11th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia

O' yea, I not only remember it, I also worked there one Christmas season around 68/69. It was one strange store. I worked when it was owned by Nicholas Javits, AKA Nicholas Smith. the manager was a guy named Bill who also rented and sold Railroading stuff like key fobs across the street.  Old Nicks nephew was a Philly Det, who also worked there( so to speak). His name may have been Ed.

A good note. It was there I met the Late Tom Snyder, he worked at NBC local station and who came there frequently to check out the merchandize and make fun of them. He was a great guy.  He once said it was nice that I knew about Lionel, at least some here does. 

They had two cash registers, one worked and the other held the money. 

I was in Vietnam in '68/69.  Ed was an elderly guy when I came to know him.  He appeared to have some physical ailments.  There was a black woman who worked there.  She seemed to be checking to see what price Ed would tell his customers.  I think Ed picked numbers out of his head according to how he sized up a customer.  Speaking of personalities, I met Pete Camiel there one day.  He was involved with Rizzo's administration.  Some sort of power struggle between them.

I remember it very well.  Back in the mid to late 1970s I worked out of the Federal Building at 6th and Arch in Philly and spent many lunch hours visiting their store at 11th and Arch.  It was an unusual store, not much more than a hole in the wall but I loved going there.  My first purchase there was a Lionel KW Transformer and I actually had a fun time negotiating with an older gentleman who talked and moved very slowly over the price.  He was quite colorful and I enjoyed his demeanor.  I was very young at the time with a growing family and needed to get that price down somewhat.  We eventually came to an agreement and after that I bought a lot of  Lionel product there.  I remember around 1977 or so they had the beautiful green Lionel Southern Crescent Limited Hudson Locomotive with its passenger cars set up on a shelf behind the cash register.  I drooled over that set but there was no way I could afford it at the time.  I spent a lot of time looking at that set.  Funny thing is even to this day I don't have it.  In 1981 I was transferred out of Philly and never returned to that old store.   Fond memories.       

Mid / late 70's --- just getting started back into trains I purchased an absolutely like new 2363 Illinois Central F3 AB unit for what I thought was a lot of money 

The next time I went back into the store the older gentlemen that sold it to me asked if I would sell it back to them --- he sold it to cheap ??? 

Also --- does anyone remember Becker's next door ???

Not much in trains but loads of parts --- they sold me brand new snow plows for the 53 Rio Grande switcher still wrapped in Lionel paper 

Another Philly store --- Hills Cycle Shop on Germantown ave --- They sold me everything they had in leftover Super O inventory  --- I still have a ton of envelopes with track pins bus bar connectors uncoupling tracks etc

Thx

Joe S 

I never been at the original one but I was just at the Nicholas Smith in Broomall and been there many times in the past.

dorfj2 posted:

Mid / late 70's --- just getting started back into trains I purchased an absolutely like new 2363 Illinois Central F3 AB unit for what I thought was a lot of money 

The next time I went back into the store the older gentlemen that sold it to me asked if I would sell it back to them --- he sold it to cheap ??? 

Also --- does anyone remember Becker's next door ???

Not much in trains but loads of parts --- they sold me brand new snow plows for the 53 Rio Grande switcher still wrapped in Lionel paper 

Another Philly store --- Hills Cycle Shop on Germantown ave --- They sold me everything they had in leftover Super O inventory  --- I still have a ton of envelopes with track pins bus bar connectors uncoupling tracks etc

Thx

Joe S 

 

I remember Beckers.  His nephew, I believe, still sells at shows.  I discovered  Hill Cycle Shop in the late seventies I think.  I had been doing some renovations at Campbells Place, the bar a few blocks up, and happened to take a walk down Germantown Ave and in the window of the cycle shop were some trains.  I went in but couldn't strike a deal with the owner.  Funny thing is that about twenty years ago, i was doing some work for a young couple that have since become our friends and his grandfather was the owner of Hill Cycle Shop.

That older gentleman you mentioned has to be Ed, the same guy I dealt with.  He certainly was a character.  I would be in his store and watch as customers would come in to buy or browse.  Although I don't know how anyone could browse in there.  If the customer seemed uncertain as to what they were looking for, he would start giving them a hard time, in a humorous way.  

One day an Amtrak engineer came in to buy Zimmerman's "The Remarkable GG1".  I got into a conversation with him.  He was buying the book because he had driven the GG1 only a couple times and was so impressed with it he wanted the book. 

