Model Railroad Equipment Corporation at 23 West 45th Street in the days of Carmen Webster, and
Polks Model Craft Hobbies at 314 5th Avenue in the days of Lewis Polk.
Both in Manhattan
- Mike
@Mike Casatelli--Mike, I may have mentioned this before...my dad worked in Manhattan at W&J Slone and when I was a youngster, he would take me down to Model Railroad Equipment Corp and going down those stairs was always exciting, like walking through the stands at a baseball game to finally see the green field emerge.
Sadly, I don't think dad knew of Madison Hardware as I think I would have loved that, too.
Tom
Windsor Hobby, Berwyn, IL.
A small one-man shop of my youth. Mostly HO, N and plastics, with used goodies in the back room.
Rusty
the old madison hardware in NYC went there when I was in my teens --like entering a timewarp---new old stock galore and as I remember two old gentlemen running it
Sure, I miss Woody's Train Shop in El Paso. Woody and Hazel had a good stock, operating layouts and friendly atmosphere. "If we don't have it. we'll get it."
Logan
Max K Trell, Stamford, Ct. I think it was a hobby shop with lots of Lionel. Next up, Caldors, a regional high end discount store. Caldor's sold starter Lionel sets, track, accessories and freight.
Glen's Train Shop in Akron, Ohio
Jetstream Hobbies in Blairstown, NJ.
They had a fantastic selection of trains, track, accessories, etc. (post-war to modern) and a very impressive inventory of Dept 56. I purchased quite a few buildings and accessories from them.
The husband and wife who owned it were so kind and friendly, I hope they are both doing well wherever they are now
All of them. Nearest to me now of any real value is over 100 miles across 2 states.
@gandydancer1950 posted:Lew, do you remember Puritas Hobby?
Hi Howard,
I was an east side of Cleveland person. Do you mean the shop ran by Bob Parsley? If so, then I do remember it but was only there once.
Lou N
Wow, where to begin? In no particular order:
- Barry's in Elizabethtown, PA
- Maxwell's in Harrisburg, PA
- Sears & Roebuck in Steubenville, OH (1960's, 70s)
- The Hub, Steubenville, OH (1960's,70s)
George
Again, Catoctin Mountain Trains and Hobbies, Thurmont MD. The best of the best in customer service, selection and appreciation for your business.
Carr's Hobby in Duluth, MN!
How many remember Train 99? They were always at Greenberg’s show in Timonium Md.
Madison Hardware in 23rd St
The Roundhouse in the Croton North Train Station
The Roundhouse in White Plains on Martine Ave
Davis Train in Milford, Oho
@Lou N posted:Hi Howard,
I was an east side of Cleveland person. Do you mean the shop ran by Bob Parsley? If so, then I do remember it but was only there once.
Lou N
Yep that's the one. Btw, HUGE toy and train show at Medina Fairgrounds today, one of the biggest I've ever seen.......super crowded also.
Glens Train Shop in Akron, Ohio.
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Allied Hobbies in LA,Lees Trains in Piedmont,Ca,Jack Colliers Toys for Men in SF and Mailways in SF to name a few.
Mikey
Frank’s Roundhouse (owned by Frank Rash) in Hanover Township (just outside Wilkes-Barre), PA. My Dad started taking me there in the mid-1970’s when I was about 8 or 9 years old. We always left with something!
The first location was in a basement of some sort of commercial building. I can remember the smell of engine smoke and ozone from the store layout as I walked down the steps like I was just there yesterday. Great memories for sure!
Oscale Train Lover was lamenting the loss of his train store that also sold Department 56. All the big D56 retailers are gone here in CT: Windsor Shop in North Haven, Vinny’s in North Haven, G & L Windham plus just about any other local D56 outlet.
@RidgeRunner posted:Again, Catoctin Mountain Trains and Hobbies, Thurmont MD. The best of the best in customer service, selection and appreciation for your business.
Would stop there on the drive to my BIL's in Leesburg Va.
Al Moyer's Coventry Trains in Pottstown PA. Al's was only open for a few years but grew out of the backroom of an ice cream shop into a separate building with operating layout. Would always find an excuse to stop there on my way home from work. Many items followed me home from there! It closed after Al's untimely passing. Great guy.
I grew up going to Dutchess Train and Hobby in Red Oaks Mill NY. Went one day as a teenager and the windows were papered over with a note about being closed for renovations, with a reopening date. Never reopened.
Best memory of my time in the hobby was going there to pick up my Lionel 0-6-0 Docksider in NYC paint that my parents had special ordered when it finally arrived. Still remember using the blue ribbons to lift it out of the box the first time.
Jackson Hobby Shop, Jackson NJ
The Train Guys, Howell NJ
I think it was called the Westchester Train & Hobby Shop on Post Road across the street from White Plains Hospital in White Plains, NY. This was the hobby shop where Pete (who smoked like a chimney) did a great job fixing my trains.
@shorling posted:Oscale Train Lover was lamenting the loss of his train store that also sold Department 56. All the big D56 retailers are gone here in CT: Windsor Shop in North Haven, Vinny’s in North Haven, G & L Windham plus just about any other local D56 outlet.
