WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE TRAIN STORES AS A CHILD?

Both the Lionel and American Flyer/Gilbert showrooms/stores in New York City.

I used to go to Street Hobbies  (Al Street the Train Man) in Columbus, Ohio as a kid. I was into HO at the time and he had a great selection of HO stuff. Also did repairs on my locomotives too.

handyandy posted:

I used to go to Street Hobbies  (Al Street the Train Man) in Columbus, Ohio as a kid. I was into HO at the time and he had a great selection of HO stuff. Also did repairs on my locomotives too.

Was that the train store in the basement of a hardware store, located just down the street from the big Lazarus store??

I remember a shop in the basement there that was packed with Lionel items. This was back in the 50's and early 60's.

Jeff

Jack Colliers Toys For Men in SF and Lees Trains in Oakland,a long time ago.

Mikey

Growing up in Cleveland, The Hobby House on Huron Road was the place to go.

I also fondly remember going to Jay and Jay Trains in Euclid, OH with my grandparents.  Smaller selection but it was closer to home and didn't require driving downtown.

My father always took me to Potomac Trading, years and years ago. Still there although it has been years since I've walked through the door.

Our local "chain" was my favorite when into HO, N, and G.

When I got back into O (as a "big kid"), Engine House Hobbies and even more so, Catoctin Mountain Trains. Sure wish I could still walk in the door of Catoctin Mountain Trains!

H.L. Child n Son in Northampton, Ma

Long gone

Sears Roebuck & Company in Steubenville, OH.

George

Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:

Growing up in the Detroit area, the Downtown Hudson's Store, and Lopo's cameras and Trains were my favorites.  The downtown Hudson's store had a huge number of Lionel trains for sale, particularly at Christmas.  Hudson's was the large department store in Detroit.

Les Gordon's Trains and Kelly's Koin Kupboard here in Indianapolis. One memory of Les Gorden's was the large pile of Girl's Train Set's he had in the late 50's that were marked $15. He ended up painting several just to get them sold. Both places (and owners) are long gone now.

Steve

Besides the train shop in Columbus Ohio, I mentioned above, my favorite shop in my hometown of Marietta, Ohio, was Swan Hardware. The toy dept. was upstairs on the 2nd floor. Always a nice Lionel Dealer display layout there, and a good stock of the latest Lionel items.

On Lake Street, Minneapolis. Long gone now, of course...

Number one on the list in NYC was Madison Hardware, my favorite bar none. The second was close to where I lived on Long Island which was Willis Hobbies. Willis did not have much O gauge stuff, but was very strong on HO, which I was also into as a kid.

In the 50's, I went to Trost Hobbies at 63rd and Kedzie on the southwest side of Chicago. Most of my original trains were bought there, and I remember perusing Model Railroader and being disappointed that the pictures only showed trains on two rail track. The store closed in 2006 after a 78 year run, and the space is now occupied by a Mexican Bakery.

Mill City posted:

Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:

Growing up in the Detroit area, the Downtown Hudson's Store, and Lopo's cameras and Trains were my favorites.  The downtown Hudson's store had a huge number of Lionel trains for sale, particularly at Christmas.  Hudson's was the large department store in Detroit.

 

WOW!  Thanks Mill City.  Brings back some great memories.

mowingman posted:

handyandy posted:

I used to go to Street Hobbies  (Al Street the Train Man) in Columbus, Ohio as a kid. I was into HO at the time and he had a great selection of HO stuff. Also did repairs on my locomotives too.

Was that the train store in the basement of a hardware store, located just down the street from the big Lazarus store??

I remember a shop in the basement there that was packed with Lionel items. This was back in the 50's and early 60's.

Jeff

No, this shop was out on West Broad Street in the '70's and '80's.

AMER's, A mile or so south of the market street bridge in Youngstown, Ohio.

SMC Model RR Center  SI, NY

Berkshire President posted:

Growing up in Cleveland, The Hobby House on Huron Road was the place to go.

I also fondly remember going to Jay and Jay Trains in Euclid, OH with my grandparents.  Smaller selection but it was closer to home and didn't require driving downtown.

Jaye and Jaye was my go-to store growing up in the Cleveland area in the 1950's. Very fond memories of the place. Nice layout running in the rear of the store, too.

AB Charles and Sons and Bill and Walt's Downtown Pittsburgh.  There used to be one out on Route 51, can't remember it's name but we stopped there a few times as well.

The Iron Horse became a favorite when I became a big kid.

All, sadly, are gone.  I believe Bill and Walt still have a store in Oakdale?

PRRronbh posted:

AMER's, A mile or so south of the market street bridge in Youngstown, Ohio.

Ditto! It's where my first Lionel train came from, followed by many more. Howard Amer's employees even built my first home layout--a birthday gift from my dad. Still ranks as the largest layout I have ever had.

Madison Hardware first, then second there was this train store on 45th ST just off of Madison Ave  I think on the 4th or 5th floor, I forget the name of it. I'd like to say The Red Caboose, but not really sure.

Trainland- Lynbrook and Brooklyn, NY.

