NYC Train Stores

From Manhattan, take the F train to Ditmas Avenue in Brooklyn. The subway becomes the elevated with GREAT views on both sides. Go down to street level and visit Trainworld at 751 McDonald Avenue.

Sorry but there are no "good train stores" in Manhattan. Manhattan has priced out many small mom & pop stores. Trainland is your best bet for a "train store" in the 5 boroughs.

When it comes to O Gauge The Red Caboose is about it in Manhatten.  It's one of those old, dusty basement kind of places.  Not a lot of O Gauge but some.

http://www.theredcaboose.com/

 

Train World is the best by far.  Can't speak about Queens or the Bronx but if you happen to be in Staten Island there are two:

 

LeBlanc's Trains & Hobby Center -  Cottage behind a private home  Primarily Lionel. 

http://lioneltrainstoreofstatenisland.com/

 

E-Z Catch - Interesting combination of bait & tackle shop and O Gauge trains. Last time I was in there no Lionel, mostly MTH with some WBB

http://www.e-zcatch.com/

 

 

Besides Red Caboose on 45th between 5th and 6th there is a new this year shop called Pilotage on 36th between 5th and Madison they seem to only carry Bachmann/Willliams  Also Gotham Trains on 35th between 7/8th near Penn station. They have a very little bit of everything. As far as the boros there are a few more. Rudy's in Queens, J&D in the Bronx and TrainWorld in Brooklyn. Staten Island is another story I've never made it out there to those shops.
That's pretty much it for us here in the big city.

Lets not forget the toy department at Macys 34th street but it might be a bit early for the trains to be displayed. FAO Schwartz also carries Lionel around the holidays. Anyway you look at it, the choices today are slim pickins over what was there in the 1950's and 1960s'.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.  Will definitely try to make it out to Trainworld.

 

Conrad

Guys, Your suggestions are right and informational as usual. Part of the problem is that these stores don't want the general train buying public to know that each other exists! That is part and parcel of the problem. It maybe the American way, but for the train buying public, it is unfortunate and is symptomatic of the problem of decay, I think.The other part of the problem is lack of advertising and general lack of interest, don't forget you are competing with a highly app oriented, many channeled(tv & cable),video game market. Your market base is dwindling down to the very young and the aging (those of us here who long for yesteryear)! Good job in providing those of us still interested in the information, though! Our task, it seems to me, is to continue to build a base where this hobby will survive through the use of train shows and displays. How do the rest of you feel?

You've got me thinking about taking Metro North in and the F out to Brooklyn some Saturday. Sure beats driving for an hour to what is left of the LHS in my area for one shelf of O.

1. Gotham Model Trains

224 West 35th Street

13th Floor

New York City

Lionel & HO stuff

2. Pilotage

389 Fifth Avenue

Entrance on E 36th Street

Between 5th & Madison Avenues

New York City

Bachmann Trains

Hop on the LIRR and take a ride to Freeport and visit Nassau Hobby Center. They are a top notch store and have a ton of inventory. Charlie also posts great tidbits and little hints at future release on a regular basis.

 

Just a short walk from the train station.

If you want to take a train ride on Metro-North from Grand Central Terminal to Dobbs Ferry, NY in Westchester County or drive on The West Side Highway/Henry Hudson Parkway and Saw Mill River Parkway north of Bronx, NY come to Tom's Trains located in Ardsley, NY. From the Dobbs Ferry Station a taxi or bus ride will bring you to Tom's Trains. Tom Trains has been in business 15 years and the store has lots of trains, etc.

See his ad in O Gauge Magazine and Classic Toy Trains in the dealer directory listing.

 

Ed G.

Your welcome to come out and visit us!

Gee, thanks guys.....from what you're saying there's still a lot to choose from I still missed the Madison Hardware window(of opportunity) though would have given my favorite comic book to have gone there from what you guys have said about it!. Mike

WOW, your from Tennessee.. Be careful you don't get mugged.

Come on Eddie!

 

Let's not propagate the urban legend that NYC is dangerous.  Stats all over the net show that NYC is one of the safest big cities in the country.  Here's one that show us in 3rd place.  http://os.cqpress.com/citycrim...CrimePopRank2011.pdf

 

I work in downtown Manhattan and during tourist season you can hardly walk the street it's so crowded with people speaking every language you can image (even Tennessee-ish).

 

Proud New Yorker (actually Staten Islander but it really is part of NYC).

If you just want to see trains.

Not quite Manhatten, but close enough.

The New York Society of Model Engineers.

www.ModelEngineers.org

Seven miles west of Manhatten and 1/2 mile

from MetLife Stadium where the Giants and Jets play.

Arrangements can always be made for visitors.

e-mail ModelEngineers@comast.net

 

Andy Brusgard,  NYSME

 

Oh, We are in New Jersey!

and that makes the Giants and Jets New Jersey teams.