Has anyone visited the Red Caboose hobby shop in Manhattan?

talked to them on the phone once. Not impressed.

Stopped in once, maybe thirty years ago.  It was interesting.  From their website it may be completely different now:

"On this site since 1946 there has been a hobby shop. While we still do model trains in a variety of scales, we are strong in die cast planes and cars, electric slots cars, plastic kits, model figures in many train and architectural scales models paints, we also have a vast range of hobby supplies, paint, tools, glues etc, and a large book and video dept."

I was in there several years back. In my opinion, it's worth going more as an experience, rather to buy anything. The store itself is located in a basement, and there is no rhyme or reason for where anything is located / organized. Expect to find dusty boxes from floor to ceiling with the owner's cat patrolling the floor. 

Why is it worth checking out? It's somewhat of a flashback, and a nice change of pace from many of the cookie cutter stores the occupy much of Manhattan. I would never go out of my way to visit there, but if I was in the area, I certainly would stop by for a couple minutes. If I remember correctly, it's more of what Farmer Bill quotes above: planes, cars and plastic kits. While they do have trains, I recall them having more HO than O. However, it has been 5+ years so things could have changed. 

I go there every time I am in NY. I always find something interesting to acquire. There is a huge collection of books, that I did not realize was there, on the back wall.  There is a wide assortment of items in different scales, as well as kits.  Its truly an experience to visit.  Yes, its in a basement location, so its a bit cramped and musty.  The owner is a sharp guy and does not suffer fools gladly, as they say. I asked a dumb question on one of the books and got a response that I enjoyed retelling over and over again.  In so many words, they are not a discount seller.  

Don't touch the cat!

I was there around 2 years ago after not going in many years. He couldn't have been nicer. I found a Bruce Greenberg book on Prewar Lionel that was immaculate and priced nice and low, so I picked up another copy. I think his price was $40 and I've seen them at train shows trying to be sold at $100+. So, he certainly wasn't gouging people on that book. 

I think the cat's name is Lionel. I think it is worth a visit. I want to look at his other railroad books the next time I go back. 

Also, there is a "proper" British neat pub/restaurant right next door called the Cock & Bull. Their Fish & Chips is highly recommended (by me). 

Tom 

Hmmm, the last time that I was in Manhattan, I did not know about Red Caboose but the wallet took a healthy hit at the Ditmas Avenue stop on the F train! If I ever get back there, I will try to make it there.

If you're in the area, I'd recommend a visit. Manhattan once had many well stocked hobby shops - several on West 45th Street alone - but the Red Caboose is pretty much the last of the bunch. Mr. Al Spitz is the proprietor. I've been a customer of his since he first opened across the street in the 70s. He moved across the street into the present location when the owner of the store which was there previously decided to close up in the early 90s. The Red Caboose has a good mix of assorted merchandise including some O gauge, not a lot, but some. For many years, Mr. Spitz prominently featured his very extensive selection of models of foreign prototypes and he still stocks quite a bit in this regard. As mentioned above, his range of books for sale is expansive. I always find something of interest to add to my library.

Bob

Red Caboose is the last holdout of three hobby shops that once operated on that block within a couple of hundred feet of each other.

Originally, Red Caboose was across the street from its current location, which was originally the Model Railroad Equipment Co. and then the Train Shop Ltd.

The third store was Roundhouse.

I used to think of that block as the Hobby Shop District of Manhattan.

For nostalgia’s sake alone, I would make another visit.

Some people seem to remember when the Red Caboose was across the street from where they are now when reminded of the "Tiny Elevator" that you rode to get to the store. The elevator then opened up directly into the store.

Tom 

It sounds like a store that I visited when I was in New York for work around 1990.  Definitely an interesting place worth dropping in at the time.  I'm sure I bought something but cannot remember what.

From the descriptions of this place, I guess it's safe to assume that it is not handicap accessible.

You can call and ask. Phone # is 212-575-0155. 

Tom 

Being a former New Yorker, I often visited the then-named Model Railroad Equipment Corporation in the early 1950's. I last visited the store in 1974, when Carmen Webster was still the proprietor, and she waited on me. I believe I purchased an MPC purple N&W covered hopper. Back in the '50's, the usual train store rounds included Madison Hardware, the Lionel Showroom, the Gilbert Hall of Science, Savoy Merchandise, Polk's, and West 45th St. Ah, THOSE were the days!

Yes...they were. My dad worked in Manhattan and used to take me to Model Railroad Equipment Corp. That was my main train store when I was a youngster. 

Tom 

My goodness, I recall the Model Railroad Equipment Corporation and Roundhouse having several display cases full of foam inducing HO brass models, particularly of New Haven, New York Central and Pennsy prototypes. Fabulous stuff.

Bob

Tinplate Art posted:

Being a former New Yorker, I often visited the then-named Model Railroad Equipment Corporation in the early 1950's. I last visited the store in 1974, when Carmen Webster was still the proprietor, and she waited on me. I believe I purchased an MPC purple N&W covered hopper. Back in the '50's, the usual train store rounds included Madison Hardware, the Lionel Showroom, the Gilbert Hall of Science, Savoy Merchandise, Polk's, and West 45th St. Ah, THOSE were the days!

