Brick and mortar hobby shops

Hi Matt....

You may want to take a quick look at our forum sponsor list as well as the listings at the back of our magazine.  Also a quick online search..."S-gauge hobby shops Ohio" will likely bring up most of what is available....

Alan

Hey Matt!

I am guessing that you are into 1/64 farm toys and trucks, since you are looking for "S" gauge trains. If so, then I also would recommend looking into O gauge, since it won't look that bad with 1/64 vehicles. I have used 1/64 scale vehicles and farm toys previously. 

Chris

You are in my neck of the woods. The only "local" shop I am aware of that carries even the slightest bit of S is the Underground Railroad shop in New Castle, PA. The next closest would be New York Central Trains in Indiana or Des Plaines Hobbies in Chicago. I've heard of another place in western PA that might carry S, but can't recall the name at the moment.

Hi Matt,

I'm chiming in a little late here.  I'm not sure where in northern Ohio you are located, but if you are near the Cleveland area there are a few that I can suggest.  Trading Post Trains is a store that's been an institution in Cleveland at 4394 Pearl Rd.  They are a big O gauge dealer, but they have some S - mostly American Flyer.  They do pre-orders for both Lionel/Flyer and MTH if that's your interest.  I haven't visited in years so I'm not sure what they carry now.

If you are looking for American Models offerings, Alan Evans who is active with the NASG and the Central Ohio S Gaugers club is able to order items.  He can be reached through the COSG or you can contact me for his phone number.  He's in Columbus, but will ship items.

I also suggest you look up the Cuyahoga Valley S Gaugers for more advice.  Based in Cleveland, contact info is on their website.  If you are in Northwest Ohio, the Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers would be a good contact.

Besides the NASG yearly convention, one of the best places to get S scale of all flavors is at the annual Spring S Spree and Fall S Fest events.  They are hosted by various clubs and only feature S items.  The S Spree has been in Ohio rotating between the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati clubs.  The 2016 Spree will be held in Strongsville next May.  The Fall S Fests occur west of Ohio and this year's is happening in St. Louis October 30th.

Lastly, one of the largest shows in the Cleveland area, the NMRA Division 4 Berea train show is taking place at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, Ohio on October 3-4.  Mostly HO, N, and O, but there usually is some S scale, too.

Watch for other area train shows since S does show up to some degree from time to time.

Mike A.

Get comfortable with ordering products. As the market shrinks, less and less will be in stores. For a Niche scale like S that's the best way to go.