Still in business today. An episode of the Sopranos was filmed there.

http://www.trainworld.com/?gcl...CMzNACFQhMDQodCQkMkw

Piscataway model train shop. It's still going strong. They have a Raritan River SW900 builders photo that I want..

Hobbit posted:

Les Gordon's Trains and Kelly's Koin Kupboard here in Indianapolis. One memory of Les Gorden's was the large pile of Girl's Train Set's he had in the late 50's that were marked $15. He ended up painting several just to get them sold. Both places (and owners) are long gone now.

Steve

Les Gordon's...the last location was virtual next to the greatest donuts shop on the planet--LONG'S BAKERY!  These were/are two of my favorite places ever!  Many great memories.  :-)

Alabama Hardware on Government Street in Mobile.

I was born in 1948, so that pegs the era. The Lionel display (it was "yuge" to a 6-year-old) was very near the front door. Later, in 1957, I asked for the new catalog, and the nice lady - she was subbing, I think - inadvertently gave me their dealer "advance" copy. I still have it. Black and white - and the new N&W "J" was in it. Still my favorite PW locomotive (versions of the scale Hudson excepted - maybe).

Later, a few blocks away on Dauphin Street, I started going to a more "hobby" shop - and I forget the name - and saw my first zinc Mantua HO steamer kits - the Mike and the Pacific - and they looked so real. HO became my goal, but didn't survive my teens and driver's license. (Those zinc kits are one of the reasons that I love the Lionel and MTH "Pilot" and "Engineering" locos - talk about nostalgia...)

Anyway, I know - not the Rust Belt, but it happened here, too.

HL Childs in Northampton, MA!  Was such a cool place! Child World was also great! 

Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:

Hudson's was the large department store in Detroit like Macy's in Chicago.

 

Correction: Macy's is a NY store and wasn't  in Chicago until 2005. Chicago's department store was Marshall Fields.

My childhood favorite was Dispensa's Kiddieland in Oak Brook Terrace, IL with Hill's Hobby in Park Ridge a close second. 

In Boston it was Jordan Marsh on the 5th floor.

Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:

Growing up in the Detroit area, the Downtown Hudson's Store, and Lopo's cameras and Trains were my favorites.  The downtown Hudson's store had a huge number of Lionel trains for sale, particularly at Christmas.  Hudson's was the large department store in Detroit like Macy's in Chicago.

Lopo's Cameras and Trains was a local store on the Northeast side of Detroit, not too far from where I grew up. Lopo's had a good selection of trains, and, since my father was a camera and 8mm movie buff, he was an easy "mark" to get to take me to Lopo's.  I fell in love with a Brunswick Lionel GG-1, which was the out-of-reach price of $49.95 as I recall.  My dad and I had that loco taken out of the counter-top display case twice to look at one fall-winter.  Fortunately, the same loco was brought by Santa that Christmas.  Funny how dreams sometimes come true.

Dennis - what was the hobby shop on Woodward and 8 mile.  Had a large crossbuck that lit up for a sign - said hobby  shop... I can remember it was the only store my Dad  would  drive from Plymouth, Mich to shop at. I believe after it closed it became a book store and the large crossbuck sign was  there for years...

The Train-Station, Mountain Lakes, NJ.

Branch Brook and Co, Bloomfield Avenue, Newark NJ,

Polks Hobbies, Mid-Town Manhattan, NYC.

and the two that were in Carlstadt and Wallington NJ I cant remember the names of

ConrailFan posted:

Madison Hardware first, then second there was this train store on 45th ST just off of Madison Ave  I think on the 4th or 5th floor, I forget the name of it. I'd like to say The Red Caboose, but not really sure.

Polks- was the name of the store, Thanks for jogging my memory GG2340!

JDADDY posted:

"Dennis - what was the hobby shop on Woodward and 8 mile.  Had a large crossbuck that lit up for a sign - said hobby  shop... I can remember it was the only store my Dad  would  drive from Plymouth, Mich to shop at. I believe after it closed it became a book store and the large crossbuck sign was  there for years..."

JDADDY,

I know exactly the hobby shop that you are referring to, and, it did become a book shop.  I can't remember the name either, and I actually think the cross bucks may still be there.  I still have some that things I bought when they were closing out the store, including some items for my Super "O" track.  Great memory!!!

Birmingham Train Center had moved to Royal Oak, renamed Train Center Hobbies, and was located north of that hobby shop. Both were on the same side of Woodward.  A real model railroader's "Dream Cruise"!!!

My father and I would prowl the inimitable Billy Arthur's in Chapel Hill, NC, in the late 60s and early 70s.  Mr. Arthur and his shop were like Christmas all year round.  A great American.    https://www.ourstate.com/billy-arthur/

After Billy Arthur's, it was the A&M Toy Store chain in East Tennessee.  The home store on Ringgold Road in Chattanooga had a great big Christmas countdown above the front door.  And this was a sign a person had to climb up to in order to change the numbers.  No electronics other than a flood light.    Christmas Memories at the A&M Toy Store

As a grown up kid, I have to second SJC above in missing Catoctin Mountain Trains.  Simply the best. 

