@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.
I miss(ed) them all.
I recently bought a NOS Lionel freight car. It was produced way back in 2003 . There was a piece of paper in the box from Lionel that listed dealers by state. There were 6 stores listed in my area (St. Louis) in 2003. They're all gone now. I've only been involved in this hobby for four years. Therefore, I've never bought anything at a train store. 100% Internet or shows. The way it is.
I have to say now that I don't have any family in the Philadelphia area, I really miss going to Nicholas Smith up in Broomall Pa. From the 1950s & 60s , Beckers & Nicholas Smith on 11th St and Millers Union Station on Arch St between 10th & 11th St in Downtown Philadelphia, Quaker City Hobby & Tom Thumb Hobbies who had a huge HO parts inventory also Downtown Philly and Todd's Upper Darby where I grew up. I occasionally worked for the Original Nicholas Smith on 11th St back in 1967 when I was 14. And finally some of you may recall Service Of Merritt on West Chester Pike and Darby Rd in Havertown? It wasn't a hobby shop but he repaired trains and sold used Standard, O & S gauge trains at very attractive prices. The shop closed when Mr Merritt passed away about 1988.
@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.
Kind of the same here in NE Pennsylvania, Steve. Not far from me is a local legend called the American Candle Shop - in reality, candles are a small part of their business. 20+ years ago, they did an enormous amount of business in collectibles, including Dept. 56. If you went there on the day after Christmas, all D56 was 40-50% off!!! They had stacks of boxes piled 4 - 5 feet high throughout the store - each of the different lines had a different section. If you didn’t see what you were looking for, you just had to ask and they’d check the stock room. You would see folks leaving with these enormous clear plastic bags with five or ten houses!!! I must admit to having picked up a couple of items over the years 
While they still carry a small amount of D56, it just ain’t the same... not a complete tragedy - leaves more money for trains!!!
@RJT posted:Still miss this one and Barrys Trains in E Town.
Just came by to say Barry's, I see a lot of people beat me to it.
The Model Railway Station in Scotia NY
Model Trains and Parts in Schenectady NY
@graz posted: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
Born and raised in Pittsburgh thru high school 1965. Christmas + train layouts were king. I had a Pittsburgh Press paper route and virtually every customer had some sort of train layout. I got too see them all! My dad started us out with a Lionel steam set in the early 50's. Then added New York Central F-3 set with magna traction, switch tracks, logloader, coal loader, etc. I don't recall the stores he took us too though. But I been hooked on O scale ever since. My daughters loved them. And now my grand kids, Fast forward to moving to the Dallas area in 1988. Discovered Collectible Toys and Trains sometime after that. My Layouts got bigger and a lot of stuff came from Collectible. Great bunch of guys and gals there. Then they moved somewhere out in the country. I heard the owner passed away (can't remember his name, but I do remember his face). RIP. And the hobby lives on.
@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
Tom, those 2 stores were entirely separate businesses.
The one that was more east on East Post Road was owned by two guys, Mike and Joe. Joe focused on repairs and was quite good at it. That business was taken over by Mike, who subsequently relocated to the Hamilton Avenue Mall in White Plains, and then to the Galleria in White Plains where it currently exists. It is a fine model railroad and hobby shop. Mike promoted MTH trains early on, and I bought quite a few of them over the years, and am very happy with all of them.
The other store, which was further west on Post Road in White Plains, is where Pete did train repairs.
Both of those stores were near where I've had my White Plains law office, and it was always a pleasure for me to visit them. During my lunch hour and after work, I would often hang out at both stores. Arnold
@Cincytrains posted: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.
That's my understanding too.
The stores I miss:
Trains N' Things in Maspeth, NY - After "Santa Clause" brought me the "Kickapoo Valley & Northern" set, a few months later my parents took me there and I got a GP-20 (6-8367 Long Island). It looked so silly with the cars from that set.
World Of Trains originally in Rego Park, NY then Forest Hills, NY. My grade school was across the street - that was my go to place growing up. One of the two owners - Leon - always helped me out when I was a little short of the item prices, and always had a nice thing to say. When I was older I would always sop in whenever I was in town. I could always find something.
