Recently, my usual LHS, Wing Hobby Shop in Lakewood closed it's doors for good. I've been looking for a new store to frequent, preferably one which is a Lionel repair station as I have a docksider that needs some work done on it. What are your recommendations? I'm considering paying a visit to Uncle Ray's Trains in Avonlake, what do you guys thing of them?
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Try stockyard express in oberlin they are great people i go their often. They are an auth. mth service center, so im sure they do lionel too. tell Clyed i sent you..lol
Thank you for the advice! I'll definitely check them out.
Go see my friend Jim Berilla at the Trading Post Train Shop in Cleveland. He does authorized Lionel repairs and has a huge inventory of Lionel and MTH. If you don't see it, ask about it.
An old-time train store from the 1950s. Phone 216-661-7300 for hours. He is closed several days of the week in the summer. Always open Saturday, though.
Located a few blocks south of the Cleveland Zoo on Pearl Road. About 10 minutes from I-71.
Tell him Dave Warburton sent you and says hi from California.
You will not be disappointed.
Thanks! I think I've been there before, maybe a decade ago when my father and I started building our layout. I think we bought a Lionel Milwaukee Combine from the 70's, which had never been opened!
Redshirt,
I'm surprised you were able to get much of anything in O gauge from Wing's in recent years. I grew up in Lakewood and back in the 1960s Wings was a full Lionel dealer. It's where i would go to buy my Plasticville buildings, a new operating car or a few pieces of Super O track. But when I visited in the 1980s and 1990s, by which time i had moved to DC, they had little Lionel and I understood they had almost no trains in any scale in recent years.
Take the advice above and check out the Trading Post. It's a great place.
Mack
There was indeed very little O stuff left at Wings, mostly we've bought scenic supplies from them, along with the occasional magazine or car. Still it was very convenient to be able to drop by in case we needed something.
My father also used to go to Wings in the 1960s and 70s, to buy N-Gauge stuff.
I had the opportunity to buy some things when they were going out of business. I got some paints, plus Run 270 and a 1:700 scale JMSDF Oyashio class attack sub.
Go see my friend Jim Berilla at the Trading Post Train Shop in Cleveland. He does authorized Lionel repairs and has a huge inventory of Lionel and MTH. If you don't see it, ask about it.
An old-time train store from the 1950s. Phone 216-661-7300 for hours. He is closed several days of the week in the summer. Always open Saturday, though.
Located a few blocks south of the Cleveland Zoo on Pearl Road. About 10 minutes from I-71.
Tell him Dave Warburton sent you and says hi from California.
You will not be disappointed.
My Dad bought all my original Lionel stuff (used) from them back when the Trading Post was new, in the early fifties. Wish I still had all that stuff.
Trading Post opened next door to the present spot in 1950. Ralph Brown was the proprietor. Jim Berilla bought the business from Ralph back in the late 1980s and has run it ever since. Ralph passed away about six years ago; he used to drop by, especially around Christmas, just for nostalgia's sake. Quite a guy.
There aren't many old style LHS left any more so this one is worth cherishing. Visit it while you can; when Jim decides to hang 'em up (and he's around 70 now), who knows what will happen to it?
Trading Post opened next door to the present spot in 1950. Ralph Brown was the proprietor. Jim Berilla bought the business from Ralph back in the late 1980s and has run it ever since. Ralph passed away about six years ago; he used to drop by, especially around Christmas, just for nostalgia's sake. Quite a guy.
There aren't many old style LHS left any more so this one is worth cherishing. Visit it while you can; when Jim decides to hang 'em up (and he's around 70 now), who knows what will happen to it?
I would take a ride to Oberlin and visit Stockyard Express. Definitely worth a visit.
In my opinion the best stores in this entire region are Stockyard Express and Mercer Junction. Aaron's City in Akron has a good stock, but horrible hours if you actually want to visit. I pretty much decided to stop buying from them because of that fact.
Recently, my usual LHS, Wing Hobby Shop in Lakewood closed it's doors for good. I've been looking for a new store to frequent, preferably one which is a Lionel repair station as I have a docksider that needs some work done on it. What are your recommendations? I'm considering paying a visit to Uncle Ray's Trains in Avonlake, what do you guys thing of them?
Uncle Ray's moved from Avon Lake to Sheffield Lake on Lake Ave. It's a bigger place and he's got a nice selection, mostly MTH and he doesn't deal with any postwar.
Stock Yard Express in Oberlin is a big store and he has a ton of inventory but it's kinda hard to find.
The Trading Post is a must, if only to stop in and take a look around, it's kinda small but the walls are packed from floor to ceiling with everything from postwar to new, mostly Lionel. It's been a while since I've been there but he had new old stock all the way back to MPC, it's worth the drive.
Paul
Almost forgot to mention Depot Trains on W130th Street, it's an old three story home that is PACKED from the basement to the attic with trains and hobby supplies. Easily you could spend hours just browsing, it's amazing how much stuff this guy has in almost every gauge. Another place that is worth the trip.
Paul
I don't know if they do anything outside of parts, but you have one of the best businesses around for online info on parts right near you.
1281 Granger Avenue Lakewood, Ohio 44107
Ph: 216.226.0444 Fax: 216.226.0155