There were two places:

The first was the train store in Middlesex, NJ which disappeared almost 15 years ago. The owners were very nice (husband and wife as I remember), and I remember they had some very rare Thomas merchandise and a nice HO layout. I believe the store went away when the husband died.

The second was in the Train Station in Mountain Lakes, NJ. The owners (Don and David Shaw) were great guys AND very knowledgeable. I remember the display cases with the postwar classics like the F-3's and FM's, as well as the big demonstration layout. That's where I first got to play with a 164 log loader, a 352 ice depot, and a milk car. It's probably my favorite store close by in Jersey to this day, and still provide great service. They also had some nice Lionel Hudsons, including the 100th anniversary gold Hudson I wanted a lot. They still have it on a shelf, by the way.

Living in NYC the Lionel showroom was tops. Altman's on 5th Ave. & 35th street had a great layout where the SF ABA & aluminum passenger cars went under a lake of real water through a plastic or glass tube. Impressive!

Macy's on 34th street also had a nice layout. I worked there during the Xmas season in 1963 selling Lionel Trains & Aurora Race car sets. A lady came in one day and wanted to buy her husband a Steam engine for Xmas. I showed her the Lionel Hudson that sold for $198.00. She said that her husband would probably kill her if she spent that much but I talked her into it. Shortly after Xmas her husband came into the store and asked for the kid who sold his wife this engine. The manager of the Toy Department pointed him towards me. I was getting a little nervous.He introduced himself and he just wanted to thank me for talking his wife into buying the Lionel Hudson.

Strange as it may seem but growing up in NYC I was never at Madison Hardware. 

Baltimore City .... it was MB Kliens  They had every thing Trains ! every body went there

Still in business but in Cockeysville MD .... 100 years in business unbelievable and that's where I still go.

I think going on the internet as " ModelTrainStuff" years ago in addition to moving the brick and mortar store has saved and increased their business big time .

Living in a very rural area of Alabama, all I had was the Sears and Roebuck catalog, and then somehow I found out about Hobby Surplus sales in New Britain, Mass. They sent lots of black and white catalogs which I wore out....My mother would take me to Birmingham, AL at Christmas  and we bought stuff at Sears. I remember seeing BIG Lionel displays at Sears, but I never had anything but Marx. Two years ago-- I was on a trip to Massachusetts, and I made the pilgrimage to see just what Hobby Surplus Sales looked like, and it is a big toy store, with maybe 50% devoted to trains. I bought a used K-Line Caboose (we were flying) just so I could say I had bought something.  Lots of fond memories of toy trains, and a lot of education to a 7 to 10 year old. I still love all things mechanical. I am currently trying to work this magic on our 8 year old grandson.

Starrett's, Portland Maine.  I believe the shop went out of business with the demise of the original Lionel company.

i will also go with Amer's in Youngstown Oh. My grandfather bought me my first train set there(7 months before I was  born). My grandfather asked Howard what train set he should get for his grandson, Howard replied how old is the boy to which gramps stated he will be born in about 7 months. Howard always remembered that first meeting with my grandfather. It was Lionel 675 freight set, still have it and it will be doing another Christmas around the tree.

Captain John posted:

Living in NYC the Lionel showroom was tops...

Strange as it may seem but growing up in NYC I was never at Madison Hardware. 

John,

I never made it to Madison Hardware in New York...For some reason we went to the Empire State Building on the way to Valley Forge, PA, when I attended the 1964 Boy Scout Jamboree...

What were they thinking?  

As it turns out, Richard Kughn moved Madison Hardware a couple of blocks from my office, so I was able to go after all -- usually on my lunch hour.  I wish that I would have purchased more of the 1950's and 1960 Lionel catalogues.  I think they were $5 Each at the time.  The catalogues were in pristine condition other than the Madison Hardware stamp with the address on the front cover.

Christmas in Toledo was Tiedtkes... The entire 4th floor was toys, trains and Santa.  Unfortunately, like most of downtown Toledo... it's gone.

I was into HO as a kid.  My favorite place to buy train stuff was Two Guys dept store in Rochester, NY.  They had a decent hobby department and i could find plenty of AHM stuff which i considered the gold standard at the time.  My favorite loco was an AHM 0-8-0 my father bought for me from that store one Christmas.  I still have it.  

The Home store in Scranton and the Globe store and Scranton Dry Goods! They always had trains running in the windows,Home store's was the best! My father was a Colonel in the Air Force stationed in California! Every Christmas we would fly home to Scranton because it was my parent's hometown! We'd set the trains up, afterwards pack them up and put them in Grandma's attic until we came home for Christmas again Good memories

Scott R posted:

I was into HO as a kid.  My favorite place to buy train stuff was Two Guys dept store in Rochester, NY.  They had a decent hobby department and i could find plenty of AHM stuff which i considered the gold standard at the time.  My favorite loco was an AHM 0-8-0 my father bought for me from that store one Christmas.  I still have it.  

