westminster about 17 miles away. The stores I miss are Little depot in Anaheim, Tinplate treasures in Anaheim, Discount trains in Brea, Train Stop in San Dimas, Yorba toy trains in Yorba Linda, and others. We've lost a lot over the years not much left to shop at anymore. I miss all the friends I had there. 

    Bob

Tinplate Junction, Oakland

John' s Junction, Oakland

Lee's Trains, Oakland

Franciscan Hobbies, San Francisco

San Antonio Hobbies, Mountain View CA

and many more....

AB Charles on West Liberty Ave. in Dormont, PA.

Bill and Walt's in Downtown Pgh.

Jim's in Homer City, PA

Collectible Toys and Trains on Loop 12 in Dallas, TX

Antique trains in New Jersey, closed when Rich passed and Mitchell's in Delaware both nice places to visit.

Antique trains in New Jersey and Mitchell's in Delaware,

When I was a kid I used to love to go to Downtown Philadelphia and check out the original Nicholas Smith and Wm Beckers on 11th St then to Millers Union Station around the corner on Arch St, and not to mention Tom Thumb Hobby on 15th St and Quacker City Hobby on Chestnut St.  When I was about 12 I went into Millers to buy a used American Flyer 282 C&NW Pacific with my Christmas money which was $10.00, When Mr Miller went to test it, it wouldn't run he then pulled a 312AC Pennsy K5 Pacific off the shelf which was about $15.00 I said I won't have enough for it. His reply was I promised you a locomotive for $10.00 and your getting one for $10.00. He passed away less than a month later and the store closed a few months later.

Puff n Stuff in Palatine IL. They always seemed to have something that interested me and great prices. I baught my Lionel C&NW H12-44 switcher there among other things.

Fred Brenek posted:

Mail order:  Jim's Train Shop - PA, Ma & Pa Junction - MD, Just Trains - DE, Island Trains - NY.

Local: Ted's Engine House - Pennsauken, NJ == M & G Hobbies - Delran, NJ == J & B Trains - Delran/Maple Shade, NJ.

Fred

 I only went to Ted's a couple of times, but when George opened M & G Hobbies, I was a regular from the beginning. He always treated me well, gave me a break on prices almost every time I made a purchase, and often knew what I wanted before I did. I was nearly crushed when he went under.

 Trains N' Things in Vineland was a real nice store, I found them when I moved to Atlantic County. They sold the business to a real nice couple, but it is now all the way down in Alloway, which is at least an hour away from me.

TrainJunkie posted:

Puff n Stuff in Palatine IL. They always seemed to have something that interested me and great prices. I baught my Lionel C&NW H12-44 switcher there among other things.

Hi.  Where was this store located?!!  I lived in Palatine for several years and don't ever remember seeing a hobby or train store in town (although to be fair I wasn't into the hobby back then.)  Do you remember when they shut their doors?

Count me in as far as missing Mizell's in North Denver. Met many fine folks there over the last 30 years. Fortunately a vast majority I still keep in contact with with my own business now. Does anyone remember Downtown Hobbies in Denver? That was an old school hobby shop. Forum member Big Boy 4005 (Elliot) worked there too.

Growing up in New York in the 70's and 80's I spent a lot of time at Madison Hardware and the old Train World on Ave M in Bklyn. I went to Madison all the time to see the brothers, Carl was a nice guy! Lou, well depends on the day. I lived near Westchester Hobbies in White Plains and there was also the Roundhouse in White Plains that was a nice store a lot of HO brass there. I knew of Trents Trains and heard some not so nice things about him..But I went to college in Dayton, Ohio (GO Flyers},and after I graduated moved to Cincinnati. I discovered Davis Trains and became a customer until they closed. It was a great store and I became friends with Joe Davis, Steve Rider etc. Thanksgiving was a blast in that store. But while the store did well, the electronics division supported the store. When Joe died his son just did not have the passion..Davis Trains was my favorite store, plain and simple.

Trains, LLC Albemarle Rd Charlotte NC.

Big modern store, trains only, run by a nice guy that knew trains well.

80% of my MTH came from that store.

RadioRon posted:

Fred Brenek posted:

Just Trains just isn't the same since the founder died and a new manager took over.  I have to say, I miss the owners more than I necessarily miss the stores.

Fred

Fred, you are most certainly right about JusTrains.  Kirk Mitchell built it into a business of national stature in a fairly short amount of time.   But it all went away in the years following his death & the move of the business from the Newark Shopping Center to a nearby industrial park.  They carry virtually no Lionel... all MTH.   Don't know why their relationship with Lionel soured.

I completely agree.  Their old store was simply amazing - the largest, best equipped train store I've ever seen.  It had everything.  Along with all the trains they had an impressive supply of scratchbuilding materials, paint, and plastic models.   And prices were terrific.  Value and selection - it was an awesome combination.  The modern incarnation is a huge disappointment. 

It's really too bad.