Aqua Pet Hobby Den in Flushing, NY. They had a ton of "N" scale - I didn't model in N scale but their rotating displays were awesome.
hello
Hobby World in Jacksonville Fl. When Don the owner passed his son sold it. It went down hill fast then closed. i woUld go there for hrs and look at everything on the shelf's. one day i bought a lgb gondola in a brown box. Don asked how i knew what it was. I told him I read all the box's. he had a back room with all the old lionel that he would only let a few people go in and look at and buy. I was one of the lucky one's to get to go back there. He and Hobby World are missed.
Kevin
Train Barn -Portage, Mi.
Model Depot- Royal Oak, Mi.
Train Center Hobbies-Birmingham, Mi.
Mark's Trains and Hobbies-Marion, Il.
20th Century Limited Hobbies-Wheaton, Il.
Empire Hobbies-Troy, Mi.
Wild Bill's Roseville, Mi. (I think I got the town right on that one).
Lionel Visitors Center-Chesterfield, Mi. There was a nice train shop there.
Ryder's Hobbies-Madison Heights, Mi.
Al's Hobby Shop-Elmhurst, IL. This one still might be open but I haven't lived in the Chicago area for over 30 years.
I had great experiences at all of these hobby shops. Sad to see they're all gone.
One more to add-Rainy Day's Hobbies--Ferndale, Mi.
A couple of small "mom and pop" / repair stores just came to mind:
- Log Cabin Trains - a one-man repair shop off Camp Horne Road north of Pittsburgh. This was a very hard-to-find location. Unfortunately, a thief found it and robbed the place (mid-late 1990's?). It closed as a result.
- Blue Mountain Trains (or Hobbies?) - I believe this "store" (really his basement) was north of Annville, PA. The owner passed away in the early 2000s.
George
Yes, I miss this one.
But my wife and I got old. We needed a pill to keep us young. But our local pharmacy doesn't have any.
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Yes since I moved to South Carolina I miss every Train Shop I went to in Northeast PA.
I miss every closed train store in my area (northern New Jersey) that I ever visited. Each had its own personality, and each visit was an adventure because I never knew what I would find. I also miss Don Brill's Dover train show, which was always a lot of fun.
Charlotte Electric Trains
My favorite train store was a small hole in wall shop in west Phoenix called "An Affair with Trains". I went there every few weeks prior to my interest in O scale and going to the store was always an interesting adventure. Between the packed aisles of new and consignment items were lots of new old stock kits of the likes of Red Ball, yellow box Athearn, and even a few Varney kits. It just felt like what a train store should be like, an eclectic mix of interesting items. There were a few O pieces at the time, but it was mostly postwar and MPC era Lionel which I still don't have an interest in.
The original owner sold the store, it got moved north to an industrial park, and the new owners sold new product only. I lost interest at that point.
I may have mentioned this one before in another thread. Maybe someone remembers it?
In Baltimore, there was a train store at Falls Road and 36th Street. It was a few blocks away from friends whom I would visit every few months. One day in around 1985 I walked in to discover a large number of Kusan, AMT and KMT boxcars, and a 1984 (?) Williams catalog. The owners weren't that interested in making a profit that day, I guess. I seem to recall I paid $10 to $15 each for a quantity of boxcars, probably 20 or so of them.
It was the rebirth of my interest in trains, having put them away for a few decades at that point.
@jim sutter posted:Yes, I miss this one.
But my wife and I got old. We needed a pill to keep us young. But our local pharmacy doesn't have any.
Jim was only there twice but I miss it also very nice place and folks were great.
Thank you Rick for your kind words. I hope you and your family have a very special and Merry Christmas.
I miss Sean Marchevs store Dorithys Trains. Morristown NJ.
Forest Hill station in Forest Hill, Md. Got a lot of advice from Charlie for building our layout in the mid 90's.
Childhood in the 1950s: Jaye and Jaye Hobby on Cleveland's east side.
Adulthood: Trading Post Train Shop on Cleveland’s west side. The owner, Jim Berilla, was a friend.
Arthur,
The store was called Collector Trains and Toys.
Charlie
That's it, thank you! Did you buy things there?
They are still listed in Google searches, but I don't think they've been around for a number of years.
When I saw the boxcars, and realizing that they were closer to scale size than 6464's, I was fascinated and liked them. I hadn't ever heard of them, and the old goober behind the counter, "in the style of" Lou Shur, snarled something like "yeah, some guy in the midwest made them, and nobody likes them. Do me a favor and buy all of them." So I did.