I just said that to my son, yesterday. He was helping me set up the Christmas tree layout, and as I was opening up all the Dept 56 accessories, it occurred to me that all of the gift shops I bought them from are gone.
Similarly to as others said five years ago in this thread, I miss Train Express, but am very grateful that Mr Muffins has filled the void in Indy.
The village train shop in Perry was a small but nice shop. Another was "The Train Shop in Erie was also great. I remember when Fred was there.
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:I think it was called the Westchester Train & Hobby Shop on Post Road across the street from White Plains Hospital in White Plains, NY. This was the hobby shop where Pete (who smoked like a chimney) did a great job fixing my trains.
It was called Westchester Hobbies at 122 East Post Rd, across from the Royal Scarlet Deli. Pete smoke packs a day. He fixed many of my trains over the years..
Sadly, I've never been inside a train store in my entire life. Never even seen one.
Unless you count the time I walked through a Hobby Lobby in a strip shopping center in Fairfax twenty years ago.
Mannyrock
I miss Ridge Road Station west of Rochester, NY. It wasn't just a train store... it was a destination for all things G scale, trains, Christmas, and fun. Now, it is just a leveled lot.
@Mike Casatelli posted:Model Railroad Equipment Corporation at 23 West 45th Street in the days of Carmen Webster.
That was in my opinion the very best model railroad shop. Other good ones were Corr's in D.C., All Nation in Chicago, original Lloyd's in Baltimore. As I recall Herb Walters was in charge of the O scale equipment at Model Railroad Equipment Corporation.
I recall him showing me a lot of Max Gray equipment in the 1950's, some of which I purchased. As you went down the stairs there was a large photo of the front of a PRR 4-8-2 on the wall.
Actually, a shop mentioned as a new store early in this thread, has now gone away. Bob and Vicki at Alloway Trains and Things retired last spring. They weren’t around long, but folks like them are hard to find, so it was tough to lose them.
@Cincytrains posted:It was called Westchester Hobbies at 122 East Post Rd, across from the Royal Scarlet Deli. Pete smoke packs a day. He fixed many of my trains over the years..
@Cincytrains -- Weren't there actually two Westchester Hobbies? I seem to remember the first one closed (I think they had a fire, but not 100% sure) and then they relocated slightly more East on East Post Road. Either way, they seemed like a friendly bunch. They always had a decent supply of the magazine "Locomotive & Railway Preservation" which was a pretty nicely done magazine, but didn't last too long.
My dad ran the furniture store, W&J Sloanes, still further East on East Post Road in the late 1970's- early 1980's.
Tom
The old M.B. Klein's on Gay Street in Baltimore. Narrow aisles and shelves filled from the floor to ceiling. Spent many an hour in there. And a few $$, too. 
My favorite all-time hobby shop was Mizzell's (Sp)? in Westminster, Colorado. Huge stock of new and vintage, (Their "Wall of Trains" was famous). Great repair service and Ceramic Buildings, exquisitely crafted, that I never saw for sale anywhere else. I miss them.
Logan
@SJC posted:
Sure do....the best of the best.
Still miss this one and Barrys Trains in E Town.
@G3750 posted:Wow, where to begin? In no particular order:
- Barry's in Elizabethtown, PA
- Maxwell's in Harrisburg, PA
- Sears & Roebuck in Steubenville, OH (1960's, 70s)
- The Hub, Steubenville, OH (1960's,70s)
George
Im with you GEORGE, BARRYS TRAINS a in Elizabethtown and MAXWELLs in Harrisburg,PA. MAXWELLS was a smoke house but he did have lots o stock.
Rusty, you beat me to it - Windsor Hobby Shop in Berwyn back in the late 1950's through late 1970's before I moved to San Jose. Spent a lot of time at this shop. Bob, the owner, was a very friendly guy, and always helpful. Bought several brass engines from him and all my rolling stock and accessories.
In the San Jose area, we had Loco-Boose with a very good supply. We still have the Train Shop in Santa Clara. 100% trains, mostly HO, but a good selection of O gauge items. They also cater to the G scale guys as well as N scale. A huge selection of RR books covers one long wall.
RAY
@PRR8976 posted:@Cincytrains -- Weren't there actually two Westchester Hobbies? I seem to remember the first one closed (I think they had a fire, but not 100% sure) and then they relocated slightly more East on East Post Road. Either way, they seemed like a friendly bunch. They always had a decent supply of the magazine "Locomotive & Railway Preservation" which was a pretty nicely done magazine, but didn't last too long.
My dad ran the furniture store, W&J Sloanes, still further East on East Post Road in the late 1970's- early 1980's.
Tom
Westchester Hobbies was the one that caught fire and burned in the very early 1990's, a different store, Westchester Train and Hobbies opened up at the end of Post Rd in the late 1990's. It was/is separate from the other. It is owned by a tow truck guy. He was in the old mall for years and now in the Galleria on the bottom floor. Its ok I guess.