George

Chuck Sartor posted:

Count me in as far as missing Mizell's in North Denver. Met many fine folks there over the last 30 years. Fortunately a vast majority I still keep in contact with with my own business now. Does anyone remember Downtown Hobbies in Denver? That was an old school hobby shop. Forum member Big Boy 4005 (Elliot) worked there too.

Yes - I remember Downtown Hobbies in Denver. Back in the late 70s or early 80s I bought some part there to repair my Wabash GP-7.

Steve

How many people are familiar with Blasdell Hobby, when it was in the basement of Russ' home? (Buffalo NY suburb)

I always liked going there when I was in Buffalo.

There was also a fairly good sized shop above a stained glass studio in the Buffalo area. I think it was on Eggert Rd. I forget the name. I think the owner's name was Vic.

One more Buffalo shop I liked was K-Val. Not a lot of Lionel for sale, but the folks were very friendly.

Switching over to New York City, there was Madison Hardware.  I have fond memories of my visits with Carl and Lou.

I'll add another vote for Hazlet Train Stop. Worked there in the mid-70's repairing trains; got paid in trains. Boyd was always very kind to me, and would let me tag along with his sons to area meets to help me build my collection.

Moving to the DFW area, I was always impressed with Collectible Trains & Toys. K-Line SuperStore and just a general great collection of all things train-related.

Log Cabin Train Shop outside of Pittsburgh.

Great topic that brings back good memories.

As I kid with my dad, we would visit Hill's Hobbies in Park Ridge, Illinois when it was located across from the railroad station.

Frank

The Corner Store in Lorain, Ohio

As I was growing up through the 90s my Mom would take me there a couple times a year. I was lucky to get a box car or some other small item when we went. I awed over the big Lionel and new MTH engines in the display casses.

But the best part was the layout the owner had built in the back. My parents would have to drag me away from that layout after an hour or two of starring at it. Even to this day its one of the best layouts I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure its torn down which is sad. Good memories.

Jason

Fred Brenek posted:

SJC posted:

Fred Brenek posted:

Mail order:  Jim's Train Shop - PA, Ma & Pa Junction - MD, Just Trains - DE, Island Trains - NY.

Local: Ted's Engine House - Pennsauken, NJ == M & G Hobbies - Delran, NJ == J & B Trains - Delran/Maple Shade, NJ.

Fred

Just Trains is most certainly still in business - alive and well I'd say. They have a wonderful brick and mortar store as well as a very good mail order operation. 

Just Trains just isn't the same since the founder died and a new manager took over.  I have to say, I miss the owners more than I necessarily miss the stores.

Fred

when i first started reading this topic,justrains came to mind immediately  ,when kirt m had it,i bought alot of atlas o and mth power-dummy combos. they had the lowest pricing and free shipping to boot.-Jim

South Jersey had several great hobby shops just a few years ago but today they are all history.   Antique Trains in Turnersville, N.J., Trains 'N Things in Vineland, N. J., J&B trains in Maple Shade, N.J. and even Ted's Engine House in Pennsauken, N.J. even though it went out long before the others I have mentioned.  A real shame. 

Polks Hobby Store Manhattan

Madison Hardware 

anyone remember dom and augie c. aka "brothers hobby" from the youngstown,ohio area? augie done about anything price wise to make a sale.like justrains ,i purchased alot of mth. they had their own store just north of rt 7@ the ohio turnpike for about a year or so before it ciosed .i still see dom at a few  ne ohio shows,selling h o and rr items.-Jim

Jim's Train Shop          Homer City, Pennsylvania

I really miss my wife calling to me "Honey, Uncle Jimmy is on the phone!" She INSISTED that I put the MTH "Jim's Train Shop" building on my layout.

Chesterfield Hobbies         Midlothian Virginia

I didn't subscribe to OGR to give me an excuse to stop by and see Adrian.....

The list is long.

Little Hobbies - Flemington, NJ - First at Turntable Junction then on Route 31.

The Train Shop - Middlesex, NJ

Hazlet Train Shop - Hazlet, NJ

US #1 Hobby - Bridgewater, NJ

The Gingerbread Stop - Warren. NJ

Steve Varga's Hobby Shop - New Brunswick, NJ

Tiny Tots - Greenbrook, NJ

D&S Hobbies - South Bound Brook, NJ

20th Century Hobbies - Hillsborough, NJ

Millburn Train & Hobby Center - Millburn, NJ

Hob-Nob - Flemington, NJ

Hobby & Game - Somerset, NJ

Hal's Small Appliance & Sweeper Shop - Easton, Pa

There was also a shop in Bound Brook, NJ next to the Brook Theater.

Does anyone remember the small Lionel shop in Buffalo, I believe it was on Northland near Fillmore, run by a family named Haidvogel? My father used to take me in there in the late 1950's, it was the first floor of a two story house. The corner of Northland and Fillmore is completely under a railroad overpass, which made the visits all the more memorable. If I recall correctly, it was run by a man and his mother, both were well on in years at the time. Always wonder what became of that place. The other big Lionel place in Buffalo was Chester Spoonley's over on Choate Street, again on the first floor of a two-story house. Could never get near the place on Saturday mornings. I understand his son tried to run it after the old man passed away, but that apparently did not work out.