I miss Al’s Hobby Shop in Elmhurst Il. A general hobby store but my first go to and visit often hobby shop. I rode my bike there from home.
I miss the train store on Calumet Ave in Munster In. Two blocks from my in laws, and a welcome respite. Called the Train Stop I think.
Years ago there was a very small train shop in Oshkosh Wisconsin, (my home). I mean it was tiny and it was not very busy but I learned so much there. At one time Oshkosh also had a train show. “Ah those were the days my friend”
Growing up in Glen Ellyn, Il, I had a couple of morning paper routes delivering the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. With the some of the money I made, I would take one of the CN&W commuter trains to Elmhurst, stop at Al's and buy a few things for the HO layout I used to have. Then I'd catch the train back to Glen Ellyn about 45 minutes later.. I started doing that when I was in 7th grade and really enjoyed my "train adventures". I miss those days but sure had fun and of course, it helped to know the trains schedules.
Arthur,
I bought a pair of the 022 switches - only thing I bought.
Charlie
I used to love going to Long Island Train and Hobby in Mineola. Old school shop with boxes piled high and a back room with the best Postwar and LTI trains on display. Been gone a long time now.
I’d say my favorite was actually the 5th floor of Macy’s on 34th ST. It was a truly large toy department with a wonderful Christmas train layout/display. Another attraction for me was that it was across the street from my mother’s office.
Alan
@Jon Stachowicz posted:Train Barn -Portage, Mi.
Model Depot- Royal Oak, Mi.
Train Center Hobbies-Birmingham, Mi.
Mark's Trains and Hobbies-Marion, Il.
20th Century Limited Hobbies-Wheaton, Il.
Empire Hobbies-Troy, Mi.
Wild Bill's Roseville, Mi. (I think I got the town right on that one).
Lionel Visitors Center-Chesterfield, Mi. There was a nice train shop there.
Ryder's Hobbies-Madison Heights, Mi.
Al's Hobby Shop-Elmhurst, IL. This one still might be open but I haven't lived in the Chicago area for over 30 years.
I had great experiences at all of these hobby shops. Sad to see they're all gone.
Wild Bills was in Clinton Township, MI and Bill was a great friend of mine. I had known bill since the early 70's when our wives both had twin children and joined a club here in Michigan and back in the early 80's prior to the shop Bill showed a very slight interest in the building of my layout. So my train buddy Ken and myself started taking Bill to train shows and man did he ever get hooked and the rest is history. I really miss the guy and the crew at the store on Groesbeck.
Anyone else remember K&K Train and Hobby in Utica NY? Run by the Koury brothers
I miss Wild Bills in Clinton Twp. MI as well. Every time I went in there with my children, the guys at the shop always made sure my kids operated the trains on the layout while I looked around.
The (long gone) model train department at Long's Drugstore ( also long gone) in Moreno Valley California. I know Southern California folks will remember that store fondly.
John
Everybody misses Madison Hardware.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...1#158111058809953051
I completely forgot about Macy's 6th floor. It was the go to toy store when I was child. My mom and I would take the subway to Herald Square. It was my mom's favorite store. They had a great Lionel display during Christmas season. I had not thought about that in a very long time.
Keene's Model Railroad Shop on G Place in downtown Washington, D.C.. Long gone.
After leaving the world of O3R behind for HO at the ripe old age of, oh say, 10 years (~1954) Keene's was my 'haunt'. Clark Keene's store...a literal hole-in-the-wall of a place...only purveyed for the benefit of the HO market. But he was probably the friendliest, most smiling guy behind the counter I remember. Even as a pre-teen, I was treated with the same respect that he gave the crowd of adults in their ubiquitous Fedora's, white shirts, ties, smell-of-smoke suits that invaded especially during their lunch hour.
I remember even WALKING to the store (with Mom's permission!) from our home in the NW corner of the city...about 3 blocks off the Maryland state line...about 4 miles by the crow's flight. Quite a hike for this "free-range" kid! More ften it would be a combination bus/trolley ride...again: "free-range" (Times surely have changed!!)