I remember the place well (south West Corner?) I only went in there twice in the later part of the 60's or early 70's. Both times I was asked as soon as I entered if I could be helped and I stated what I was looking for and told don't have it and felt like I was unwanted in the store and left. I just read the Madison Hardware Story, reminds me of Lou and Carl. There was a hardware store on the north side of Arch a block or two eastward that had some trains in the back of the store (and in the window) the owner there was very nice compared to NS. The best place for me to shop at that time was a little store in a former car Radio repair shop not far from the courthouse in Norristown.

There used to be a hardware supplier on Walnut I believe, down near front Street.  Silvo was it's name.  They sold mainly to the trades.  The store was similar to Nicholas Smith in that it consisted of a counter and very limited or should I say closet like display area.  

When you went in, there were order forms on the counter along with a catalog.  You filled out the form and handed it to the clerk behind the counter.  There was no conversing.  He would send the form upstairs and your merchandise would come down on a dumb waiter.  You paid for it and left the store.  The clerk was not there to answer questions, other than if an item was in or out of stock.  If you had any questions about a tool, you didn't ask them, because you would get a, "Know what you want before you come in here or don't come in here".  

One day just such a customer came in while I was at the counter.  He started asking the clerk some questions about a tool.  The clerk must have been in a good mood so started answering them.  After the third question, one of the owners came out and chased the guy out of the store.  

I don't remember much of the old Nicholas Smith store but I do remember walking down Arch Street with my Grandfather before Christmas to go there.  I remember we went to Nicholas Smith's and Shempp Brothers train store, if anyone remembers them.  Somewhere in my boxes of trains I have a Lionel Service Station list that shows Shempp Brothers as a service station.

You are correct Nicholas Smith was on the west side of 11th Street just south of Arch St.  They relocated to West Chester Pike in Broomall, PA. and the store is still open.  Also, a few doors away was William Becker who also had a store full of trains mostly Lionel and American Flyer.  Within the past ten years I did see Mr. Becker at a train show. 

I was just a little guy in the late 1960s and early 70s, and while I doubt my parents took me to the original Nicholas Smith store in center city, they did take me to the Gimbels and Wanamakers department stores at Christmas time. I recall a fantastic train layout at Wanamakers - and I think it was set up by Nicholas Smith. I have great memories of taking the train from Trevose station to Reading Terminal at the holidays - and seeing "Christmas in the city."

Many years later ~ 1996 or so - I discovered the relocated Nicholas Smith in Broomall. I try to get down there twice a year.

And what happened to the famous bookbinders and the postwar Lionel collection on the second floor?

I don't know about the Lionel collection, but Bookbinders closed in early 2002.

I had forgotten that Bookbinders was on the same block as Silvo Hardware.  Heard some interesting stories about Bookbinders from plumber friends.  Some nasty stuff hidden in places the public never saw.

Bought two 763s and a 714/715/716 from Becker back then.  There were still streetcars with strange mis-matched whelsets on 11th st.

In the last years of the shops in that area, while the commuter tunnel was being built, I would often stop into Nick Smith or John Baines store and browse and even buy something.  I worked alot downtown and it was easier and less costly to take the train than it was to drive and pay for parking.  

But alas, the entire area gave way to the convention center, which I also worked at setting up the flower shows.  

What great memories!!!   I was a Philadelphia probation officer in the early 1970's and worked out of City Hall.  My lunch breaks often took me to Nicholas Smith and Beckers Hardware which were only a few blocks away.  My apartment was in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and later Elkins Park I got to take the daily Reading RR (now SEPTA) Chestnut Hill commuter line in to Reading Terminal.  Baynes Trains was often my weekend  hangout.  Never knew what you would find hidden there.  It was here that I learned that my old trains, back in my parents attic,  had now become "collectable"  Some of my longest train friendships came from evenings at Baynes Trains and the I was soon a regular attendant at nearby Westover Country Club TCA meets in nearby Norristown.  TCA and other train club memberships soon followed.  Neat seeing Maury Kline and Bruce Greenberg and many others who always were at that meet.  York had one building at that time.  Showing my age.  Phil 

I moved to Philly when I transferred to Temple and went to the store several times. Temple in 1969 was $250 a semester, but I couldn't afford to buy anything.

I worked at Strawbridge and Clothier at 8th and Market and went to Nickolas Smith and Beckers several times a week. Never had much money to buy anything but I just loved seeing all the trains. 

Christmas time in downtown Philly was magical back then. I loved going to Wanamakers and other major stores that were decorated to the hilt. I miss those days. 

I remember stopping by at the store in the early sixties with my mom looking for a replacement smoking unit for my Lionel 2020 loco.  The old guy had them in stock and when my mom asked for the price he said " what difference does it make how much it cost, the kid needs it".  Well, that didn't go over well with my mom and we left without it.  I wasn't too happy at the time but now I laugh about it and see where my mom was coming from.  He had a peculiar way of doing business. 