And, in that era, our Sears Roebuck on Main and Delavan sold Lionel year round, and a pretty good selection at that! They always had a big Christmas layout that was a big draw. Of course, in that era, in Buffalo at least, Sears was the go-to place for everything not clothing related, if Sears didn't have it only then did you look anywhere else!

Madison Hardware of NYC of Course,

Hobby House outside of Tampa Florida on US 19, they had everything!! When visiting my grandparents, my grandfather would take me there. Had so much mint in the box MPC Lionel, Postwar, and my vintage Tyco Slot Cars including the US1 Trucking system I still collect. It was like walking through a time zone, they didnt even know what they had...so much MIB items..spent so much money there....

And there was a hobby shop in Bayshore NY, off of Montauk Highway and Saxon Ave, next to the old Gimbels Dept Store. He was like the madison hardware of Long Island, Dont remember the name, but I can still vision the floor to ceiling of product of Trains, Slot Cars, DieCast, Radio Control etc he had EVERYTHING....Unfortunately, it burned down when the Gimbels store caught fire in the 80;s and he never reopened.

When I was a kid in Louisville, KY, in the fifties, Fischer's Hobby Shop was the go to place for Lionel trains.  It was over the old Rialto Theater on 4th Street which was the retail strip downtown.  You had to climb quite a few stairs to get up there.  The repair shop was on your left when you got to the top of the stairs.  They closed up shop downtown in the early 60's and had two different suburban stores which I think were run by Mrs. Fischer as her husband had passed away. College and an Army career kept me away from my hometown until the 1990's. When I returned we had somewhat a variety of shops including, Casey Jones Trains, L&N Trains 'n Things, The Roundhouse, and Hobby House.  All but The Roundhouse remains.  But that store is a maze of rooms full of new and used Lionel, MTH, Weaver, and American Flyer.  They do a great business in repairs.  All of the guys are real friendly and glad to have your business.  I understand that some of the guys who used to go to Davis Electronics in the Cincinnati area will make trips to this store. It's in the back area of a strip mall on the East side so not real noticeable.

Does anyone remember the small Lionel shop in Buffalo, I believe it was on Northland near Fillmore, run by a family named Haidvogel?

I met Paul Haidvogel after the store had closed. He had a booth at a local indoor flea market.  I got to know him a little better through the TCA.

He told me he was an Sunbeam appliance repairman. I got to know him a little better through the TCA.

I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Haidvogel invite me to his home. All of the stuff from his business, including trains, had been moved to his garage when he closed his shop suddenly due to health reasons. I purchased quite a bit of oddball stuff from him. I'd try to go see him every time my wife and I went to Buffalo to see her family.

He was a very nice fellow.

Anybody familiar with Spoonley the Train Man?

I never met him, or visited the store, it was gone by the time I started visiting Buffalo. It was still listed in phone book, and my wife and I tried to find it once.

I have an interesting book titled "The Train Man", written by John Zach. It is a biography of Spoonley. There are pictures and short descriptions of other Buffalo train shops in the back of the book.

Apparently there were two shops:

The Haidvogel Train shop, run by August Haidvogel on Northland Ave

Captain Paul's Miniature Railways, run by Paul Haidvogel  at 311 Grant St.

Paul was August's nephew.

I don't know how the train shop related to Paul Haidvogel telling me he was a Sunbeam appliance repairman.

After to moving to Southern New Jersey, I had three great train stores to buy trains. My favorite was Vince at Track 33 in Clarksboro, Then there was Irene at Trains & Things in Vineland and let's not leave out Rich at Antique Trains in Turnersville. Rich was a character and will be missed. I pass by his shop at least once a week. What ever happened to Irene at Trains & Things and Vince at Track 33. We still have one but to far south to travel, I believe they bought out the stock from Trains & things. Miss all three, Now I have buy on the bay.

The Vineland Trains n Things is now The Alloway  Trains n Things , 157 Remsterville Rd,  Elmer N.J 08318 .

Vince from Track 33 moved to Delaware and apparently doing business on line as 'Yankeedabler Hobbies"

J&B is long gone from Maple shade ,but there is BNB Hobby Train Depot just about a mile down the road in Moorestown   , 10 W Camden Ave  which turns into Main St. in Maple Shade . I have not been there , but was told it is worth the stop .

There is a fairly new store in Runnemede N.J. on the Black Horse Pike around 2nd or 3rd Ave  . I have driven past , but did not have the time to stop in .Sorry , I did not catch the name . Has any one on the forum been there

This is a great thread , thanks for posting it . Jim

Steve24944 posted:

Anybody remember All Nation Hobbies, Downtown Chicago ? 

Sure do!  Without a doubt the best & most famous hobby shop I ever visited, back in the 1960s.

Is it still there ?  

Nope.  Long gone.

I use to go there back in the 70s when I was in High School and College.  They had a HO layout with working signals that traveled through various Landscapes.

Steve