My most memorable purchase from Clark was a pile of sticks...a bundle of basswood per the bill of material accompanying an article in Model Railroader magazine. It was nearly Christmas. The magazine's December issue had a neat 2-story Santa Fe station construction article. Dad noticed the article and commented something like...'That looks like a fun project!'...and, BINGO!...No socks, ties, handkerchiefs for Dad this Christmas! What ensued on that Christmas morning as Dad opened that weirdly shaped bundle in Christmas wrappings is a whole story in itself. It took the next 50+ years to complete the station...Dad started the article's project, I finished it about a dozen years ago. (He had carefully saved the wood bundle's remnants...including scraps!...in a special box...which I carried around with the building's shell he had erected...through college, marriage, several relocations, a million distractions of life, etc..)
Yepper. Keene's. Clark Keene. For a few years thereafter...until high school graduation and off to college...Clark would acknowledge me by name when I came through the door. Talk about a very special hobby-encouraging relationship...to supplement Dad's interest/involvement!
BTW, Merry Christmas and a healthy, happiest, prosperous New Year to all!
KD
Kid Stuff and Griffing Hardware, both in Riverhead, NY. The Arcade department store in Greenport, NY, which had a very small display and inventory, and probably only at Christmas.
In Buffalo, Spoonley the Trainman, all Lionel, all the time, in his basement. Bob Schuh's K-Val, 3 blocks from my Grandma's. Field's Hobby Shop. On one of my annual trips (Atlanta-Sandusky) stopped at Davis Trains in Milford, just great, and then they were gone in the space of about two years. Paul's Hobbys in Norwalk, OH; owner apparently died after complications from a botched surgery; wife was unable to sustain the business.
@scott5011 posted:Bobbye Halls in Dallas,Tx. I got in on the last 5 or 6 years of the store being open. If you can find her book "Tracks from Texas to Tokyo" it is a fast and enjoyable read. RIP Dragon Lady! ... Thanks, John.
I enjoyed Bobbye Halls. I went there often when I was doing HO with my son. Packed full of hobby supplies of all kinds, literally from floor to ceiling. She was warm and welcoming to EVERYONE. I bought one of the 50th anniversary "Bobbye Halls" HO box cars. I still have it. She did lay-a-way for customers. They paid over time and then picked up the item on final payment, usually just before christmas. She was still doing lay-a-way in the 1990's when it had fallen out of favor in most department stores. Pre-order isn't new, just a little different now.
Everyone seemed to have a smile when they were in Bobbye Hall's store.
What is left of my HO is going to my son next month, including the anniversary boxcar.
I also miss Olsen Toy Train parts and Just Trains for hard to find lionel parts. Great online suppliers of O gauge parts that are now gone. I started in O gauge by buying post war fixer uppers. Their huge assortment turned many of my purchases into complete, pristine operating items. Everything fit. functioned and was the correct part when recieved.
I miss Harmon's Trains in Arcadia, along with Train Express in Indianapolis and Watt's Train Shop in Zionsville. The first 2 being mostly all Lionel with the later being my go to place for LGB G scale trains when I got into that and garden railroading during the summer months.
Went to Madison hardware in NYC in the early 80’s with my father-a day I will never forget
@VHubbard posted:I also miss Olsen Toy Train parts and Just Trains for hard to find lionel parts. Great online suppliers of O gauge parts that are now gone. I started in O gauge by buying post war fixer uppers. Their huge assortment turned many of my purchases into complete, pristine operating items. Everything fit. functioned and was the correct part when recieved.
You might be calling 'game over' a little too soon. I believe that Olsen's still has an eBay store. Seller name: partslionel.
Check it out.
Mike
Telly Electric Hardware Store on Gramatan Ave. in downtown Mt. Vernon, NY and all the other old fashioned local hardware stores that used to carry Lionel trains.
Almost any Hardware store here in Michigan that sold trains or carried train parts back in the heyday of Lionel and Marx. Most recently lost P&D Hobby here in Fraser Michigan. Pat had everything you ever need for scratch building and even the hard to find little parts for trains. I really miss Pat. Had lunch with him a few times. About the only one left is Brasseurs' up in Saginaw Michigan a little ride from the Detroit area but Bob is now one of the last old time shops around with thousands of parts and a highly experienced train repair crew, and just a great place to visit and B.S. with the crew for a few minutes. Lucky for me it's on the way to Northern Michigan and my cabin and it's not like it's out of the way. Almost forgot Wild Bills Trains in Clinton Twp. Bill and I go back to way before he opened his train shop. In fact when I was building my layout he used to come over and pick my brain for ideas for a layout. Bill and I go back to the late 60's up to the day he passed on. We were like family and great friends. Now even his wife has just recently passed on.