Two Guys!  We had those here in NJ and while I can't say I had a favorite train store as a kid, images of Lionel trains on the wall in the toy department is what I remember most about Two Guys.  I remember 3 places as a kid, Two Guys, Sears and a local hobby shop a block from my uncle's house that we would go to.

The place my dad got his 1952 stuff from was gone before I could remember.

Today I am fortunate to have a favorite train store only about 10 minutes from my house.

Tony

NONE. There wasn't any hobby shop with model trains for probably over 100 miles in any direction of where I grew up. I never even saw a hobby shop with model trains until I was 11, when we were at Gettysburg and we stumbled across Gilbert's, when it was down by the battlefield.

In my early teens on trips from home in Florida to relatives in East Tennessee, we'd go right by Memory Station in Watkinsville GA. That was the first hobby shop I ever saw with some detail parts and decals. Later trips, my parents would make sure we had the time for me to look around and that we'd be through the area when they were open. Man, how I wish I could go back and show them photos of what I've done with my layout. I still have very fond memories of the place and the people there.

Later, I would read Model Railroader and see the 2+ page ad for Trainworld in each issue. Never got the place until last September (decades after I'd first seen those ads), when a pal of mine hopped a subway from Grand Central and rode out to see it. Problem was, we hit their mail order location and that retail store was a tiny little hole of a place. I'd never been so disappointed in my life until we later learned there was a nice retail store way out from there.

Great question. After I got my first set there was no need to take me to another hobby shop!! At least in my parents eyes.

As a 60 year old child now it has to be Mercer Junction! 

Growing up in So Cal in the 1960's there were a number of them......

Knott's Berry Farm - There was a train only shop on main street of Ghost Town. They sold trains but it was 50% museum too. It had a number of loops of track around the walls that for 10 cents you made the trains run. I know they were pre-war and one was Standard gauge as I knew it was bigger than the Lionel at home.  Knott's was free to get in back in the day and near my home so it was a cheap place to go on weekends for my folks. 

Sears - The big old Sears in downtown Los Angeles had a large model train dept. And it sold used stuff I assume it took in on trade. It is what I could afford back then so I loved it. I bought a bunch of Marx track, the track with the molded black ballast, as I thought it looked so much better than Lionel. Look how long it took to get track like that again!!! 

There was Hobby City on Beach that was good. Other big name hobby shops were to far away for me to talk Dad into taking me there!!! 

1952, Decatur Al. , Western Auto, JC Penny and Sears Roebuck (catalog store) sold model trains. I think only Penny's had a layout.

However the layout I remember was in "Lyon's Electric Supply" not a toy store, I remember stopping by Lyons Electric many times on my way to the Decatur Daily to pick up the papers for my route (bicycle route).

Fast forward 1977:  I called "Lyons Electric" to see if they still sold Lionel Trains and explained how as an 8 year old I would stop in his store on Second Avenue and watch the trains run and now I wanted  to get my son a train.  Mr. Lyons told me that he no longer put the layout up at Christmas ( don't think he ever sold trains) but made his day by bringing up fond memories of the good "o" days.

1977 Bought my son a Lionel Train "Rock Island 8601"  I have this train, my Boys /grand kids have ZERO interest.

1988 (?) My Dad bought a Wabash 8601, his first train Dad was 72. I have the train.

2010  My wife bought me a train I was 66 then.

nuf said..

Have a great day

Brent

RaritanRiverRailroadFan4 posted:

Piscataway model train shop. It's still going strong. They have a Raritan River SW900 builders photo that I want..

Everyone drools over that iimage, myself included. 

I used to go to Steve Varga's on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, Woolco and Meyers on Route 18 East Brunswick and Sears on Route 1.  I recall Sears having some display layouts in both HO and O late 60s early 70s

On the west side of Detroit it was Joe's Hobby Shop on Wyoming Ave. (later in Dearborn, also on Wyoming), the Train Clinic on Hubbell off of Grand River and Northwest Hobby on W Seven Mile.

Doug

Lasus & Sons  255 Huguenot St. New Rochelle, NY

postmastermc posted:

On the west side of Detroit it was Joe's Hobby Shop on Wyoming Ave. (later in Dearborn, also on Wyoming), the Train Clinic on Hubbell off of Grand River and Northwest Hobby on W Seven Mile.

Doug

Joes added a store in Madison Heights.  My oldest son and I bought  track and some other items at Joe's for the layout that he built for his young sons. At the time, Joe's was having their closeout sale for that particular store.   I would say the Joe's in Madison Heights closed right around the time that The Great Train Stores closed.

In this regard, my oldest son's favorite train stores were  Birmingham Train Center, in Birmingham, which moved and became Train Center Hobbies, in Royal Oak - now closed.  Another favorite was and is P & D Hobby on M-97 - fortunately, still going strong.  

As a kid growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs I always remember going to the Jenkintown Hobby Shop in Jenkintown because my grandmother and her sister lived down the street from it and I always remember the great selection of Lionel and HO stuff they had there and also remember the Big Bash Hobby Shop on Tioga street which had a good selection of Lionel Trains at that time and also remember the Allied Hobby shops in places like Montgomery and King of Prussia Malls as well.