He was gruff and that’s why I always dealt with Mr.Becker.

The only Philadelphia area train store that I can recall going into was up on Street Road and called something like Joe's or jim's(?) Train Station. I always came out with something either HO or O and at reasonable prices.

I had a regular train store route when I was growing up in Upper Darby, Downtown Philly had Nicholas Smith and Beckers on 11th St and just around the corner on Arch St between 10th and 11th St was Millers Union Station and on 15th St there was Tom Thumb Hobby and at 8th and Chestnut St was Quaker City Hobby. In Upper Darby was Todds around 69th St and Warrens at Garrett and Burmont Rd. There was another Hobby Shop on Market St just Easy of 69th St that went out of Business early 1960, I can't remember the name.

Joe’s is still in business but they moved to County Line Road in the Warminster area.

Does anyone else remember "Baines Trains" in Manayunk?

I was a North Philly kid, Manayunk was a world away.

I have great memories of going to both Nicholas Smith and Becker’s Hardware in the 1960’s. One particularly great trip was with my Dad - took the bus there - to buy a nice accessory for my layout - a Lionel crossing gate with flashing lights. I display it proudly on the bookcase in my home office!

Have a card from William Becker, c 1975 or there abouts. My recollection is he was selling parts at the old Gilbertsville train Show. Mark

@barrister.2u posted:

Have a card from William Becker, c 1975 or there abouts. My recollection is he was selling parts at the old Gilbertsville train Show. Mark

What, no cell phone listed?

His son sells parts etc. at shows. He was at York this past October.

I think John Baines was a retired schoolteacher ???
When I started going to train meets in the late late 70s and throughout the early to mid 80s he used to set up at a lot of the Philadelphia area train shows - I believe selling parts ?

I was a kid in my 20s but some of the “older guys” I ran around with knew him well

Not sure if he ever had an actual store ???

I was looking through my odds and ends and found this throwback. It was tape used to secure cardboard at Mr. Becker’s store.

... and Chris Gans at his present Nicholas Smith Train Shop continues the tradition of all those old train stores of ignoring customers and not being very friendly.  I made tons of purchases there over the years and he still acts like he doesn't know me.  But I must admit, his inventory is pretty good.  With the number of train and hobby stores in the Philly area heading to zero, it's the place to go.

@Ernie B posted:

... and Chris Gans at his present Nicholas Smith Train Shop continues the tradition of all those old train stores of ignoring customers and not being very friendly.  I made tons of purchases there over the years and he still acts like he doesn't know me.  But I must admit, his inventory is pretty good.  With the number of train and hobby stores in the Philly area heading to zero, it's the place to go.

FYI - Chris has sold Nicholas Smith to his daughter.

@Ernie B posted:

... and Chris Gans at his present Nicholas Smith Train Shop continues the tradition of all those old train stores of ignoring customers and not being very friendly.  I made tons of purchases there over the years and he still acts like he doesn't know me.  But I must admit, his inventory is pretty good.  With the number of train and hobby stores in the Philly area heading to zero, it's the place to go.

It's been about 5 years since I been to Nicholas Smith but every time I would visit the store Chris would always say hello to me including at York. I known him since the late 1960s when his K&G Speed Shop was located on Darby Rd in Havertown Pa.

The only Philadelphia area train store that I can recall going into was up on Street Road and called something like Joe's or jim's(?) Train Station. I always came out with something either HO or O and at reasonable prices.

Hey Dave

As Jay wrote

Joe's was at Bustleton and Street, and moved to Warminster on County Line Rd

Haven't been in the new store yet,usually when My Wife and I are passing by we are on a mission

Prr7688

When did he sell it to his daughter?

Chris Gans was the landlord at one of the Transmissions shops I worked at.

The people I worked with had no clue who he was

The first time I saw him come in for the rent, I was "Do you know who that is?"

They said,Yeah, he's the landlord ,so

He sort of kind of knew me from being a familiar face at the train store over the years.

In the one picture I'm showing him a picture of some of the scratchbuilt stuff I built.

Everybody spent the rest of the day howling, they thought it was so funny that I wanted to get a picture with him

In my trade, I'm a transmission rebuilder that likes model trains,not cars

When I was young a had a few pretty nice street cars, but installing transmissions day in and day out for the first 20 years pretty much beat that out of me. At the end of a day the last thing I wanted to do was work on a dam car. For the last 20 something years I have been on the rebuilding end,

@Transman posted:

Prr7688

When did he sell it to his daughter?

Around 6-8 months ago.