In Maryland, we were hit hard by closures, and on line only conversion. Concotin Mtn Trains, Purkeys, Klein’s were the three I miss the most. Klein’s always had everything and was close, even after they moved, which was a necessity because of neighborhood decline. They’re still around as an on line only business.
Purkey’s and CMT closed. Miss trips there for everything and anything, including friendly, knowledgeable owners, and repair guys.
Tom Schwartz, was the repair guy at Purkey’s, and he’s still around at another shop. But he’s the only friendly guy in the shop where he’s working . Good thing is, they do have a diverse selection of new and used trains.
HANDY DAN THE HOBBY MAN Riverdale ave. Yonkers N.Y.
KNEPPERS Main st. Yonkers N.Y.
For me, it was AK Hardware in McKees Rocks, PA.
Allied West LA
We all miss all of the Hobby Shops we used to go to.Most of us can say they the owners and counter guys were our friends. The Hobby will never be the same without them.Thank god for the few that are left. Nick
The Whistle Stop, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Davis Electric, Cincinnati, Ohio…. Back in the early 2000’s, we visited this store, three floors of all gauges of model trains, tracks, scenery supplies, a model train store like no other…. Now days, Hobby Express in Cranberry (or near Pittsburgh) Pennsylvania, is a close second. Today, with the Built to Order profile, many of the smaller hobby shops simply do not stock many of the higher end models unless ordered. This has changed our hobby. Happy Railroading Everyone
Davis was the best!!!!!! Joe Davis ran some operation. His collection was out of sight! I always was there and would hang out on Saturdays with many other guys. When he died his son couldn't wait to cash in, sold the collection, the inventory and the property and that was that. Thanksgiving weekend at Davis was something to see, he opened his collections and private layouts.
There was another store in Cincinnati, Garden Railways, it was on Madison Rd in O'Bryanville. It has high end European trains and Lionel. He was there for about 6 years and even got one of those Visa commercials, where you can't take it home with American Express.
I miss Train Express in Indianapolis. My son always enjoyed going - he would always pick out a new Thomas the Tank engine train (the wooden ones) and Larry and the staff were always so friendly and nice to us. Of course I'd also usually get something for myself as well.
When we lived in central Florida there were several good train stores. My favorite was DeWitt's Model Railroads in Winter Park. Small but well organized and Joyce was the nicest person, unfortunately she passed many years ago and while the shop went on for a while it was eventually purchased by Stew Marshall from Chicago who changed the name to "The Train Depot". Stew was really involved in the hobby and our club, expanded the store and coordinated events, but he and the store are now gone.
Another in Orlando was "Southern Model Railroads" which is where my wife surprised me early on by bringing home a Lionel (MPC) Southern Crescent set for Christmas. Earlier that year we had been to DC where I couldn't get enough of the 1401 in the Smithsonian. I'm not sure when that store closed but being in Orlando on South Orange Blossom Trail it was not convenient for us.
Finally another in Orlando but closer to us was Colonial Photo and Hobby where I first introduced to N-scale and the Orlando N-Trak club. The store is still in the same location, an old Publix grocery store right in the middle of Little Saigon neighborhood. Since one of our favorite restaurants is next door I always get a chance to visit every time we travel back to Florida. While their train selection is still good it just doesn't seem the same as it was back in the 80's.
Now we live in North Carolina and fortunately we have several train stores to visit and support. The closest is in Raleigh, Nick's Trains which is my primary place of purchase for most anything. And if Nick doesn't have it, he will get it. A couple hours away close to the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer is "The Little Choo Choo", one of the best model train stores I've seen. It is quite a drive but on those adventures there are two other train stores worth visiting. The "Train Loft" in Winston Salem is excellent Lionel/MPC/Atlas, and Mike's Trains in Thomasville.
We spend a lot of time in the western part of the state so I did find the Hobby House in Hendersonville which I highly recommend and do my best to,... support.
Of course being NC we have the Lionel Store in Concord which while it's nice, it is located in that huge mall which presents it's own set of issues. We stopped in once, it was an adventure.
So that was something about the stores I miss, and a bit about the local ones that we still have and want to keep open. I do my best to support local stores,
-Mike in NC,