Baltimore, 1950's: Taubman's Hardware on both Eastern Ave. and Monument St., French's on Broadway, Belnord Hardware on Pulaski, and for Plasticville, Woolworth's. The day after Christmas sales were incredible (and dangerous if you were a small kid - being trampled by adults when the door opened wasn't fun). In the 60's, Two Guys Department Store (not trampled as much - I was in my teens and more nimble).

Trading Post Trains on Pearl Road in Cleveland Ohio.  Old store front, metal embossed ceiling panels and trains from the floor to the ceiling.  On the north side of the building is a large "Hudson on a flag" 1942 Lionel catalog cover billboard.

The only "train store" l visited and was aware of in Louisville, Ky. was Fischer's Hobby Center up a stairs on a side street off the main shopping 4th St. I bought Lionel O-27 track and switches and one crossing gate to add to my Marx. Mostly there l bought many of the Hudson Miniatures and Highway Pioneers antique model car kits, in wood and plastic. Where l saw the Marx l envied was in Sutcliffe's Sporting Goods, but it only appeared for the holiday seaaon, and then vanished, usually before l could get there with my gift money post holiday. It was there l saw but never owned then the LNE hopper and the Santa Fe stock car. Sears, and the two city dept. stores, Kaufman's and Stewart's, had displays of Lionel and Flyer.

Roy's Toy and Hobby.  Summit NJ

Trenton, New Jersey Hobby Center, owned by William Krames (a founding member of the TCA), Sear Roebuck around the corner from the Krames store, in early 1950's.

I would have to say John Wanamaker in downtown Philadelphia.  They had great displays plus a ride on the monorail was a real treat.  Then Strawbridges and Lit Brothers, also had extensive displays.

As I got older, Jenkintown Hobby Shop was the place to go.  

Dales Train station

mom took me there twice before she passed 5 years ago

she always encouraged my love of trains

got my first lionel there - the 1980 chesapeake flyer set and a chessie modern version of the 3469 coal dump car

thanks to my dad i don't have them anymore because he probably destroyed them when i left for college like he destroyed my 1500 dollar aristo craft B&O alco FA1 when i was in 5th grade

It's the same store as today - Hennings Trains in good old Lansdale, Pa.

-Greg

ConrailFan posted:

ConrailFan posted:

Madison Hardware first, then second there was this train store on 45th ST just off of Madison Ave  I think on the 4th or 5th floor, I forget the name of it. I'd like to say The Red Caboose, but not really sure.

Polks- was the name of the store, Thanks for jogging my memory GG2340!

Polks was not on 45th St. In it's heyday, Polks occupied an entire building (5 floors) on 5th Avenue near 34th st.
Model Railroad Equipment Corp was in a basement on one side of 45th st.
I believe the place a few floors up was on the opposite side of the street, and was called the Red Caboose.

The last time I visited Polks, they were down to occupying the basement only. That was quite awhile ago.

As a kid growing up I visited Steves Hobby Shop in Downtown San Leandro, Ca.  My grandparents lived in Oakland  within walking distance of the Montgomery Ward store.  During the holidays I would spent hours in the toy department watching the Lionel and American Flyer layouts.  Later I often visited Lee, s Train service on Piedmont ave in Oakland. Great store with lots of trains diecast etc.  Lees was an Eastbay landmark.

We didn't have any trains stores in Charlottesville, VA, nor any hobby shops that I recall.   Sears & Roebuck, Firestone, Western Auto, and another place whose name escapes me. 

Allied Hobbies on Pico Blvd.

Mikey

Spoonley the Train Man in Buffalo NY!

In Ft Wayne, the "big three" at Christmas were all within walking distance downtown - Krull's, Koehlinger's, and Wolf and Dessauers Department Store. Koehlinger's had the smallest selection, but it's specialty was bikes and safes. It still exists, but no downtown. The other two are long gone.

Back in the mid-1960's, my Dad would take me to his office in Bridgewater, NJ on Saturdays.  And we'd always go out to eat for lunch, followed by a stop at TINY TOTS in Greenbook, NJ (located a few miles down the road on Route 22).  That's where I saw my first Lionel trains.  In its heyday, Tiny Tots was quite the toy/hobby "superstore" of its time.  I can still recall my Dad and I browsing through the 1966 Lionel catalog on top of one of the glass display cases.  And the store clerk pointed out that the Virginian FM diesel locomotive featured in the catalog for $65 was in-stock at the store and "on sale" for $52.  Now in 1966, $52 was a lot of money. 

That was just one of many visits to the store, but I can recall that particular moment like it was yesterday.    Very, very fond memories.  Thanks, Dad!!!

David

In Park Ridge, Illinois--Hill's Hobbies. Wonderful memories!

Farmers Supply Co and Felsingers Hobby Shop in Lancaster, PA. Farmers was known for their huge operating display on the second floor.