Yes, I too remember making the rounds of those stores & locations with my father in the '50's & early '60's; those were the days.

As that song goes - "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.....We'd fight and never lose...."  ☺

Great stories and suggestions,  I plan to get there on Saturday.  Sounds like a cool and memorable place!

     I seem to remember THREE hobby stores on 45th Street that I visited in 1970's and beyond.

    One was downstairs off the street in basically a basement. It was very tight getting around in there, but there was always something interesting. My brother-in-law worked for the telephone company around the corner. A co-worker wanted to buy some trains for his son. So, my brother-in-law and his co-worker visited this "basement store," and while there they met Neil Young!

    The second store was on an upper floor. This was the one where you took an elevator designed for one, or possibly two people max, and when the door opened, you were in the middle of the store! Apparently they had a flood back in the late '70's or early '80's and were selling some water damaged merchandise. I bought a McFadden O scale Silver Slipper western saloon kit. I put it away for when I retire. I am now retired 10 years and I have only started to put this saloon together! This store was on the opposite side of the street from store #1.

    The third store, as I remember, was on street level, closer to Fifth Avenue, also on the same side as Store #2.  All I remember is that it had a great selection of 2 Rail scale locomotives. I could see how much closer to scale their N&W J was than my Lionel #8100!

    I bought many items from these stores over the years, but I haven't been along 45th Street in about 15- 16 years.

John

Tinplate Art posted:

Being a former New Yorker, I often visited the then-named Model Railroad Equipment Corporation in the early 1950's. I last visited the store in 1974, when Carmen Webster was still the proprietor, and she waited on me. I believe I purchased an MPC purple N&W covered hopper. Back in the '50's, the usual train store rounds included Madison Hardware, the Lionel Showroom, the Gilbert Hall of Science, Savoy Merchandise, Polk's, and West 45th St. Ah, THOSE were the days!

I grew up in Manhattan. Made the same rounds of train and hobby shops. There is one that was my very looked. It was Julie's  on 23rd st. Across the street from Madison hardware. Yes those were the days.

hokie71 posted:

Great stories and suggestions,  I plan to get there on Saturday.  Sounds like a cool and memorable place!

I definitely would recommend stopping there even if you don't buy anything. The book section alone is worth the trip.

MELGAR

John Knapp posted:

     I seem to remember THREE hobby stores on 45th Street that I visited in 1970's and beyond.

That’s what has been stated in this thread already. Read above.

    One was downstairs off the street in basically a basement. It was very tight getting around in there, but there was always something interesting. My brother-in-law worked for the telephone company around the corner. A co-worker wanted to buy some trains for his son. So, my brother-in-law and his co-worker visited this "basement store," and while there they met Neil Young!

Yes, that store was the Model Railroad Equipment Corp. and later the Train Shop Ltd. Red Caboose now occupies that space.

    The second store was on an upper floor. This was the one where you took an elevator designed for one, or possibly two people max, and when the door opened, you were in the middle of the store! Apparently they had a flood back in the late '70's or early '80's and were selling some water damaged merchandise. I bought a McFadden O scale Silver Slipper western saloon kit. I put it away for when I retire. I am now retired 10 years and I have only started to put this saloon together! This store was on the opposite side of the street from store #1.

That was Red Caboose, as MNCW described it above.

    The third store, as I remember, was on street level, closer to Fifth Avenue, also on the same side as Store #2.  All I remember is that it had a great selection of 2 Rail scale locomotives. I could see how much closer to scale their N&W J was than my Lionel #8100!

That was Roundhouse. Actually, Roundhouse II, if I recall correctly.

    I bought many items from these stores over the years, but I haven't been along 45th Street in about 15- 16 years.

John

I believe there were once 3 locations of the various Roundhouse stores ("Roundhouse" with I, II & III in their titles), owned by Warren Portman. One of them was located at the ex-New York Central's Croton North station. While I never visited the Croton North location, my friend Bill took lots of pictures of it and it was heavily stocked with brass locomotives. 

Here is a link for his obituary. He passed away in October of 2018. He had an interesting life. 

https://www.craigfuneralhome.c...-Portman/#!/Obituary

Tom

Tom:

Thanks for posting the link to Warren's. I remember him well. Shopping at the stores on 45th Street was an enjoyable experience and, in hindsight, a privilege to have been able to do so. There was a strong spirit of cooperation between the guys who worked at the three businesses. In fact, several of them shared a big apartment somewhere on the Upper West Side. If a customer came into one of the shops looking for something they didn't have, the guys would pick up the phone and call the other two to see if they did. If anyone asked about foreign trains at either the Model Railroad Equipment Corporation or Roundhouse, they immediately sent them over to Al since he had such an extensive selection of the stuff. 

Bob

Was Julie's in existance in the 1950's? I was not aware of it if it did.

And there was AHC down around 34th street. Remember them from their fine print full page ads the model RR mags.

I was in there a few months ago, and it's incredibly claustrophobic. If a fire marshal ever went in, it would get closed down in 5 seconds. Piles of stuff everywhere in narrow dusty aisles where you have to back up to an intersection to allow someone to pass you.

Also looks like they haven't ever used a vacuum cleaner. I was first there decades ago. On latest visit, inquired about an engine—no box or anything, just sitting on a shelf—and response was "take it or leave it."

While I was there, someone from South America inquired about some magazines. Apparently they don't stock O Gauge Railroader, either.

I visited them several times over the past 40 years.

One memory from the early 70s while I was a college student was that there was a number of Brass O-Scale engines there. It was a Saturday. In walked a 40ish gentleman who said he was from California, worked for IBM, and was visiting Yorktown Heights headquarters and had taken the train to NYC for the day. He loved one of the engines and, since it was during the early days of credits cards, had to use 3 different ones maxing each out to pay for the engine.

If it's the same old guy (and cat) as was there the last time I visited about 15 years ago, I gotta think there's something unnatural about that place!  He had boxes of parts and other old crap on the floor selling for a song that I always used to root through.  Nevertheless, OP, if you have a half-hour to spare, it's worth a trip for the nostalgia, and maybe you'll find something you'll want.  But fair warning if you have a wife/girlfriend with you - the jewelry district is only two blocks away...

You had to see that little elevator to believe it. My best score there was a German Bavarian Pacific by Arnold that was no longer available and there it was in his display case by the register. the price was the price , I was just thrilled to find a new one. after that headed over to Polks. Great memories.

MNCW posted:

I believe there were once 3 locations of the various Roundhouse stores ("Roundhouse" with I, II & III in their titles), owned by Warren Portman. One of them was located at the ex-New York Central's Croton North station. While I never visited the Croton North location, my friend Bill took lots of pictures of it and it was heavily stocked with brass locomotives. 

Here is a link for his obituary. He passed away in October of 2018. He had an interesting life. 

https://www.craigfuneralhome.c...-Portman/#!/Obituary

Tom

 

Thank you for posting this.  I didn't know he passed.  I knew him, and my father was good friends with him.  In fact, when we had a train store, my father would let me call to place orders from Mr. Portman's distributor warehouse.  I would always talk with him or his office manager, Rich.

My father and Mr. Portman were the two who were amazed at how much I knew about trains at such a young age (I was calling the orders in for our shop at about 8 or 9 years old!)  They both encouraged me to keep going and always know as much as I could about trains.

NNJ RAILFAN: That Red Caboose fellow must take very good care of that "same cat" if it is 15 years old! 

Tinplate Art posted:

NNJ RAILFAN: That Red Caboose fellow must take very good care of that "same cat" if it is 15 years old! 

Like NNJ RAILFAN said, "there's something unnatural about that place!"; when you go down those stairs your entering the Twilight Zone.

Back when I was a kid and the Red Caboose was across the street, the store cat must have taken a liking to me (I like cats too). He or she jumped up on my shoulder so I walked around the store, looking in the display cases with a cat on my shoulder. 

TrainPop posted:

From the descriptions of this place, I guess it's safe to assume that it is not handicap accessible.

Chuck, so great to see a post from you. I hope you are well and hope to see you at York. I miss you and Vince. Definitely not handicapped accessible and IMO, not worth the trip. Mostly HO and N gauge.

Gerry  

Andrew-Porter posted:

I was in there a few months ago, and it's incredibly claustrophobic. If a fire marshal ever went in, it would get closed down in 5 seconds. Piles of stuff everywhere in narrow dusty aisles where you have to back up to an intersection to allow someone to pass you.

Also looks like they haven't ever used a vacuum cleaner. I was first there decades ago. On latest visit, inquired about an engine—no box or anything, just sitting on a shelf—and response was "take it or leave it."

While I was there, someone from South America inquired about some magazines. Apparently they don't stock O Gauge Railroader, either.

Well, since the store has been that way for more than a decade, I’m guessing the fire marshal is well aware of the basement store, which was just about as cluttered and confined when it was Model Railroad Equipment Corp. and Train Shop Ltd. decades earlier.

O Gauge Railroader? Never heard of that magazine. Is it any relation to O Gauge Railroading?

I visited the 45th street stores often  when I worked at 40th & Broadway in Manhattan during the 1960s-70s. But my favorite place was an old used book loft as I recall on the third floor nearby where in 1972 I found Richard Prince's hardback books on the Southern, N&W, ACL and Seaboard as well as Rank and Lowe's Southern Steam Power. All were used but in good shape and averaged about $20 each according to penciled in numbers inside. You had to search for them yourself in a specified area. In those days I was buying Southern HO brass mostly from Ted's Engine House in Philly. My sons still have it but counting rivets and difficult handling was gradually driving me nuts so O-gauge took over and the Domestic CEO declared that I really was crazy (and she played golf). 

The cat at Red Caboose was a character. I have a 16 year old rescue named Buddy who is struggling with arthritis and can no longer jump on my dormant attic layout. Neither can I.

Wasn't that book store called Broadway Limited? Rather disorganized as I remember. They had purchased part of the PRR library when the Pennsy sold off all sorts of things. I got about a dozen LIRR employee magazines from the late 20's early 30's from them.