After getting my first train at age 4 in 1956, "Santa" brought me a new operating car or accessory every year, and always installed it on the layout in the wee hours of Christmas morning. Many years later I noticed that Santa had been shopping at Farmers Supply for some of these items, and judging from the reduced pricing marked on the boxes, often got a good discount! 

ConrailFan posted:

ConrailFan posted:

Madison Hardware first, then second there was this train store on 45th ST just off of Madison Ave  I think on the 4th or 5th floor, I forget the name of it. I'd like to say The Red Caboose, but not really sure.

Polks- was the name of the store, Thanks for jogging my memory GG2340!

Yep, Dad would take me into "The City" on a Sunday morning. We would walk around Polks for hours. 5 or 6 floors. One floor was trains, one floor was models, one floor was figures. Dad would let me wander on any floor I wanted to. This was back in the early 70's.

Other days we would start at The Train-Station in Mountain Lakes in the morning, maybe stop for a "ripper" at Rutts Hutt and then end the day in the afternoon at Branch Brook & Co for more browsing.

Funny how the stuff I kept looking at found its way under the tree a few weeks later. 

Murrays Hobbyland on Main in Bloomington,Ill and made it to Madison Hardware 1 time in the late 70 's. LOCOMOTION

In the late 50's Dad would get our Lionel trains at Kirkwood Hobby in downtown Kirkwood.  Trains were the center of our lives and Christmas was "Train Time".  Dad's rule was the first Saturday after the first snow of the season (or the Saturday after Thanksgiving) the trains were unpacked and set up.  We would use an old ping-pong table in the basement.  First was a single loop, then an loop inside, and the best was a double-decker with an even smaller loop.

My sister Becky, had the Lionel steam Hudson,  Charlie (older brother) had the Erie F units, I had the Pennsy passenger.  When the three trains were running, it was quite a roar!

Today, it's back to Lionel Trains and my layout centers around the PRR.  You know, if I ever finish my layout, it will never meet the fun we had on the old ping-pong table.

Happy Holidays to all!

For me it was Madison hardware. I also liked Sel-Rite on 17s in Paramus, Nj. When I was a tween and started to earn some $$, I bikes to Ridgefield Hobby shop. When I was able to drive, I hung out a lot at the Loose Caboose in Bogota with Gary at the helm.

Cleveland, Ohio ............

Nobby Hobby Shop, Union Ave at East 103rd

Sparks Hobby Shop, East 131st and Miles Road

Riedel's Railroadiana, Babbit Road

Hobby House, Warrensville Center Road

Trading Post, Pearl Road

Lou N 

Western Auto and Montgomery Wards were it for me.

For me in the Late 40's to the 60's it was Marshall Fields 4th floor on State St in Chicago. They had a great selection and free catalogs. Field's also had their own Premium Toy Catalog that was really anticipate every year, it was the start of the Christmas season. The catalog didn't have any sales just great items. They also had paper airplane demonstrations, that never worked as well at home. We would usually eat a meal under the big tree. I always thought that they had the only real Santa and all the others Santa's were just helpers, Also present was Aunt Holly and Uncle Mistletoe along with groups of carolers singing through out the store. I don't think my dad bought  from there but bought them from a friend, below wholesale, which was very prohibited by Lionel. The only car we bought at Field;s was an AMT baggage car. Lionel's wasn't available yet. After the early 60's I started buying my own Lionel and LGB trains from Dispensa's Castle of toys in OakBrook Illinois. I new the Dispensa kids from their Carnival operations and school. I was treated very well by them. You couldn't do any better anywhere. I believe they had something to do with starting Geoffrey the giraffe and  Toys R US. Good memories!

Buzz

Dobbs hobby shop on Broadway and 32 street in Bayonne nj.  I could walk there.  I remember the two guys in jersey city had a train dept.  It really didn't matter because the trains were only out of storage for Christmas.  That particular problem has been fixed.

Early to mid 1970's, it was Kiddie City and Allied Hobbies, both in Ardmore, PA as I recall. When I got a little older and could take public transportation by myself, it was to Todd's Model Shop in Upper Darby, PA--great memories taking the long-lived "bullet" cars of the Norristown High Speed Line to 69th St. Terminal from Bryn Mawr with my best friend. (The line was affectionately called the "P&W" for the original Philadelphia and Western RR, now operated by Septa.) I was into HO then; later it was N scale when I "discovered" Nicholas Smith sometime after Chris Gans purchased the business and moved it to Broomall, PA. I now enjoy O and they are still my primary LHS.

Park Lane Hobbies in Dolton, IL.

Located in the South Suburbs of Chicago, they stocked HO and N trains.

I was into HO at the time (late '70s early '80s); a small shop...but it had character.

Charles Ro.  Herb at the desk!

My all time favorite was the Barberton Bike and Train Depot in Barberton, OH. As a kid I use to ride my bike to the shop and would always leave with a used $1 HO car and a equally used $.25 train magazine.

My other favorite was Glens in Akron, OH.

Well, way back in the 1980's...My Dad took me to Schafner's Trains in my hometown of Canton, Ohio. Always enjoyed the soda counter amidst the wall of trains. Neat place. 

I loved the trio of neighboring train stores on 45th Street in Manhattan in the mid 1970s: Model Railroad Equipment Co. (later Train Shop Ltd.), Red Caboose and Roundhouse II.

Then, in Minnesota subsequently, it was Moon's Hobby Shop in Rochester.

Nostalgia runs deep in both cases.

But I will never forget the train department that E.J. Korvette in Brooklyn had every year into the mid 1970s each Christmas.

Well, for me it was Macy's at 34th and Broadway.  The reason is that it was right across the street from my mother's office at 110 Broadway (you can actually see the front of the building and address during the Macy's Day Parade).  So, all I had to do was cross the street.  The 5th floor was a huge (to my young eyes) toy department, and at Christmas time what I thought was a pretty big display and layout of primarily Lionel trains.  I bet that a lot of NYC was sold there. 

I'd hang out on the 5th floor even when it wasn't Christmas; until they would throw me out.  My most memorable ejection was when I was trying out the Pogo sticks, and I crashed into a display.  Well, they had enough of me that day.

Another time a truant officer came up to us and asked why we weren't in school.  We told him that it was Brooklyn Day, and our schools were closed.  Being in Manhattan he didn't believe us or that there was such a thing as Brooklyn Day.  After he made a couple of phone calls he came back and told us that we were right.  He was pretty friendly at that point.  Despite being a New Yorker and being doubtful at first he was always nice.

I didn't discover Madison Hardware until I was made aware of it while in the Lionel showroom.  The best part was that it was just a short walk away.  As a kid I never really thought that much of it since there wasn't a layout and the train displays were rather unimpressive.  To add to that there were two grumpy old men in there.  Yes, they get much acclaim, but to a kid from Brooklyn they were rather rude (kid= no money).  The following dialogue is almost verbatim:

Me:  Can I see that train?

Grumpy Guy (GG):  Are you going to buy it?

Me:  I don't know.  I'd like to see it.

GG: If you're gonna buy it I'll show it to you.

Me:  Well, I don't know.  I'd like to see it.

GG: Are you gonna buy it?

Me: I'd like to see it first.

GG: Either you buy it or get outta here.

So, I left.

I have stories of going there to buy parts as a kid, but those are other stories.

I went back there years later, and I was able to act like the out of towner (which I was at that point) with my schiksa wife and two kids.  I met two old guys who were actually quite pleasant and doting on the kids.  I had money to buy stuff.

Alan

My first train was purchased with "OK" stamps (given out at our local grocery store), at their "store". We purchased some extra items at our local full line hobby shop. It was on Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks, NY.
I don't recall the real name of the store, we called it "Hi's", which was the name of the owner.

Reading all of these wonderful posts has jogged many long dormant memories.  There was a hobby shop in the late 50's, early 60's,  quite a bit south of our house in northeast Detroit, that took me about 20 - minutes to a half hour to ride to on my Schwann 3 speed "Traveller" bike.  This hobby shop had a number of the pre-space era Lionel items on sale at significantly reduced prices than those charged at Hudson's or Lopo's Cameras and Trains.  

I had a paper route delivering newspapers by bicycle.  My parents encouraged this entrepreneurial endeavor, and allowed me to use some of the profit for my Lionel hobby.  I would visit this train store, select an item, and make a purchase, but only  when I had saved enough money in excess of the "mandatory" percentage of profits that my parents required that I put into my savings account at Manufacturer's Bank.  Fortunately, I still have these trains, and, wish that I could have purchased more.  Many of them are postwar favorites, with die cast trucks, and, the pre-"window box" Lionel items such as the later era Lionel submarine car.

It's hard to believe now that we were allowed to travel great distances by bike, and our parents didn't worry.  RULE No. 1 though:  I had to be back when the street lights come on at night.  Imagine, a city with 2 million people that had streetlights on every corner!!

The "old" Trainland in Lynbrook, NY on Sunrise Highway. Thru the front door, Lionel on the left, Flyer on the right.

My parents originally shopped for trains at the Macy's in White Plains, NY.

I used to shop for Plasticville at the Woolworth's on Westchester Square in the Bronx.

As I got older, all my train shopping was done at Honigs Parkway, a store under the White Plains Rd El, just north of Allerton Avenue, Bronx NY.......the store is long gone....

Peter

pennytrains posted:

Trading Post Trains on Pearl Road in Cleveland Ohio.  Old store front, metal embossed ceiling panels and trains from the floor to the ceiling.  On the north side of the building is a large "Hudson on a flag" 1942 Lionel catalog cover billboard.

There you go Penny! - That's my uncle Ted Nyerges (passed in 2015) on the far right - not sure who the other fellows (or the dog!) are - or what the signature is about. Just found this pic in a big stack on Lionel catalogs last night...

For me there were two:

Model Railroad Equipment Corp. on 45th Street, North side, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, in the basement.  Down a flight of stairs to model railroad heaven.

Polk's Hobby Department Store on Fifth Avenue, West side, just South of 32nd Street, trains third floor.  Take the elevator or the stairs.

Didn't much care for Madison because on our only visit there Dad and I had the displeasure of watching one of the owners go off, I mean really go off, on a customer.  We left, as did several other folks.

Texas (formerly New Yawk) Pete

I grew up in Upper Darby Pa and when I would go downtown Philly my favorites were Becker's and Nicholas Smith both at 11th & Arch. There were three others I remember downtown , Quaker City Hobbies on Chestnut St, Millers Union Station on Arch St & Tom Thumb Hobbies on 15th St. Tom Thumb had almost any HO part you would need, every time I would go they had what I wanted. Upper Darby had Todd's who the owner Larry Todd passed away a couple months ago and a couple others they I can't remember the names. All are gone except Nicholas Smith which is now up in Broomall.

Wow..l and many if not most above write about the past, what once was.... wish there was some kind of national (international?..Canada?) running perpetually updated list of train/train stocking hobby shops in business TODAY.

Texas Pete posted:

For me there were two:

Model Railroad Equipment Corp. on 45th Street, North side, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, in the basement.  Down a flight of stairs to model railroad heaven.

Polk's Hobby Department Store on Fifth Avenue, West side, just South of 32nd Street, trains third floor.  Take the elevator or the stairs.

Didn't much care for Madison because on our only visit there Dad and I had the displeasure of watching one of the owners go off, I mean really go off, on a customer.  We left, as did several other folks.

Texas (formerly New Yawk) Pete

Not everyone thinks that Madison Hardware is the Lionel Utopia that so many others do.  Stories of cranky old men yelling at customers is not uncommon, sadly......even though these same old men were sometimes/often great with other customers.

Roving Sign posted:

There you go Penny! - That's my uncle Ted Nyerges (passed in 2015) on the far right - not sure who the other fellows (or the dog!) are - or what the signature is about. Just found this pic in a big stack on Lionel catalogs last night...

That's Ed Rowe on the left (repair guy), and Jim Berilla (owner) in the center. Not sure about the dog.

TRW

My parents took me and my brother to Baltimore every Christmas season as a young kids.  It was quite an exiting event that filled me with anticipation days before embarking on our journey!!   We'd usually go to Baltimore the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, leaving early in the morning on a Greyhound bus.  I always loved it when our bus approached the city!  We'd pass over a B&O freight yard, then the Western Maryland grade crossing ( caring the WM main line to Port Covington ) and finally a B&O grade crossing that ran directly next to the Montgomery Ward store on US RT1.  Our go to train store was Frenches Sporting Goods in the heart of downtown Baltimore.  They had a huge selection of Lionel and American Flyer and an elaborate ( at least to my young eyes ) large layout that accommodated many trains running simultaneously. This is where I first saw the scale Hudson that Lionel produced.   Frenches was our go to Lionel repair shop too.  And of course we'd pick up our latest Lionel catalogues at Frenches.  The staff was always welcoming and real nice folks.  

Also on our seasonal visit my parents would take my brother and me to Taubman's Toy Store, also in the heart of downtown,  which sold lots of trains ( all scales ) at discount prices.  They really didn't have a layout that I recall. 

As in other major cities, the department stores all had very nice layouts and good train departments.  We would visit Hutzlers, Hoschild Khone, Stewards, Hecht Co., and Bragger and Gutman.  In my earliest years we would also visit the May Co. Dept Store until they merged with Hecht Co.  May Co. is where my first Lionel 027 set ( from Santa ) was purchased.   All these stores had fine layouts, at least to my very young eyes and imagination.  

Chicago - Late 40's early 50's Marshall Field & Company - -Downtown State street store - 5th floor toy department. "Lionel Trains".  My mother could leave me there for hours while she shopped. 

Marshall Field - "The Customer is always right" was there motto.  I was there one day with my "Dad" when another father and his son made a purchase of a Lionel Santa Fe Warbonnet A - A set. It turned out the "boy" liked the dark grey of a New York Central F - 3 better than the Santa Fe silver. The salesman was accommodating and swapped the Santa Fe onto the NYC bottom.

They were happy.

My father seized the moment knowing that very few buyers would have an interest in a mis-matched F unit.  He made the salesman an offer for the NYC with the Santa Fe undercarriage.

The "customer is always right".  I still own that mis-matched NYC / Santa Fe A-A set today.

Chicago - mid 50's - north side, on Devon Ave. near Western Ave. Ken Mac Radio was the dealer in those days. I could walk there and oogle at the newest and greatest from Lionel.  Some of those pieces are on the shelf today.

Great memories!

Growing up in the fifties, Bridgeport Ct had three train stores. Blinns ( moved many years later to Fairfield and just recently closed). The Train Exchange (my friend still has the store sign) and Irv Yurdin's. Mrs. Yurdin died just a few years ago at I believe 101.

Also during CHRISTMAS, Main street Bridgeport was decorated with beautiful lights and decorations. That is when people went "downtown" to shop. Howlands department store always had a running layout with tons of trains. I could hear them as soon as I stepped off the elevator and ran as fast as I could.

It was a special time with wonderful memories.